Biography

Rick Fedrizzi, founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), was appointed President & CEO of USGBC in April 2004. Prior to USGBC, Rick was president of Green-Think, Inc., a consulting firm he founded after a 25-year career at United Technologies Corporation.

The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's leading non-profit working to advance the sustainable design, construction, and operations of buildings and communities. USGBC developed and administers the LEED (R) Green Building Rating System(TM), the nationally accepted standard for green building performance, and offers a robust suite of educational tools, resources, and events. Since its founding in 1993, USGBC has grown to include more than 8,000 member organizations and 70 local chapters.

Under Rick's leadership, USGBC has embarked on a bold agenda to lead the building industry in the fight against global climate change. Among the elements of USGBC's action plan, announced in November 2006 at the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, are a major partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative and the World Green Building Council to implement green building programs in the worlds' 40 largest cities; the development of new educational programs and technology solutions for building professionals; an increased focus within LEED on reducing CO 2 emissions; and the creation of a unique carbon offset program based on building energy performance.

Rick also represented USGBC at the National Leadership Summit on Energy and Climate Change, at which USGBC became a signatory to the Wingspread Principles on the U.S. Response to Global Warming; and at the Global Roundtable on Climate Change, chaired by Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University. Internationally, Rick and USGBC are working closely with the Chinese Ministry of Construction to facilitate the formation of a China Green Building Council and the adoption of green building throughout that country, which will soon overtake the U.S. as the world' largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Rick has also spearheaded critical market initiatives at USGBC such as the development of LEED Version 3.0 and a major refinement of the LEED Rating System in 2005, and has strengthened the USGBC community via integration and capacity building for the Council's local chapters and an internal reorganization to align the Council's resources with its strategic goals. Since Rick joined the Council, USGBC has moved into a new, LEED Platinum-certified headquarters in Washington, DC; launched four new LEED rating systems (Existing Buildings, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell Development, and Schools); upgraded and increased its educational offerings; more than tripled in staff size; and welcomed more than 4,000 new member organizations.