GBI’s ACCESS Program
In 2022, GBI held its second annual Giving Tuesday program, which awards complimentary Green Globes certification to one of many nominated community benefit projects across North America. GBI recognized The Beehive by SoLa Impact as our 2022 Giving Tuesday awardee for its achievements in sustainability and outstanding benefit to their community at the Green Building Conference and Expo in Los Angeles in May. Jenna Middaugh, SVP, presented Martin Muoto of SoLa Impact with a plaque to demonstrate their achievement. The Giving Tuesday program has since been rebranded to Activate Community Collaboration to Elevate Sustainable Solutions (ACCESS).

Learn more about GBI’s ACCESS Program and SoLa Impact.

2023 Award Winner: University of Massachusetts Lowell (Acre Artisans) -Design Challenge – New Housing Exhibition Team

Ray Tonjes Scholarship & Leadership Award
In March, GBI announced the inaugural recipients for the Ray Tonjes Scholarship and Leadership Award. The recipient teams were each awarded $5,000 for travel and expense reimbursement and/or stipends, for use toward in-person attendance at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2023 Competition Event at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) located in Golden, Colorado. Award recipients are required to represent Minority Serving Institutions (MSI’s), as designated by the Department of Education, and must have expressed financial need to attend the event in-person.

NIBS 2023 Social Equity in the Built Environment Workforce Study

Vicki Worden also spoke on a panel, moderated by NIBS President and CEO, AC Powell, at the NIBS Women Executives in Business Forum in May, which focused on Equity and Workforce Development in the Built Environment. The Forum seeks to convene women leaders from all sectors of the built environment to share successes, challenges, network, and equip women in the built environment with actionable strategies to overcome the hurdles they often face in the workplace, and specifically in the building industry.

NIBS 2023 Social Equity in the Built Environment Workforce Study
GBI participated in the 2023 NIBS Social Equity in the Built Environment Workforce Survey, along with 26 other organizations. This important survey aims to collect critical data on the workforce of the built environment for the purpose of informing future initiatives on social equity. All members of the GBI community were invited to complete the survey, and the results, which were released in May 2023, can be viewed here.

GBI hosted a series of virtual
training and discussion sessions
for staff and board members:

Freedom’s Woods African American Communities
in Maine 1776-1911 (April)
Presented by Dr. Kate McMahon, Museum
Specialist & Historian, Smithsonian National Museum
of African American History & Culture

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day (April)
Presented by Adam Wellen, Director of Membership & Community, GBI

Honoring Juneteenth - The Role of
Minorities in Construction
Presenters: Vicki Worden (President & CEO, GBI), Zahn Patin (Principal Consultant, The Wonder Group), and Kimberly Mobley (Owner/Architect, TouchPoint Architecture + Design, PLLC)

GBI believes that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are critical to a welcoming, effective, and successful organization. We are committed to taking purposeful actions to deconstruct barriers and build opportunities for learning, change, and accountability. GBI commits to fostering growth, measuring effectiveness, and demonstrating accountability through annual reporting on efforts to integrate and reinforce DEIB throughout our activities and audiences, including the Board of Directors, staff, members, assessors, external stakeholders, and community. Read our Commitment to DEIB.

DEIB
Commitment & Initiatives

Jenna Middaugh, Senior Vice President

Client Services team photo (from left to right): Anthony Garcia, Christopher Binder, Adam Feiszli, Kate Callahan, Sara Rademacher, Jenniffer Mata, Anna Bushee, and Katy Johnson

GBI team members (standing between members of Sunland) Anthony Garcia, Elizabeth Fjerstad, and Jenniffer Mata assembled new composting bins with Urban Farming Education, in collaboration with Sunland STEAM Academy to educate students about environmentally friendly gardens.

GBI offers a Voluntary Time Off (VTO) policy, allowing staff to contribute their time during work hours. In 2023, GBI staff members donated a total of 62.5 hours to their local communities.

In November, GBI announced the promotion
of Jenna Middaugh to Senior Vice President to strengthen Executive Leadership. GBI also hired its first VP, Sustainable Buildings & Program Innovation, in addition to three new members of the Client Services team. Learn more about GBI staff.

GBI operates in a remote office environment, which allows the organization to recruit and retain talent across the country. This also provides GBI the opportunity to maintain a presence in multiple locations and build relationships with members, clients, assessors, volunteers, and local community representatives.

GBI Staff Growth

Platinum Seal
of Financial Transparency

GBI renewed its GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, which requires sharing our organizational strategy and audited financial data. This achievement reflects GBI’s ongoing commitment to openness and operational excellence.

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