Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, received the World Green Building Council Chairman's Award. Gutter was given the award for her leadership at the forefront of the green schools movement, and working to make healthy, energy-efficient schools accessible to everyone across the globe.
"It is an honor for me to recognize Rachel for her monumental work with the Center for Green Schools, and for driving the conversation behind a need for sustainable environments where our children can learn to the best of their abilities," said Rick Fedrizzi, chairman of the WorldGBC and president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC.
"Rachel's commitment and influence in the global green building and green schools movement makes her an invaluable leader to our organization."
Gutter came to USGBC in 2007 to oversee the launch of LEED for Schools and spearheaded the National Green Schools Campaign. In 2010, the Center for Green Schools was established to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable and healthy places to live, learn, work and play.
In 2011, Gutter's team focused its work around engaging, equipping and deploying people behind the green schools movement, resulting in 48 states with green schools committees, 41 states with USGBC Student groups, 33 states with 50-for-50 Green Schools Caucus initiatives and 208,718 volunteer hours on green schools efforts.
Today, Rachel works to engage students and teachers, parents and school superintendents, elected officials and other policy makers in a national conversation about the relationship between high- performance educational facilities and high-performing students.
Rachel is also working to take the Center's work internationally with the first annual Green Apple Day of Service on Sept. 29, 2012, which will involve advocates from around the world in local service projects to improve schools and communities.