Conference table and chairs in modern meeting room.

Green Seal announced that data and technology expert Nancy Hersh, currently chief data officer at climate technology company Arcadia, has been elected the global non-profit organization’s new chair of the Board. Green Seal also elected three new members to its Board of Directors, effective immediately: Ed Chen, formerly Washington correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News and federal communications director for the Natural Resources Defense Council; Ben Gruitt, carbon solutions manager for RE Tech Advisors, and Vaishali Sampat, director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility for Kilroy Realty.

Hersh has served on Green Seal’s Board of Directors since 2019 and for the past year served on the Executive Committee amid Green Seal’s first all-female slate of Board officers. She also led the Standards Committee, playing an active role in developing Green Seal’s product strategy.

“Nancy is an outstanding sustainability leader with deep knowledge of how to use data and technology to accelerate environmental achievements. I am delighted that she is now serving as Chair of Green Seal’s Board of Directors,” says Green Seal CEO Doug Gatlin. “Her leadership is critically important to the continued growth and success of Green Seal and our mission.”

Green Seal’s newest members complement the existing Board and reflect Green Seal’s commitment to fostering a culture that welcomes diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. “It is with great pleasure that I welcome Ed, Ben, and Vaishali to Green Seal’s Board of Directors. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and accomplished group of sustainability professionals join our leadership team,” said Gatlin.

“Green Seal pioneered the ecolabeling movement by rewarding industry leaders with market recognition while making it simple for consumers to find healthier, safer options,” says Hersh. I am honored to head their Board of Directors during an era of remarkable leadership from the organization as an authority on fostering healthier and more sustainable indoor environments, when this has become an urgent national priority.”

“When it comes to improving the sustainability of our economy — every facet of it —Green Seal sets the gold standard,” said Chen. “It’s a high honor to join this mission-critical organization and help it achieve even greater successes.”

“I am humbled to join the Board of Green Seal and support the mission driven work they are so well known for,” says Gruitt. “They are the undisputed leader for those seeking to protect human health and preserve the natural world through their purchasing decisions.”

“Green Seal’s mission recognizes the vital connection between protecting the environment and safeguarding human health,” said Sampat. “I am thrilled and honored to join this organization and contribute to a vision I deeply believe in.”

Hersh succeeds Chair Christina Martin, who served on Green Seal’s Board for eight years and helped oversee a period of growth and modernization for the 33-year-old organization. Martin has been elected Chair Emeritus and will continue to serve as an advisor to Green Seal.

“Christina’s unique combination of expertise in sustainability, business, communications, and policy was a critical asset to Green Seal,” says Gatlin. “From leading Green Seal’s first all-female slate of officers and increasing diversity on Green Seal’s Board, to her staunch support of our important mission, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the organization’s success, and I am grateful for her leadership.”

The additions to Green Seal’s Board come at a time of growth and increasing market relevance for the science-based organization, which sets globally respected standards for healthier, greener products and is a leading authority on safer and more sustainable cleaning and facility care. Green Seal’s guidance on pandemic-era cleaning and disinfecting for schools and workplaces is currently being implemented in more than 1 billion square feet of building space. Green Seal has also expanded its impact through new partnerships, including a partnership with Amazon for the online retail giant’s Climate Pledge Friendly program and with Google for its new Google Travel eco-conscious badge for certified green hotels. Learn more in Green Seal’s Impact Report.

Learn more about the members of Green Seal’s Board of Directors here.