Green Building Initiative Announces 2019 Board of Directors

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced the election of its 2019 Board of Directors. Outgoing GBI Chair Rich Mitchell—managing principal architect of Mackenzie, a Portland, Ore., based architecture firm—has passed the gavel after a two-year term to Tim Atkinson, vice president of sales for Stimson Lumber Company of Portland, Ore., who also serves as president of the Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers.

Atkinson takes the reins following the largest two-year growth period in GBI’s history, during which the organization supported more than 465 building projects that earned third-party assessment and certification through its Green Globes® and federal Guiding Principle Compliance® (GPC) programs. Atkinson has served on the GBI Board of Directors since 2013 and served as Treasurer from 2017 to 2018.

GBI 2019 Initiatives
The new GBI Board will oversee execution of an aggressive education and promotion plan for 2019. It will include:

• Launching a brand-new user-friendly Green Globes software platform to include portfolio management support;

• Releasing a bimonthly thought leadership webinar series to include case studies from portfolio owners, lessons learned from Three and Four Green Globes certified projects, and education and support for pilots of the new versions of Green Globes New Construction and Existing Buildings certification programs, that will pilot in 2019;

• Growing membership involvement in GBI’s performance and tool development, government engagement, and education and promotion committees; and

• Increasing awareness of GBI’s unique GPCP credentialing program to support federal government practitioners and their contractors on Guiding Principles and UFC compliance requirements. GBI has overseen third-party  Guiding Principles Compliance assessment of 269 federal buildings and certified an additional 338 federal buildings through Green Globes.

“I look forward to helping GBI continue to increase its positive impact by expanding knowledge of GBI’s collaborative, high-value approach to third-party certification,” stated Atkinson.GBI President & CEO Vicki Worden added, “We welcome three new Board members to help GBI accomplish its goals in 2019. Our Board members bring tremendous knowledge and dedication to advancing sustainability in the built environment, and we are grateful for their willingness to serve.”

Worden noted appreciation for the dedication and leadership of Rich Mitchell, outgoing Chair, and the contributions of Mary Ann Dickinson of the Alliance of Water Efficiency, whose Board term ended in 2018.

2019 Board Members and Officers
New GBI Board Members

• John Lister, Principal, JL Architects, West Chester, PA – term 2021

• Jenna Rowe,  Sr. Vice President, Sustainability, JLL, Indianapolis, IN – term 2021

• Doug Tucker, Director, Industry and Government Relations, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., Suwanee, GA – term 2021

2019 Officers
• Tim Atkinson, GBI Chair, VP of Sales, Stimson Lumber Company, Portland, OR – term 2021

• Warren Gorowitz, GBI Treasurer, VP of Sustainability, Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, Phoenix, AZ – term 2021

• Vicki Worden, GBI President & CEO, Camden, ME

• Shaina Weinstein, GBI Secretary and VP of Engagement, Portland, OR

Additional 2019 Board Members

Cristian Barcan, Executive Director, Vinyl Sustainability Council, Washington, DC – term 2019

Stephen Del Percio, VP and Assistant General Counsel, AECOM, New York, NY – term 2020

Ralph Egues, Jr., Executive Director, National Hispanic Landscape Alliance, Miami, FL – term 2021

William Freeman, Consultant, Resilient Floor Covering Institute, Rockport, ME – term 2019

Gordon Gill, Partner, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Chicago, IL – term 2019

Charles Kibert, Ph.D., Professor, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL – term 2020

Sydney Lindquist, Global Sustainability Leader, Hexion, Columbus, OH – term 2021

Kerry Little, Business Sustainability Manager, Arauco North America, St. Stephen, NB – term 2021

Kathy Loftus, Global Leader, Sustainable Facilities, Whole Foods, Austin, TX – term 2019

Donald Martin, Principal, Marston Design Studio, Ball Ground, GA – term 2020

Rich Mitchell, GBI Immediate Past Chair, Managing Principal, Mackenzie, Portland, OR – term 2020

Amlan Mukherjee, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Michigan Technical University, Houghton, MI – term 2020

Richard Schroeder, President & CEO, Cresline Pipe & Fitting Co., and PPFA representative, Evansville, IN – term 2019

Tim Thiel, Polyurethanes Industrial Marketing, Covestro, Pittsburgh, PA – term 2020

Jay Thomas, GBI Past Chair, Principal, Decision Driven Marketing, Duxbury, MA – term 2020

Ray Tonjes, Founding Chair, Ray Tonjes Builder, Austin, TX – term 2020