WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that former Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell will give the keynote address at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo being held November 17 to 19, 2010, in Chicago.
“General Powell has made another career of sharing his lessons of leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “His keen insights and global perspective are especially relevant to our movement in these times of great challenge and change. He exemplifies that leadership is about more than a title: It’s about taking charge during times of great crisis.”
General Powell is a retired four-star general. He previously served as National Security Advisor under President Ronald Regan and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed General Powell to be Secretary of State, a position he held until 2005. In addition, for the past decade, General Powell has committed his time, energy and leadership to improving the lives of America’s young people as founding chairman of America’s Promise Alliance—an organization that works with more than 400 partner organizations to provide needed resources that build better lives for America’s youth.
Recipient of Numerous Honors
General Powell has demonstrated his leadership through his public service and private life. He has broken racial barriers as the first African-American Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has received several distinguished military and civilian honors including two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and the Soldier’s Medal. General Powell also founded the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at his alma mater, the City College of New York and has served on the boards of various nonprofits.
As a sign of General Powell’s wide-ranging leadership and the message he will bring as Greenbuild’s opening keynote speaker, a LEED Platinum affordable housing building in his childhood neighborhood bears his name. The General Colin L. Powell Apartments in the South Bronx, N.Y., is a cutting-edge 50-unit multifamily project resulting from a partnership between Habitat for Humanity-New York City and Blue Sea Development. General Powell participated in the LEED certification ceremony.
In addition to General Powell’s keynote address, Greenbuild 2010 will feature an array of inspiring speakers and more than 100 educational sessions and the world’s largest exhibit hall devoted to green building with more than 900 exhibiting companies with more than 1,800 booths showcasing the latest in innovative, cutting-edge products and services.
For more information, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org.
