{"id":18941,"date":"2026-05-12T13:22:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/green-building-initiative-announces-departure-of-ceo-vicki-worden\/18941\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T08:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:22:21","slug":"green-building-initiative-announces-departure-of-ceo-vicki-worden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/green-building-initiative-announces-departure-of-ceo-vicki-worden\/18941\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Building Initiative Announces Departure of CEO Vicki Worden"},"content":{"rendered":"
Worden is leaving to take a new CEO role after serving as GBI\u2019s chief executive since 2015. GBI is an international nonprofit organization and ANSI accredited standards developer that operates virtually with a 30-member staff. <\/p>\n

\u201cVicki Worden\u2019s tenure has been defined by an unwavering commitment to expanding GBI\u2019s mission impact,\u201d stated Sumayyah Theron, Chair of GBI\u2019s Board of Directors and CEO and Founder of Avant-garde Sustainable Solutions. \u201cUnder Vicki\u2019s leadership, GBI evolved from a U.S.-focused organization into a truly global presence, now serving members in more than 20 countries. Her vision and dedication helped GBI\u2019s green building standards reach more than one billion square feet of certified commercial and multifamily space worldwide and positioned GBI as a leading certifier across multifamily housing, health care facilities, data centers, and beyond. We are deeply grateful for everything Vicki has brought to this organization and wish her great success as she continues to advance mission-driven leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

GBI\u2019s mission is to improve the built environment\u2019s impact on climate and society. Its community of 15,000 is united by a vision of sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all.<\/p>\n

Prior to her leadership at GBI, Worden\u2019s experience included interim CEO roles and senior executive roles in the Washington, D.C., association community as well as more than ten years running her own strategic management consulting firm based in Maryland and Maine. She has been a significant force in sustainability and built environment spaces for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am deeply grateful for the partnership of GBI\u2019s Board members over my eleven years and for our joint commitment to meaningful growth,\u201d stated Worden. \u201cGBI is known for its culture of service, collaboration, transparency, and teamwork, and it is a culture we built intentionally to support our vision and mission. It has been an honor to serve alongside GBI\u2019s highly passionate members, assessors, clients, and staff. I know I\u2019m leaving GBI in great hands as it continues to advance and increase its positive impact in its next evolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Worden\u2019s departure is slated for late June 2026, and a consulting firm will be engaged to manage the search for Worden\u2019s permanent replacement.<\/p>\n

For the transition period, GBI\u2019s Board has appointed The Honorable Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, as GBI\u2019s Interim CEO. Ayers is a nationally recognized leader in architecture, public service, and organizational transformation, with a distinguished career spanning government, nonprofit, and private sector roles. He most recently has served in multiple interim chief executive roles, including Interim CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (twice, in 2022 and 2024) and Interim CEO of the American Institute of Architects in 2025, where he provided steady leadership during pivotal transition periods and helped position each organization for long-term success. Mr. Ayers previously served as the 11th Architect of the Capitol, appointed by Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.<\/p>\n

About GBI <\/strong><\/p>\n

GBI, Inc. is an international nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer whose mission is to improve the built environment\u2019s impact on climate and society. Founded in 2004, the organization is the global provider of the Green Globes\u00ae, Journey to Net Zero\u2122, Guiding Principles Compliance\u2122, and Ascent Building Certification\u2122 programs, and it is the parent company of GB Initiative Canada. GBI also issues professional credentials, including the Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional (GPCP). To learn more about opportunities to become involved with GBI, contact info@thegbi.org<\/a> or visit the GBI website at www.thegbi.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MEDIA CONTACT
Joe Kurle, Director of Marketing & Communications, GBI jkurle@thegbi.org<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Vicki Worden, CAE, led GBI to achieve tremendous growth during her 11-year tenure; The Honorable Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, appointed as GBI Interim CEO<\/p>\n

PORTLAND, Ore., May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Green Building Initiative (GBI) is announcing the planned departure of its CEO, Vicki Worden.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18941"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18941"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18949,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18941\/revisions\/18949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1reason.com\/re\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}