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
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 8, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: offices, daycare centers, convenience stores, fast food
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for offices, daycare centers, convenience stores, fast food.
| Jul 8, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: hotels, motels, and apartment buildings
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for hotels, motels, and apartment buildings.
| Jul 8, 2013
Learn from the world’s fastest animal: speed isn’t everything
Every schoolchild knows that the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal—70 mph, no sweat. And, as we all know from National Geographic television documentaries, it is speed that makes Acinonyx jubatus such a fearsome hunter, right?
| Jul 3, 2013
Mid-year special: Top 13 stories for 2013 (so far)
Every six months, we like to take a look back at the stories that generated the most interest from our readers. Here's a roundup of the top 13 articles on BDCnetwork.com for the first six months of 2013.
| Jul 3, 2013
World's biggest freestanding building opens in China
Measuring a stout 100 meters high, 500 meters long, and 400 meters wide, the New Century Global Centre in the Tianfu New District of Chengdu, China, is officially the world's largest freestanding building.
| Jul 3, 2013
Mall of America will double in size after $2.5 billion expansion
The nation's largest indoor mall will undergo a $2.5 billion, 10-year expansion project that will add attractions like an NHL-sized skating rink and an indoor water park.
| Jul 3, 2013
Architects team with HUD to promote 'Rebuild By Design' competition for Hurricane Sandy recovery effort
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced a communications campaign urging its membership to enter the “Rebuild by Design” multi-stage regional design competition announced by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan on June 20.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Firestone Building Products Company LLC Announces Sustainability Report
Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, the leading manufacturer of superior “Roots to Rooftops” products for commercial building performance solutions, today announced the release of its 2012 Sustainability Report. The report, the first for Firestone Building Products Company, covers the fiscal 2012 year and is available for download at firestonebpco.com.
