Special to the
Opelika Observer
The U.S. Green Building Council has announced the recipients of its 2018 Leadership Awards, an annual recognition of the outstanding individuals and organizations at the forefront of the green building movement.
George Bandy Jr., Mohawk Industries vice president of sustainability and commercial marketing and an Opelika native, will join five other distinguished honorees, including global apparel retailer NIKE, for the USGBC Leadership Awards Reception Nov. 14 in Chicago. Individuals and organizations representing diverse expertise from across the green building industry will be celebrated in tandem with the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
“George has been an invaluable partner of USGBC’s for more than two decades, working tirelessly to champion green building, set the standard for other businesses to follow and push the market forward,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. “George has dedicated his entire career to advocating for environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for customers and championing a sustainable, prosperous and equitable future for all. He is truly a leader among leaders in the green building movement, and we are honored to present him with a 2018 USGBC Leadership Award.”
Bandy is well known for his years of experience in, and deep understanding of sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility. As vice president of sustainability, he leads Mohawk’s sustainability efforts by identifying opportunities to position environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for both the flooring manufacturer and its customers across various brands and business units.
Bandy also serves as vice president of commercial marketing, leading brand strategy, product positioning and marketing initiatives for the Mohawk Group and Durkan brands.
Highly regarded for his thoughtful approach, Bandy is sought after as a presenter on key topics such as the business of sustainability, circular economy, greening the supply chain, health and wellness in the built environment, innovation and smart design. A “LEED Accredited Professional,” he has been engaged with USGBC throughout its 25 years and previously served as chairman of USGBC’s board. He is an alumnus of Morehouse College.
“George is a true thought leader in the sustainability realm and has been an integral component of driving Mohawk’s corporate social responsibility strategy for the past two years,” said Michel Vermette, president of the company’s Mohawk Group commercial division. “He has not only helped us move the needle here at Mohawk, but throughout the entire flooring industry and greater manufacturing sector. George is the embodiment of our believe in better commitment, and we celebrate that our colleague and friend is being recognized with such a prestigious award. We cannot think of anyone more deserving of such an honor.”
The 2018 Leadership Award recipients represent some of the best of USGBC’s 12,000 member organizations, more than 201,000 LEED professional credential holders and network of local leaders across the U.S. and throughout the world.
With more than 95,000 commercial projects currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 19 billion sq. ft. of construction space in all 50 states and 167 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.
Greenbuild is a USGBC program and is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. This year’s event will be held Nov. 14-16 at McCormick Place. For more information, visit GreenbuildExpo.com.