| Keynote by Chris Castro, Sustainability Director, City of Orlando Tampa, FL (January 14, 2019) — The US Green Building Council Florida Gulf Coast Region will host its ninth annual LEEDership Awards on January 24, 2019, at the Tampa Bay History Center in downtown Tampa. This year’s event will feature a keynote address by Chris Castro, Sustainability Director of the City of Orlando. Castro was recently featured in the Paris to Pittsburgh Documentary, awarded Public Official of the Year in Orlando, and is a leading figure in the U.S. and Florida’s sustainability movement. He currently develops policies and programs to support the sustainability and energy related goals of the Green Works Orlando municipal and community action plans. He’s been awarded a Delegate for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Clinton Global Initiative, selected as a “Global Shaper” by the World Economic Forum, and is the co-founder and chairman of Florida Green Chamber of Commerce (FGCC), the first state-wide business chamber aimed at creating environmentally-friendly, sustainable business practices. Alexis Muellner, Editor of The Tampa Bay Business Journal, will emcee the event. The Chair of USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Region, Taylor Ralph of REAL Building Consultants, offered, “Chris Castro’s leadership in Orlando is inspiring, and hopefully contagious to other cities in the state. We are excited to bring him to Tampa to learn more about all the creative programs and initiatives he has been able to implement alongside Mayor Buddy Dyer, and hear his thoughts on creating a larger sustainability movement in our state moving forward.” The LEEDership Awards program is the nonprofit organization’s annual recognition event for the outstanding green building projects, forward-thinking businesses and governments, innovative design teams, and instrumental Chapter members and volunteers who have displayed green building and sustainable development leadership on the Gulf Coast of Florida through their practices or use of LEED certification — the leading international third-party green-building certification. Winners will be announced January 24 at the LEEDership Awards celebration. This event is always THE networking event of the year for those interested in creating innovative and responsible buildings and places in the Gulf Coast region, including the greater construction and real estate communities. More than 150 green-building practitioners, professionals and USGBC members and partner organizations are expected to attend the nonprofiit organization’s signature event, which includes a networking/cocktail hour on the Tampa Bay History Center’s patio featuring locally brewed beers, a keynote speech, a seated dinner, and the awards ceremony. Major LEEDership Sponsors to date include: VHB, Walter P. Moore, Water Street Tampa, Creative Contractors, TECO Energy, Tampa International Airport, REAL Building Consultants, SEM Power and others. Like-minded businesses and organizations are invited to support the local green building movement through support for the LEEDership Awards ceremony. More information about sponsorship, tables and registration is available at https://012418leedershipawards.eventbrite.com ### About the U.S. Green Building Council Florida The U.S. Green Building Council Florida (USGBC FL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit committed to a prosperous and sustainable Florida through cost-efficient, healthy, high-performing, and energy-saving green buildings. It embraces innovative building practices that conserve land, energy, water, resources and materials. USGBC Florida has nearly 15,000 members, volunteers and friends providing educational programs and market transformation services to the Sunshine State from seven Regions — Central Florida, Florida Capital, Florida Gulf Coast, Heart of Florida, Northeast Florida, Northern Gulf Coast, and South Florida. USGBC FL works toward its mission of market transformation through its robust educational offerings and awareness building initiatives, green building tours, green schools and Green Apple Day of Service, and policy advancement in support of public policy that encourages and enables sustainable green buildings and communities. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/usgbc-florida, explore the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG), contact Sarah Boren (904.535.0055; sboren@usgbc.org) and connect on Twitter and Facebook. |