Feature image: Senator Kevin De León receives his Green Hard Hat in 2013. Photo credit: California Energy Commission.

Once a year, USGBC takes time to honor California’s outstanding leaders in green building at the state government level. First launched in 2011 by a statewide collaboration of USGBC chapters under the leadership of founding chair Dennis Murphy, this annual state-focused advocacy and policy award has become a signature moment in Sacramento for our USGBC community in California.

The honor roll is long and continues to grow. The list of Green Hard Hat Awardees below are responsible for the development or implementation of many of the state’s most important policies and programs that give California the exceptional brand of sustainability leadership that is known across the world.

Senator Nancy Skinner

Senator Nancy Skinner, a 2012 awardee, kicks off the 2017 awards ceremony. Photo credit: California Energy Commission.

The issues championed by our Green Hard Hat awardees, in partnership with USGBC, include landmark legislation and government programs such as climate and energy legislation, statewide building benchmarking, healthy building materials, the CALGreen code, water conservation and reuse, smart growth and planning and green government buildings.

USGBC works closely with these and many other state leaders and partners to achieve our mission of transforming the way our buildings and communities are designed, constructed and operated to enable a more sustainable California and a greener world.

USGBC staff and Senator Nancy Skinner with 2017 Green Hard Hat awardees Senator Wiener and Commissioner McAllister

USGBC staff and 2012 awardee Senator Nancy Skinner, with 2017 awardees Senator Wiener and Commissioner McAllister, at the net zero energy, LEED Platinum Golden1 Center. Photo credit: California Energy Commission.

If you're not already, become a member of the USGBC community. Keep your eyes on our advocacy and policy article feed, where we regularly update you on California’s green building policy news, and go to your usgbc.org account to subscribe to the advocacy email digest.

2018

2017

California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister (see CEC blog)
California Senator Scott Wiener (District 11)

2016

California Assemblymember Phil Ting (District 19)
California Assemblymember Richard Bloom (District 50)
California Department of General Services Director Daniel Kim (DGS Director)*
Natural Resources Defense Council’s AB 802 Team (learn more from the NRDC blog)*

2015

California Senator Lois Wolk (District 3)
California Senator Mark Leno (District 11)
California Office of Planning and Research Director Ken Alex (OPR Director)
Western States Council-Sheet Metal Workers executive administrator and COO Erik Emblem (learn more from the Western States Council)

Dennis Murphy presents the Green Hard Hat award to OPR Director Ken Alex in 2015.

Dennis Murphy presents the Green Hard Hat award to OPR Director Ken Alex in 2015.

2014

California Assemblymember Das Williams (District 37)
California Assemblymember Mike Gatto (District 43)
California Department of General Services Sustainability Manager Dan Burgoyne (learn more from DGS news)

2013

California Senator Kevin De León (District 24)
California Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (District 7)*
California Assemblymember Paul Fong (District 22)*
California sustainable agriculture icon Rich Rominger (learn more about the UC Davis award from Ag Innovations)*

2012

California Governor Jerry Brown (Governor)
California Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (District 15)
California Senator Fran Pavley (District 27)
California Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (Mayor)
California state leaders and cities recognized as part of the California Top 10 green building policies event (learn more in our 2012 article)**

2011

California Senator Alan Lowenthal (District 27)
California Assemblymember Rich Gordon (District 24)

2009

California Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (District 06)**

* Certificate of Achievement

** USGBC Advocacy Award or USGBC Northern California Advocacy Award

California policy leaders honored by the annual Green Hard Hat Awards