PHOENIX – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) named the recipients of its 2009 Leadership Awards, recognizing organizations and individuals who signify vision, leadership and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction. The awards, which were presented during the Greenbuild 2009 Closing Plenary, recognize leadership achievement in the private, public and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors.

This year’s Leadership in the Private Sector award went to Allan Skodowski, LEED AP, of Transwestern, and to Jones Lang LaSalle. As senior vice president and director of LEED & Sustainability for Transwestern, Allan Skodowski directs the firm’s LEED efforts across the country and oversees their corporate sustainability program. Under his leadership, Transwestern has overseen the greening of more than 250 million square feet of commercial space nationally and has been involved in integrating LEED into Transwestern’s entire portfolio through its participation in the volume certification program using LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

With management of more than 1.3 billion square feet of construction space and billions of dollars in annual construction management volume, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has harnessed its size and scope to establish sustainability as smart business. The firm has instituted green building practices throughout its operations, instituting a preference for LEED-certified buildings for any new offices and a minimum of LEED Silver certification for interior build outs. JLL has been a leader in promoting green buildings and reports $95 million in energy savings and nearly 440,000 fewer metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions throughout its building portfolio. In June 2009, JLL announced that it had employed 540 LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).

In the Leadership in the Public Sector category, the Construction and Engineering Research Laboratory for the U.S. Army received the award for its commitment to LEED certification in the facility acquisition process, with far-reaching impacts on the multibillion-dollar annual Military Construction (MILCON) program both in the United States and oversees. Beginning in 2008, the team instituted a policy that requires all new MILCON projects to achieve LEED Silver certification and that all design teams are required to include at least one LEED AP. The Army team was able to carry out a major change of culture in a long-standing facility acquisition process, committing to improving its infrastructure for current and future generations.

Second Nature, the Association for Advancement in Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and Eco-America were honored with the Leadership in the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Sector for their work on the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). ACUPCC provides a framework and support for America’s colleges and universities to implement comprehensive plans in pursuit of climate neutrality. The ACUPCC originated from planning sessions among these organizations at the AASHE conference in October 2006 at Arizona State University. In June 2007, 284 presidents and chancellors representing the spectrum of higher education had become signatories of the ACUPCC.