Meet Illinois Green’s 2026 Outstanding Volunteers
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards! These six volunteers have gone above and beyond in their work with Illinois Green, helping us to advance our mission and ensure every person in every community has access to healthy, resilient, high-performance buildings. They will be receiving their awards in-person at our 2026 Limelight Celebration on November 12. Click here to register!
We asked each recipient to tell us a little bit about why they volunteer with Illinois Green, what they enjoy about participating in the community, and to share a volunteer highlight from 2026. Here's what they had to say:
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: The built environment continues to be one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions globally, so how we design, build, and operate buildings matters a great deal. Illinois Green's work promoting green building policy, investment, and professional practice is essential to lowering the industry's carbon footprint. I wanted to join a community where I could contribute to that mission.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: The people! I joined Illinois Green for the mission, but the community has kept me coming back. When I first moved to Chicago, I didn't know anyone in the city. I basically crowd sourced my friends through the Auxiliary Board, a fun, welcoming group of young professionals who care about advancing green building. I started on the Policy & Advocacy Committee and was asked to chair the Fundraising Committee the following year. Volunteering alongside such passionate peers made every role rewarding.
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: My highlight was the trivia night our Auxiliary Board Fundraising Committee hosted. It raised funds to support the Illinois Green Schools Project, and everyone had a great time. It brought together the two things I love most about Illinois Green: a meaningful impact on the next generation and a community of people who make the work fun. I'm also excited to have joined the Building Energy Hub Advisory Board and look forward to contributing to its work in the year ahead.
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: Volunteering with Illinois Green Alliance has allowed me to fulfill a long-standing aspiration: to share my passion for sustainability in the built environment. Trained as an architect, I practiced professionally for several years before spending two decades in academia teaching design and related subjects. Along the way, I benefited from mentors who deepened my commitment to environmental responsibility.
Now retired and living in Lake Forest, I hope to give back to my community and the state of Illinois by promoting sustainable practices, raising environmental awareness, and sharing my experience as an architect and educator.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: Volunteering as a mentor for the Illinois Green School Project has been a deeply rewarding experience. It allows me to share my knowledge, encourage young minds, and support practical solutions to real-world sustainable challenges. Working alongside dedicated teachers and the next generation of environmental advocates is both inspiring and fulfilling, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to their learning and growth.
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: A highlight of my volunteering experiences this year has been working alongside students to learn about practical ways to reduce the school’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. Through engaging brainstorming sessions and open discussions, we discovered and explored a variety of potential solutions together. One memorable moment was witnessing their pride and sense of accomplishment as they presented their final project, Operation Light-Swap, to their District School Board.
Another important highlight was the invaluable guidance, and support provided by the Illinois Green School Program that helped the Deerpath Middle School secure additional funding, allowing the students to broaden the scope of their project and bring more of their idea to life this year.
Throughout the year it was very gratifying to witness the students’ discovery and engagement that empowered them to take ownership of their ideas and turn them into meaningful action.
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: The societal values and enthusiasm of the organization are amazing to be around, and the collective effort of so many volunteers working to help the community and society in general is making a big difference.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: Contributing to the overall goal alongside so many others where you can see a difference and also know that you aren’t doing it alone. Illinois Green volunteerism helps directly but then knowing that impact carries forward into the community compounds the fruits of the efforts of the volunteers.
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: My favorite event this year actually points to the volunteerism of others. I really enjoyed attending the “Decarbonization Game” bringing in Amanda Webb from University of Cincinnati showing a gamification of how to optimize buildings given a set of constraints with some random events thrown into the timeline. I’m also active with ASHRAE, serving on the Standard 211 committee with Amanda and knowing her background I was excited for the game to come to Chicago. I think the local teams did great! It was a real kickstart for me to get more involved this year myself.
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: I volunteer with Illinois Green to help expand the AEC industry's impact to ensure generations to come have a beautiful, livable planet.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: I love working with my fellow Illinois Green Alliance members—they are some of the most passionate, kind, and friendly folks out there!
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: My volunteer highlight has been working with Miranda Wright to investigate building material circularity in Chicagoland, which has evolved into the All for Reuse working group!
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: I volunteer with Illinois Green because I believe that energy efficiency and decarbonization within the built environment are mission critical to maintaining the resilience and vibrance of our communities in Illinois.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: Sharing knowledge and strategies with talented and passionate building professionals. I learn something new at every event I attend.
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: Attending the Getting to Zero Tech Forum—equal parts inspirational and educational perspective on the rapidly evolving green building tech space.
Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green?
Answer: Illinois Green has been key to my professional development. It has shown me community among industry professionals and passionate people in sustainability. Joining the Auxiliary Board has allowed me to connect with other emerging professionals beginning their journey in green building. Volunteering my time with Illinois Green allowed me to directly organize events and create impactful outcomes as an Auxiliary Board member and Illinois Green Schools Mentor.
Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green?
A: Illinois Green introduced me to the tight-knit community of green building professionals of all backgrounds. I enjoy dedicating my time with Illinois Green because the people are welcoming, open-minded, and energetic about what they do. The staff foster such a friendly and positive atmosphere that makes it easy for people curious about green building to get involved.
Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2026?
A: In a year full of highlights, the one that stands out was the opportunity to lead the Policy & Advocacy Committee. As a committee lead, I got to utilize my experience as a prior committee member and build the committee into green policy advocates to put on an inspiring panel about the importance of building professional voices in policy. It was extremely rewarding to get to know and work with my committee to put on the event.
