Dicke Hall, a cross-laminated timber building located at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, was constructed by Turner Construction. The company is one of six people and organizations that will be honored at the USGBC Leadership Awards ceremony on Nov. 13. Credit: Robert G. Gomez
Articles

U.S. Green Building Council Announces Leadership Awards

Green Building

By Fay Harvey  

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The U.S. Green Building Council, the leading authority on green building, announced the recipients of its 2024 USGBC Leadership Awards on Oct. 31. The annual honors recognize leadership and commitment to creating a built environment that enhances health, equity, resilience, sustainability and prosperity.

This year, USGBC honored six people and organizations that have led the way in making best practice standard practice across the building industry, demonstrating leadership in innovation, education, and performance.

“The USGBC Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations at the forefront of our movement to transform the built environment,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC, in a statement. “This year’s honorees have made significant contributions to scaling green building across our industry. Their collective actions are helping make thriving, healthy, sustainable and resilient buildings and communities a reality for millions of people around the world.”

Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence

Recognized for their vision, leadership and commitment to advancing the green building industry, the 2024 Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence recipients include:

  • U.S. General Services Administration (GSA): According to the USGBC, the federal agency has consistently championed sustainable development and operations, earning LEED certification on more than 400 projects and ensuring that all new construction and major renovations of federal buildings meet LEED standards.
  • ITC Hotels: The company is the owner of the first LEED Zero Carbon hospitality project globally, has achieved LEED Zero water certification at four hotel chains, and has reduced the use of single-use plastic at 150 touch points across its hotel operations.
  • Turner Construction, a leader in construction and green building, counts more than 1,500 LEED credential holders among its staff and plays an active role in efforts to decarbonize the construction industry. The USGBC noted that the company has worked to reduce embodied carbon emissions and resource use on its project sites and monitors energy and water consumption across all projects. Additionally, the firm has electrified its fleet and equipment, setting an example for others and paving the way for sustainable market transformation in the construction sector.

“We are so thrilled to be honored …” said Julia Gisewite, vice president and chief sustainability officer for Turner, in a statement. “Turner has long taken intentional action to improve the sustainability of our work and ensure a brighter future for generations to come.  We will continue striving to be at the forefront of sustainability in our industry.”

Congressional Award

The newly introduced Congressional Award honors a member of Congress whose work has expanded sustainable, higher-performing buildings across the U.S. The inaugural award went to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, a champion for green building who has driven decarbonization in federal buildings and spurred action and innovation across the private sector, delivering impactful policies like the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings tax deduction.

Kate Hurst USGBC Leadership Award

Kath Williams, a champion of green buildings and sustainability education, received the Kate Hurst USGBC Leadership Award, which is reserved for outstanding leaders who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainability in the built environment.

An educator, William’s work on Montana State University’s EPICenter project served as a test case for LEED certification in the organization’s earliest years. The USGBC noted that she has helped students and professionals gain critical skills in green building and sustainability and has taken her work globally and worked with the World Green Building Council to establish new green building councils across Asia and Latin America.

Malcolm Lewis IMPACT Award

The Malcolm Lewis IMPACT Award, created in honor of Lewis’ significant contributions to the development and success of the LEED certification system, celebrates volunteer efforts “that are moving the needle for green buildings and communities” according to the USGBC. The award includes a $10,000 donation from the USGBC to recognize the impact created by volunteer efforts and support continued success.

This year’s recipient, the Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization Project (ECHO), is a coalition of industry groups working to standardize embodied carbon emissions reporting to accelerate the rapid reduction of embodied carbon in the built environment. Through its collective efforts, it is driving alignment of standards and definitions to reduce complexity and motivate action across our industry.

Honorees will receive their awards at a ceremony on Nov. 13 in Philadelphia during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.