NATIONAL REPORT—Landscape designer and educator, Julia Watson, will be the keynote speaker on Wednesday, November 11 at the Greenbuild International Conference + Expo. She is a leading expert on indigenous technologies. Her bestselling book with Taschen, Lo-TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Monocle, Architectural Digest, and more. Regularly teaching at Harvard and Columbia University, Julia’s studio work involves landscape and urban design, along with public speaking and consulting with brands on sustainability. She has just completed the summer gardens for Rockefeller Center using a native plant palette inspired by the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Informa Connect are proud to announce that Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will headline the 2020 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Figueres will deliver the keynote address during the opening session on Tuesday, November 10. This year’s virtual Greenbuild experience will take place November 10 to 12 with three virtual summits focused on green business, resilience and global health and wellness, taking place September 10, October 1 and October 22 as a lead up to the main event. Registration is now...

Names: Alex Smith and Leigh Deforest Titles: Alex: Director of Social Purpose and Analytics; Leigh: Social Purpose and Sustainability Manager Company: Legacy Vacation Resorts, Orlando, Fla. Years in Current Position: Alex: Nine months; Leigh: Four months Primary Responsibilities: Alex: “Ensuring that Legacy Vacation Resorts is achieving the highest social purpose impact possible, supporting team fundamentals, helping to work through objectives, and communicating with the leadership team.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: Alex: “Becoming a B Corp. was a big step. It took a lot to certify and get tested.” Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in global corporate responsibility: Alex: “Team...

Name: Jeffery Smith Title: Vice President Sustainability Company: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas Years in Current Position: Two Years, Six Months Primary Responsibilities: Managing operational impacts across 18 hotels and 32 spas, while supporting sustainable development for a pipeline of projects that grows the brand to touch on six continents. Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “We eliminated plastic amenity bottles in 2003, plastic straws in 2016, and have been using coral safe sunscreen since 2019. Also, in every hotel there is a provision for funding to be spent outside the hotel operation. It allows each hotel to decide what is locally...

ALBUQUERQUE—Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm welcomes Kim Vollers as Director of Hospitality Operations. Vollers oversees lodging, guest services, dining operations, events, programming, grounds maintenance and facilities on the 25-acre farm. Vollers has over 25 years of hospitality experience, the majority of which was spent at the Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont. At Woodstock, Vollers oversaw guest services, spa and housekeeping, and was involved with dining and farming operations. Woodstock Inn & Resort was built by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller to help preserve Woodstock’s rich hospitality history and maintains a dedication to sustainable farming and environmental stewardship. Vollers...

BANGKOK—Hospitality & building solutions group Louis T Collection is going green on the food front with the help of new Corporate Director of Food & Beverage, Anselm Cuypers. “As we move into a new decade we’re implementing a lot of changes in our F&B departments,” said Cuypers. “Our core focus is on sustainability, developing Louis T’s signature F&B offering, and launching wellness-focused menus across the properties.” In this new role, Cuypers will focus on expanding sustainability initiatives at the restaurants and bars at Louis T Collection’s properties in Thailand, Taiwan, and Australia. Examples of the group’s next steps include forbidding suppliers to...

NANTUCKET, MASS.—GSN Planet (GSN) announced recent board appointments to the Board of Directors who are dedicated to leading the spa and wellness industry in creating long term, regenerative, and life-sustaining practices. Thor Holm, General Manager for Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, has been appointed Board President following his two-year term as Vice President. Holm will succeed Bonnie Baker, Founder of Satteva Wellness Group, who has just completed her two-year term as Board President. Baker’s passion and dedication to both the planet and wellness has left a lasting impact on the organization during her six-year tenure on the Board of Directors. GSN...

Name: Theresa van Greunen Title: Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications Company: Aqua-Aston Hospitality Years in Current Position: Two (with Aqua-Aston since 2015) Primary Responsibilities: “I play a unique role. The company has allowed me to carve out my own initiatives. I often partner with the operations team. I have been able to create new initiatives. Strategy is a big part of my job and keeping my ear to the ground and knowing what we can make positive change around.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “Developing the corporate social responsibility program, Advocate with Aqua-Aston, and most notably, the #ForOurReef campaign.” Organization’s most significant...

STOCKHOLM—Bitte Ferngren, Senior Vice President Human Resources & Sustainability, has decided to explore new opportunities outside of Scandic. Ferngren will continue working in her current position until the end of May. Scandic has initiated the process to find a replacement. Since October 2019, Ferngren has been part of Scandic’s Executive Management Team with responsibility for HR and sustainability initiatives. She is now leaving this role to start a new position at an international company within the finance sector. Ferngren has contributed to Scandic’s ability to make significant changes in its operations in a short period of time, which has been absolutely...

Name: Yalmaz Siddiqui Title: V.P., Corporate Sustainability Company: MGM Resorts International Years in Current Position: Four Primary Responsibilities: “The main ones are to think about what the company should focus on. What should the company prioritize? To initiate new ideas. To start new things. To integrate the preferable habits and practices so they become normal. Partnering with marketing and social media to communicate.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in the area of global corporate responsibility: “There are many but our decision to create CityCenter—which was the world’s largest privately funded LEED certified development when it opened in 2009.” Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in the...