The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the recipients of its 2013 Leadership Awards, which celebrate the individuals and groups at the forefront of sustainability in the built environment. The awards were presented at the Leadership Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 21, during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia.
 
“Without visionaries, the green building movement would not be the global phenomenon that it is today, and these honorees have proven their commitment to the green building community,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Innovation is what will propel this movement into the future. We are excited to recognize these innovative individuals and organizations at this year’s Leadership Awards Luncheon.”
 
This year’s 2013 USGBC Leadership Award recipients include:
 
Joel Ann Todd, chair of the LEED Steering Committee, is the recipient of the Leadership in LEED Award. She has been involved in the green building movement for more than 20 years and is a longtime USGBC volunteer leader and advocate for LEED. Her guidance was integral to the development and passage of LEED v4, which will officially launch at Greenbuild.
 
Mike McNally, president and CEO of Skanska USA, is the recipient of this year’s Leadership in the Private Sector Award for his outspoken dedication and commitment to LEED and the green building industry.
 
Gerald Hines, founder and chairman of Hines Interest Limited Partnership, is being awarded this year’s President’s Award. Hines is a longtime leader in the real estate industry with an unparalleled commitment to green building. With more than 100 million square feet of LEED-certified space, Hines has built a legacy of sustainability that continues to expand and evolve.
 
Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg, Kan., is being awarded the Mayor Richard M. Daley Legacy Award for Global Leadership in Creating Sustainable Cities. After a tornado devastated his town in 2007, Dixson reinvented Greensburg as a model of sustainability. Green technology and renewable energy were the cornerstones of his rebuilding efforts, and now Greensburg stands as an example of the influence of sustainability on economy and community.
 
The Center for Green Schools President’s Awards recognize two outstanding college and university presidents, one from a two-year and one from a four-year institution, who show exemplary leadership on campus, in their community and among their peers. This year’s winners are Jo Ann Gora, president of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and Mary Spilde, president of Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore.
 
USGBC Platinum member Intel Corp. has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Ray Anderson Radical Industrialism Award. Intel is an industry trailblazer that raises the bar for sustainable operations. It has been the largest voluntary producer of green power in the U.S. since 2008, and green power purchases account for 100 percent of its electricity use to date in 2013.
 
The Malcolm Lewis IMPACT! Award will be announced at Greenbuild. The award is chosen through social media voting in real time. This award, named in memory of Malcolm Lewis, acknowledges recipients for high-impact, volunteer-driven work that supports a USGBC initiative. The late Malcolm Lewis, a member of the LEED Steering Committee and chair of the Technical Scientific Advisory Committee and LEED Technical Committee, served the green building movement with dedication and selflessness. His legacy lives in smarter building, a stronger movement and a world he left better for the rest of us.