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
Engineers | Sep 15, 2023
NIST investigation of Champlain Towers South collapse indicates no sinkhole
Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse.
Office Buildings | Sep 14, 2023
New York office revamp by Kohn Pedersen Fox features new façade raising occupant comfort, reducing energy use
The modernization of a mid-century Midtown Manhattan office tower features a new façade intended to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. The building, at 666 Fifth Avenue, was originally designed by Carson & Lundin. First opened in November 1957 when it was considered cutting-edge, the original façade of the 500-foot-tall modernist skyscraper was highly inefficient by today’s energy efficiency standards.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 13, 2023
Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital breaks ground in Tampa Bay
Construction kicked off recently on TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital. The joint venture partnership between Tampa General (a 1,040-bed facility) and Lifepoint Behavioral Health will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient care in specialized units for pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics, and fills a glaring medical need in the area.
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 13, 2023
Houston's first innovation district is established using adaptive reuse
Gensler's Vince Flickinger shares the firm's adaptive reuse of a Houston, Texas, department store-turned innovation hub.
Giants 400 | Sep 12, 2023
Top 75 Retail Sector Engineering and Engineering Architecture (EA) Firms for 2023
Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, Jacobs, and EXP head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail building engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.
Giants 400 | Sep 11, 2023
Top 140 Retail Sector Architecture and Architecture Engineering (AE) Firms for 2023
Gensler, Arcadis, Core States Group, WD Partners, and NORR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.
Resiliency | Sep 11, 2023
FEMA names first communities for targeted assistance on hazards resilience
FEMA recently unveiled the initial designation of 483 census tracts that will be eligible for increased federal support to boost resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather. The action was the result of bipartisan legislation, the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022. The law aims to help localities most at risk from the impacts of climate change to build resilience to natural hazards.
MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023
Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock
Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.
Engineers | Sep 8, 2023
Secrets of a structural engineer
Walter P Moore's Scott Martin, PE, LEED AP, DBIA, offers tips and takeaways for young—and veteran—structural engineers in the AEC industry.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 8, 2023
Modern healthcare interiors: Healing and care from the outside in
CO Architects shares design tips for healthcare interiors, from front desk to patient rooms.
