The Weidt Group announces that Dana Kose, LEED AP BD+C, has been named a 2018 LEED Fellow by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). This year's 25 LEED Fellows are exceptional practitioners and leaders within the green building community, and have demonstrated mastery of the technical application of LEED, the world's most widely used green building rating system.

"We are honored and proud to have Kose as one of this year's LEED Fellows," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and GBCI. "The LEED Fellow designation recognizes people who have made significant contributions to LEED and the green building movement over the course of their careers. Kose has demonstrated exemplary leadership and made a significant impact in moving USGBC's mission forward. It is only because of leaders like Kose that I know our vision of green buildings for all within this generation can become a reality."

The LEED Fellow program was established in 2011 to recognize outstanding LEED APs who have demonstrated exceptional impact with LEED in key mastery elements related to technical knowledge and skill; a history of exemplary leadership in LEED; significant contributions in teaching, mentoring, or research with proven outcomes; and a history of highly impactful commitment, service, and advocacy for LEED.

LEED Fellows are nominated by their peers and must have made at least 10 years' worth of exceptional impact on LEED and hold an active LEED AP with specialty credential, among other requirements. The evaluation process includes extensive portfolio review and is carried out by the LEED Fellow Evaluation Committee and supported by GBCI.

"It is an honor to be selected as LEED Fellow," said Kose, project executive at The Weidt Group. "When I first learned about LEED and the impacts of the built environment, I made a personal commitment to apply sustainable design and construction practices in all I do. I'm proud to say that, fourteen years later, that commitment has not changed - I truly enjoy educating our diverse community about sustainability and LEED."

Over the past 12 years, Kose has held leadership positions in several career areas, including Projects, Service and Speaking. Her career began at Mortenson Construction, where she led sustainability efforts through several nationwide initiatives. She then became the Director of Sustainability for Universal Development Company (UDC), building a sustainability program from the ground up, and educating staff on sustainable operations. For the past eight years, Kose has held three back-to-back leadership roles at The Weidt Group, leading over 250 projects toward achieving their energy efficiency goals. Her leadership is preceded by her commitment and service to the energy and sustainability industry. She has volunteered in a variety of leadership roles at USGBC, with the primary purpose of advancing sustainability and the green building industry. She has also contributed to the greater community in several ways, most notably on the board of directors for both the Denver Architectural Foundation and AIA Colorado, and as a member of the Colorado Energy Coalition and Downtown Denver Partnership's Transportation & Development Council.

The 2018 LEED Fellows will be recognized at this year's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, which will be held Nov. 14-16, 2018, in Chicago. The nomination period for the 2019 LEED Fellows class will open early next year. Visit the USGBC and GBCI websites for more information about the LEED Fellow program and LEED credentialing.

Green Business Certification I www.gbci.org

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