Rick Fedrizzi, who has been the face of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) since he co-founded it in 1993, has informed the Council that he will be stepping down as its CEO, a position he’s held since 2003, at the end of 2016.
The Council’s Board has set up a search committee to identify candidates for the CEO position, to ensure a smooth transition of leadership by January 2017.
“As an industry, we’ve grown and prospered because of a powerful idea that ultimately sparked a movement,” said Fiona Cousins, chair-elect of the USGBC Board of Directors. “That movement has been ably led by Rick Fedrizzi for more than two decades, and it’s that success we’ll continue to build on in the future.”
Fedrizzi will be leaving an organization that has grown to 76 chapters. The Washington, D.C.-based USGBC employs 260 people, and last year reported $74.1 million in revenue.
Fedrizzi—who was USGBC’s volunteer chairman the first six years of its existence—states that the most gratifying aspect of his job has been “seeing the impact of LEED and the greater USGBC community have made on the global green building industry.”
Since launching its Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green certification program in 2000, more than 55,000 commercial projects spanning 10.1 billion sf, and more than 154,000 residential units around the world participate in LEED, with 1.7 million square feet of building space earning LEED certification every day. Nearly 200,000 LEED professional credential holders are engaged in advancing this global movement.
Last year, the United Nations honored USGBC with its Champions of the Earth award.
While he didn’t provide specifics about his future plans, the 60-year-old Fedrizzi says he would continue to work with the green building movement, and companies that can use his knowledge of green building practices, as a volunteer “in any way I can.”
Related Stories
| Aug 3, 2016
Top 90 Green Building Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., Clark Group, and Hensel Phelps top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest green building sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 2, 2016
Top 130 Green Building Architecture Firms
Gensler, Stantec, and HOK top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest green building sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Sponsored | Green | Jul 29, 2016
Collaborating for a greener world
As one of the leading manufacturers of coating products in the world, Valspar is setting an example for the entire industry by incorporating best practices and materials into their coatings
Green Specifications | Jul 26, 2016
New Miami Beach law requires LEED certification on projects larger than 7,000 sf
LEED Silver the prescribed standard on buildings larger than 50,000 sf.
Green | Jul 18, 2016
Newark passes nation’s first ‘environmental justice’ ordinance
Requires city planning officials to get more information from developers to ensure healthy, sustainable projects.
Green | Jul 6, 2016
U.S. healthcare system’s GHG emissions rise 30% in past decade
If U.S. healthcare were a country, it would rank 13th in GHG emissions.
Green | Jul 1, 2016
Green Business Certification Inc. names Kirksey Architecture LEED Proven Provider
Kirksey is the first Houston-based firm with designation and role as high-quality LEED administrator
Green | Jul 1, 2016
Perkins Eastman pledges to use EDGE green building system for five upcoming international projects
The firm will partner with the International Finance Corporation to promote sustainable building in emerging markets like India and China.
Green | Jun 28, 2016
Green Breakthrough: The new invention behind sustainable temperature control
CallisonRTKL’s sustainable design expert Pablo La Roche shares Xylem, the latest innovation on creating thermal comfort.