A name you should know – Rick Fedrizzi

This month’s “Name You Should Know” is Rick Fedrizzi, president of the United Stated Green Building Council (USGBC). His dedication to “green” -- energy efficiency and environmentalism -- makes him a worthy person to get to know.

Rick Fedrizzi bio --

• President, ceo & founding chairman of the usgbc.
• Married to wife Cathy
• Kids -- Nina and Nathan

1. How did you first get involved in the industry?

Fedrizzi: I’ve always been passionate about protecting the environment. I worked at Carrier Corporation for a number of years and spent the last decade of my time there helping them develop and implement environmentally responsible products. During that period, I was fortunate to work with some of the leading minds in green design such as Paul Hawken, John Picard and Bill Browning.

2. If you weren’t doing this, what is it you think you would be doing?

Fedrizzi: I’ve always been interested in landscape architecture, so I believe that I would have pursued that career field.

3. What would you consider your major achievements?

Fedrizzi: Working with leading minds in green design, such as Mike Italiano and David Gottfried to found the USGBC, and from there creating the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, which is the tool to drive the transformation of the market to sustainability. The rating system was initially developed because there was no consensus in the building industry for what constituted a “green” building. We founded USGBC in 1993 to bring together professionals from every sector in the industry and to create a common definition for green. Today, USGBC has more than 13,000 member organizations, 72 chapters across the United States, educational offerings and our annual Greenbuild Conference and Expo. At this past year’s show in Chicago, we hosted 23,000 members of the green building movement, including industry experts and influential leaders.

4. What are some major issues facing contractors/builders today? How can they be rectified?

Fedrizzi: I think the biggest issue facing contractors and builders today is conventional wisdom; the “it has always been done this way” mentality. We are in the middle of one of the most important societal, economic and political shifts since World War II, and if we try to use only what worked in the past as a strategy to redesign the future, we’ve already lost the battle against climate change, poverty and all the other social and economic ills in our society.

There are still misconceptions about green building, which is understandable because it’s a new way of thinking and a new way of doing things, and change is scary to many people. But the alternative -- sitting back and doing everything the way we’ve always done it, for the sake of feeling safe, is not an option.

5. The goal of the USGBC is to…?

Fedrizzi: USGBC’s primary role is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. We work to educate and inform the public about the social, economic and environmental benefits of green building and to provide the industry with the knowledge and tools it needs to realize those benefits.

6. Can you describe LEED and its rating system?

Fedrizzi: The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary building certification program that defines high-performance green buildings, which are more environmentally responsible, healthier and more profitable structures. Leed addresses a variety of buildings and building project types through individualized systems, including: new construction, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and shell, homes, schools, retail, healthcare and neighborhood development.

7. What is the significance of education in the industry and how does USGBC work with contractors/builders?

Fedrizzi: Education is an important aspect of the organization, and USGBC prides itself on providing top quality educational programs on green design, construction and operations for professionals from all facets of the building industry, including contractors and builders. More than 65,500 designers, builders, suppliers and managers have attended USGBC educational programs to gain practical knowledge, explore new business opportunities and learn how to create healthier, more productive and more efficient places to live and work. USGBC also hosts Greenbuild, the largest international conference and expo focused on green building.

8. What are your personal initiatives for the industry?

Fedrizzi: Greening schools, healthcare facilities and affordable housing -- getting the right buildings into the lives of the people and children that need them most desperately -- has always been important to me. And over the past year, we’ve launched the pilot program for leed for Schools and leed for Healthcare. In addition, the pilot for the leed for Homes rating system, which incorporates affordable housing, concluded last month.

9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Fedrizzi: What spare time?!

10. The last time I said -- this was a great day -- I was doing what?

Fedrizzi: It was on November 7, 2007, when I introduced former President William J. Clinton to 23,000 green building professionals at our Greenbuild conference in Chicago.

11. The future of green building looks like…

Fedrizzi: The future of green building looks like it should look -- clean air, clean water, non-toxic materials in everything that is around us. Entire neighborhoods that are livable, walkable and sustainable. We will live in communities where we grow our own food, support our local businesses and where the strongest will support the weakest. It’s not a pipe dream -- it’s our future and we’re on our way.