On June 23 Knollwood Executive Director/CEO J. Frank Hennessee, Brigadier General, USA (Ret.), will announce that Knollwood Retirement Community’s Environmental Services Department has been awarded the prestigious Green Seal certification for protecting health and the environment. Knollwood is the first retirement facility in the nation to achieve this prestigious certification, which requires the use of environmentally preferable green chemicals, supplies and equipment; mandates extensive training for employees; and includes the adoption of best practices for high-performance green cleaning. Compliance with these requirements is verified continually through an independent, third-party auditor.

Opened in 1962 by the non-profit Army Distaff Foundation, Knollwood provides affordable, secure retirement housing and health care services to members of the American military family, regardless of their ability to pay.

“This is a significant accomplishment for our community in the promotion of environmental wellness,” Hennessee said. “Green Seal certification provides important third-party validation for Knollwood’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards for protecting the environment and the health of our 300 residents and 200 staff.”

The “Knollwood: Green Inside and Out” celebration will be held at Knollwood’s 16-acre campus, bordering Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. At the ceremony, Susan Heaton, Green Seal Director of National Accounts, will present the Green Seal Certification to Cynthia Akins, Director of Environmental Services, and her staff.

“Knollwood’s adoption of best practices for environmental health is a tribute to its dedication to serving members of the American military family and serves an example for retirement communities nationwide,” Green Seal’s Heaton said.