New Program Honors An Elite Class

Beth Holst, Vice President of Credentialing Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The LEED Green Associate credential offers distinction for those on the road to careers in implementing the processes and principles of LEED who are looking to establish basic green building knowledge. In addition to students and faculty, this credential is ideal for marketers, manufacturers, program managers and anyone who has ever wanted to learn enough to know what LEED is and why it is important without actually needing to know the technical details related to its implementation.

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has launched the LEED Fellow, a new program to recognize exceptional contributions to the green building community and significant professional achievement within the rapidly growing community of LEED Professionals.

''LEED Fellows will constitute an elite class of the world's most distinguished green building professionals,'' said Beth Holst, Vice President of Credentialing, GBCI. ''Candidates are nominated by their peers, and the selection will be based on their body of work and the way it has contributed to advancing the field of green building.''

In order to be eligible for the LEED Fellow designation, an individual must be nominated by a qualifying peer. A nomination period is open now until Jan. 7, 2011. Nominees must have 10 years of green building experience and be LEED APs with specialty who have held the LEED AP credential for at least eight cumulative years.

The LEED Fellow program is the result of more than two years of extensive research that helped GBCI define what it means to be at the forefront of the green building industry. The findings were synthesized into five mastery elements in which LEED Fellows are expected to demonstrate expert-level knowledge and experience: Technical Proficiency; Education and Mentoring; Leadership; Commitment and Service; and Advocacy.

The 2011 class of LEED Fellows will be announced at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference & Expo to be held in Toronto in October 2011. More information is available at www.gbci.org/fellow.

''The launch of the LEED Fellow is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate those individuals who have made laudable efforts to propel us toward the accomplishment of our mission of green buildings for all within a generation,'' added Holst.

About GBCI
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. To underscore this commitment, GBCI is undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building.