IWBI’s Judith Webb selected to receive the inaugural Kate Hurst Leadership Award for outstanding commitment to advancing green building
Judith will be honored at Greenbuild Atlanta on Nov. 20 along with the 2019 USGBC Leadership Award recipients
What matters most is building something greater than yourself. To IWBI’s Judith Webb, this was the lesson learned from working with Kate Hurst, a driving force in the green building movement and sustainability community as a whole. IWBI is proud to announce that Judith has been named a 2019 Leadership Award recipient by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and is receiving the inaugural award named for Kate.
“When I think of my dear friend Kate Hurst, I think of her immense strength and patience, her deeply ingrained integrity and humility, all wrapped up in a truly authentic person who made a huge difference in the world and the lives of all that were lucky enough to cross her path,” said IWBI CEO and Chairman Rick Fedrizzi. “The idea that USGBC’s first inaugural Kate Hurst award would go to Judith Webb, one of Kate’s most trusted friends and collaborators, is beyond perfect.”
Judith has built her career and legacy around giving voice to some of the most impactful environmental and health-focused movements of our time. Among her many talents across communications, marketing and business strategy, Judith is uniquely gifted in her ability to bring forth meaningful messages that galvanize communities, facilitate action and change lives.
Before joining the International WELL Building Institute in her current role as Executive Vice President, she served as Executive Vice President at the U.S. Green Building Council, where she culminated a 13-year tenure of helping shape the organization’s global brands and extending the influence and visibility of its executive team. Her career has spanned leadership in a variety of sectors, from technology and healthcare to government affairs, including time spent on then-Mayor Henry Cisneros’ team working to put San Antonio on the economic development and tourism map in the ‘80s. In 1987, she took charge of Atlanta’s highly regarded economic development marketing program, Forward Atlanta, leading efforts around that city’s hosting of the 1988 Democratic National Convention and Atlanta’s successful bid for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.
At IWBI, Judith uses her deep expertise to advance the mission behind the WELL Building Standard (WELL): supporting and enhancing human health in the places where we spend our lives. She is a coach and mentor to many and a champion of everyone at IWBI and in her orbit. A talented storyteller, throughout her years of experience, her hallmark has always been putting people - their hopes, their motivations, and their well-being - at the heart of her work.
“Kate is smiling ear to ear knowing that our amazing Judith is being recognized in this way. Judith, who always flies beneath the radar, is of that same dynamic impeccable character and changes the lives of all who cross her path for the better, I have no doubt,” Fedrizzi continued.
The 2019 Leadership Award recipients represent some of the best of USGBC’s nearly 10,000 member organizations, a network of committed professionals with more than 204,800 LEED credentials and community of local leaders across the United States and throughout the world. With more than 99,800 commercial projects and more than 159 cities and communities currently participating in LEED, space in all 50 states and 176 countries and territories, the efforts of the award recipients stand out as exceptional examples of sustainability leadership among a strong and growing network of projects, companies and individuals.
“Our Leadership Award recipients remind us that taking action – big or small – has the power to change lives and promote a higher living standard for us all,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC. “Each of these awardees made commitments to improve our world through the power of green building. Their actions are an inspiration and show us that our collective efforts can lead to meaningful change that moves us closer to our vision of buildings, communities and cities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life.”
From all of us at IWBI: Congratulations, Judith.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About IWBI
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is leading the global movement to help people thrive through better buildings and communities and stronger organizations. The WELL v2 pilot is the latest version of its popular WELL Building Standard, and the WELL Community Standard pilot is a district scale rating system that sets a new global benchmark for healthy communities. WELL is focused exclusively on the ways that buildings and communities, and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance, not compromise, our health and wellness. IWBI convenes and mobilizes the wellness community through management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and wellness everywhere.
