Washington, D.C. (July 6, 2016) – U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) CEO and founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi is joining the International WELL Building Institute as CEO and Chairman of its Board of Directors. Fedrizzi will assume the position of Chairman immediately and assume the CEO role November 4, 2016, when he will add his executive leadership to the IWBI team full-time after he steps back from USGBC.
IWBI administers the WELL Building Standard (WELL), an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being.
“As we continue to grow and expand the adoption of both the WELL Building Standard and the WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) program globally, we enthusiastically welcome Rick Fedrizzi into this leadership role to help lead IWBI to new heights,” said IWBI Founder Paul Scialla. “I can’t think of a person better suited to lead this process than Rick. His management experience and global vision will be huge assets to IWBI, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him.”
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to take on a leadership role with IWBI and build upon the work we’ve been doing at USGBC,” said Fedrizzi, who announced last summer his plans to leave the USGBC, which he co-founded in 1993. “Our buildings and communities should help humans thrive. Sustainability plus health is a powerful lens through which to view the world, and WELL has approached this goal in a similar way to how we developed the LEED green building program.
“Leveraging the strengths of both USGBC and IWBI will advance a much needed change in the improvement of the wellness and quality of life of our families, friends and colleagues through a healthier, more sustainable built environment,” added Fedrizzi.
The WELL Building Standard V1 was introduced in October 2014. To date, WELL has registered and certified over 200 projects, totaling more than 45 million square feet across 21 countries.
Fedrizzi co-founded USGBC while he was environmental marketing director at United Technologies Corporation. He has served as USGBC’s CEO since 2004, and during the past decade, has led USGBC’s efforts to establish green building as a global mainstream movement. During his 12 years as CEO, he has championed the idea of improving the world’s building stock in ways that improve the health, safety and well-being of the people who occupy them, and has been a force for driving collaboration across the built environment continuum.
Fedrizzi serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, whose mission is focused on the design and development of leading-edge research on how to improve human health and well-being through the built environment, as well as Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council, Clinton Global Initiative’s Scaling Sustainable Buildings Action Network, Delos’ Advisory Board, Watsco, Energy Focus, VIEW, and Global Green. In 2015, he authored Greenthink: How Profit Can Save the Planet, which recently received the IPPY Gold Medal in the Public Affairs Category.
Fedrizzi holds a BA from Le Moyne College and an MBA from Syracuse University, where he recently received the Arents Award. A native of Syracuse, he spent more than 25 years at United Technologies Corporation, culminating in his role as in-house environmental marketing consultant. In 2001 Rick founded Green-Think, an environmentally focused marketing and communications consulting firm. He transitioned from the role of volunteer founding chair of USGBC during this time to becoming its full-time CEO in 2004.
About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment. IWBI administers the WELL Building Standard (WELL) – a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and well-being of the people who live, work, and learn in them. Fulfilling the vision of IWBI Founder Paul Scialla, IWBI has a pioneering altruistic capitalism model that will address social responsibility and demonstrate a sustainable model for philanthropy. IWBI has committed to direct 51% of net profits, after taxes, generated by registration fees, certification fees, and recertification fees received from real estate projects applying for WELL Certification toward charitable contributions and impact investment focused on health, wellness, and the built environment. IWBI was established by Delos in 2013 pursuant to a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life by sharing the WELL Building Standard globally. www.wellcertified.com
Related Stories
| Nov 2, 2014
Top 10 LEED lessons learned from a green building veteran
M+W Group's David Gibney offers his top lessons learned from coordinating dozens of large LEED projects during the past 13 years.
| Oct 30, 2014
CannonDesign releases guide for specifying flooring in healthcare settings
The new report, "Flooring Applications in Healthcare Settings," compares and contrasts different flooring types in the context of parameters such as health and safety impact, design and operational issues, environmental considerations, economics, and product options.
| Oct 29, 2014
Better guidance for appraising green buildings is steadily emerging
The Appraisal Foundation is striving to improve appraisers’ understanding of green valuation.
| Oct 27, 2014
Report estimates 1.2 million people experience LEED-certified retail centers daily
The "LEED In Motion: Retail" report includes USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.
| Oct 27, 2014
Top 10 green building products for 2015
Among the breakthrough products to make BuildingGreen's annual Top-10 Green Building Products list are halogen-free polyiso insulation and a high-flow-rate biofiltration system.
| Oct 21, 2014
Inside LEED v4: The view from the MEP engineering seats
Much of the spirited discussion around LEED v4 has been centered on the Materials & Resources Credit. At least one voice in the wilderness is shouting for greater attention to another huge change in LEED: the shift to ASHRAE 90.1-2010 as the new reference standard for Energy & Atmosphere prerequisites and credits.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
| Oct 16, 2014
48 building professionals in 2014 class of LEED fellows
To be selected, LEED Fellows are nominated by their peers, undergo an extensive portfolio review, must have at least 10 years of experience in the green building industry and hold a LEED AP with specialty credential, among other requirements.
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 14, 2014
USGBC awards individuals, firms for leading the way in sustainable construction
This year’s Leadership Award recipients include Christine Ervin, David Orr, Jim DeCesare, Lloyd Alter, Tom Paladino, The Near Westside Initiative, and Mars, Inc.
