To rave reviews of attendees, the Central Florida Region of USGBC Florida honored the best-of-the-best during its annual 2018 LEEDership and Battle of the Buildings Awards Program.  

The Region's sixth annual LEEDership celebration recognized those outstanding projects, inspirational businesses, dedicated individuals, and instrumental USGBC and community members who are LEEDing the way to a more sustainable built environment in the greater Orlando community. Nearly 100 guests attended the awards ceremony on April 14, at the UCF Alumni Center (a LEED Gold facility) in Orlando. 

2018 LEEDership Award Winners were:

• Most Outstanding Project, LEED for New Construction -- Lake Nona USTA Office Building
• Most Outstanding Project, LEED for Core & Shell -- AIPO Spec Office Building C
  
• Most Outstanding Project, LEED for Existing Buildings --  UCF Alumni Center
  
• Most Outstanding Project, LEED for Homes -- Northwind by E2 Homes
• Most Outstanding Sustainable Program -- Valencia College Poinciana Campus
• Most Outstanding Sustainable Program, Commercial -- Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
• Most Outstanding Sustainable Program, Education -- Millenia Gardens Elementary School
  
• Green Community Hero of the Year -- Curtis Wade
  
• USGBC Central Florida Member of the Year -- Mike Hess

USGBC Central Florida also honored and recognized those facilities that performed best-in-category for the 2017 Central Florida Battle of the Buildings Challenge.

2018 Battle of the Buildings Winners were:

• Commercial -- City of Orlando – College Park Neighborhood
• Hotel -- Westgate Resorts
  
• Medical -- Valencia College – Allied Health Services
  
• Mixed-Use -- Florida Hospital Central Florida South Region – Florida Division Executive Office Adventist Health System
• Public Assembly > 10,000 sf -- City of Orlando City Hall
• Public Assembly < 10,000 sf -- Volusia County Agriculture Center Auditorium
  
• Warehouse > 100,000 sf -- Prologis – Beltway Commerce Center
  
• Warehouse < 100,000 sf -- Orange County Convention Center / Remote Operations Building
• Best Overall – Water Reduction -- City of Winter Park / Public Safety

Vince Briones Scholarship

A third, special award category this year was an emotional one for much of the USGBC Central Florida community.  The inaugural Vince Briones Scholarship for a UCF Student was presented to Hannah Hollinger. The scholarship is in memory of the late Vince Briones, who was instrumental in the Central Florida green building movement. Donors from Central Florida and Texas funded the scholarship. Ms. Hollinger, pursuing her Master's Degree at UCF in Environmental Studies / Urban & Regional Planning, was the unanimous selection amongst a number of very worthy candidates for this first scholarship.  Her application's outline of Hannah's campus and personal activities exemplified Vince's passion for green buildings and his desire to educate others to transform the building industry around sustainability. Attendees were honored that Vince's wife, mother and brother flew in from Texas to attend this first presentation.  

Keynote Speaker

Donnel Baird, with BlocPower in New York, highlighted the evening of recognition and appreciation for the Central Florida green-building community as the event's keynote speaker. Baird's inspiring presentation focused on BlocPower's development of community energy projects in inner cities, and how his organization aggregates such projects into portfolios large enough to attract environmentally minded investors, which eventually hires local residents to make the improvements.

And more ... 

In addition to the awards presentations and keynote address, the LEEDership celebration included a pre-event reception, dinner and GREENworking with industry professionals from throughout Florida. The LEEDership program raised funds to support educational activities and programs hosted throughout the year by USGBC Central Florida.

LEEDership awards winners were selected by a panel of industry experts from around the country. Submissions were sent to the judges "blind," without any identification of project or team or LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) achievement. Submissions were judged purely on specific criteria and merits.

Thanks To Our Sponsors
and all of those who attended LEEDership Awards 2018!