The U.S. Green Building Council announced June 28, 2015, that Rick Fedrizzi, the visionary founder of USGBC and CEO since 2003, will not seek renewal of his contract as USGBC’s CEO at the end of 2016, paving the way for an organizational leadership transition in 2017.
Fedrizzi, a charismatic figure in the world of sustainability, since co-founding USGBC 22 years ago and serving as its volunteer founding chair the first six years, was appointed president and CEO in 2003. In 2009 he also became CEO of the newly created Green Building Certification Institute (now Green Business Certification Inc.). GBCI is a third-party organization, which was initially established to provide credentialing and certification services for LEED, USGBC’s premier rating system. GBCI has recently acquired several other clients, including GRESB, WELL, PEER, SITES and EDGE, among others.
The USGBC board has set up a search committee so that it can move quickly to fill the CEO position.