Rick Fedrizzi co-founded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1997, while serving as the sustainability officer at United Technologies subsidiary Carrier Corporation. In 2004 he was named President and CEO of USGBC, and during his distinguished tenure has tripled its membership, broadened its influence, and cemented its role as a leadership voice in the global sustainability movement. In October 2011, he was elected chair of the World Green Building Council, a coalition representing green building councils in 94 countries.
USGBC is the developer of LEED, the premier green building certification program. More than 182,000 commercial and residential buildings around the world participate in LEED, and 1.7 million square feet are certified every day. More than 193,000 LEED Professional credential holders are engaged in advancing this global movement. Of its many programs, The Center for Green Schools at USGBC is Fedrizzi’s passion, with its goal of every child being in a green school within this generation. Rick Fedrizzi serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, and the American Architectural Foundation. He is chair of the Scaling Sustainable Buildings Action Network of the Clinton Global Initiative. Among his honors are the Charles H. Percy Award for Public Service from the Alliance to Save Energy, the prestigious Olmsted Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Arents Award from Syracuse University.