The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced today that it has named Jerry Yudelson as its president to accelerate growth of the non-profit and further leverage its green building assessment tools, including the highly recognized Green Globes® rating system, as it brings green building options to a larger audience of owners, designers, facility managers and investors.
(Bonus coverage: BD+C talks with Jerry Yudelson about his appointment and the future of Green Globes.)
Yudelson is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading green building and sustainability advocates and an internationally recognized keynote speaker. Formerly the President of Yudelson Associates in Tucson, AZ, he has authored 13 green building books, achieved recognition as a LEED® Fellow, and chaired the steering committee for Greenbuild®, the country's largest annual green building show, which he helped grow during its first eight years.
As the GBI’s president, Yudelson will oversee the growth of the non-profit, including the ongoing development, expansion and marketing of the Green Globes® green building rating system. His role will also include expanding understanding and use of GBI’s additional assessment tools, such as the GBI’s Guiding Principles Compliance tool, designed specifically to support compliance by federal agencies with President Obama’s green government requirements.
Ray Tonjes, Chairman of the GBI board and president of Ray Tonjes Builder in Austin, Texas, said, “We’re delighted to have someone of Jerry’s caliber in the green building industry step up to lead the GBI. With the recent update of Green Globes and recognition by the General Services Administration, as well as growing use by federal agencies and the Fortune 500 sector, the timing couldn’t be better. We are confident that the combination of Jerry’s leadership with GBI’s practical and credible assessment tools will be powerful catalysts for the growth of green building nationwide.”
“After many years promoting the advancement of green building and market transformation in the building industry, I’m pleased to be asked to lead the GBI at this key time in its development,” said Yudelson. “There is a huge audience of building owners, designers, and facility managers who are looking for more cost-effective and practical options to applying green building principles to every building. The GBI has a unique approach with its interactive, web-based Green Globes platform and on-site, independent third-party assessment. I’m excited by the opportunity to build on the GBI’s successes and help bring more focused green building and facility management options to new audiences.”
“The GBI provides tools that are simple to understand, easy to use and cost effective,” stated Yudelson. “This is a key differentiator for the GBI, and I look forward to encouraging the building community to actively participate in the ongoing development of the organization and its variety of market-driven programs.”
Jerry Yudelson is a professional engineer and an engineering graduate of Caltech and Harvard University; he also holds an MBA from the University of Oregon. He is also a National Peer Professional with the U.S. General Services Administration. From 2007-2009 he served as the Research Scholar for Retail Real Estate Sustainability with the International Council of Shopping Centers, a 70,000-member global organization. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural class of LEED Fellows by the U.S. Green Building Council.
About the Green Building Initiative
The GBI is a nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Developer dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices. Founded in 2004, the organization is the sole U.S. provider of the Green Globes® and Guiding Principles Compliance building certification programs. To learn more about opportunities to become involved in the GBI, contact Jerry Yudelson.
About Green Globes
Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes on-site reviews by an independent third party assessor. The program is administered in the United States by the GBI. Green Globes is a user-friendly assessment tool that is designed to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial, government and institutional buildings.
The program certifies new construction and existing buildings. An additional assessment tool is the GBI’s Guiding Principles Compliance program for federal agencies. Also available are education and professional credentialing through the Green Globes Professional™, Green Globes Assessor™, and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional™ accreditation programs.
Related Stories
Hotel Facilities | Mar 4, 2015
Hotel construction pipeline reaches six-year high
After a three-year bottoming formation, the pipeline for hotel construction has posted five consecutive quarters of double-digit year-over-year growth.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 4, 2015
Why China's CCTV building needed a WiFi retrofit
It took a year-long retrofit to get WiFi transmission issues solved at China's iconic skyscraper.
High-rise Construction | Mar 4, 2015
Must see: Egypt planning 656-foot pyramid skyscraper in Cairo
Zayed Crystal Spark Tower will stand 200 meters tall and will be just a short distance from the pyramids of Giza.
Transit Facilities | Mar 4, 2015
5+design looks to mountains for Chinese transport hub design
The complex, Diamond Hill, will feature sloping rooflines and a mountain-like silhouette inspired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings.
Energy Efficiency | Mar 4, 2015
DOE launches crowdsourcing website for technology innovators
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory launched a new crowdsourcing website called the Buildings Crowdsoucing Community to collect and share ideas by innovators for energy-efficient technologies to use in homes and buildings.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 3, 2015
10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2015
From kitchens made for pet lovers to floating vanities, the nation's top kitchen and bath designers identify what's hot for 2015.
Office Buildings | Mar 3, 2015
Former DuPont lab to be converted into business incubator near UPenn campus
The new Pennovation Center will provide collaborative and research spaces for educators, scientists, students, and the private sector.
Sponsored | BIM and Information Technology | Mar 3, 2015
The great debate: Is 3D PDF really BIM?
You can pull apart buildings, cut through floors, and view simulated animation for assembly instructions all within a PDF.
K-12 Schools | Mar 2, 2015
BD+C special report: What it takes to build 21st-century schools
How the latest design, construction, and teaching concepts are being implemented in the next generation of America’s schools.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Proposed energy standard for data centers, telecom buildings open for public comment
The intent of ASHRAE Standard 90.4P is to create a performance-based approach that would be more flexible and accommodating of innovative change.