IWBI Announces New Governance Council Appointments - 2022

New York, September 1, 2022 /3BLMedia/ – The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced today the appointment of several new members to its Governance Council. Composed of key global thought leaders, public health professionals and business executives, the Governance Council helps uphold the integrity of IWBI’s certification and rating frameworks, and accelerates the broader movement driving their adoption.

“We are so honored to have these esteemed individuals join us in advancing people-first places,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “These new members hail from across the world—Italy, China, Japan, the U.S. — and their diverse backgrounds and expertise will lend fresh perspective to our Governance Council. The result is an exceptional leadership body, one that ensures the continued rigor and relevance of WELL and IWBI’s continued leadership at the forefront of public health, ESG and architectural and organizational design.”

New Council Members include:

• Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO, International Interior Design Association (IIDA)     
• Yasushi Kinoshita, Representative Member, Eminence Partners G.K.; Co-chairperson, Green Building Japan (GBJ)
• Alison Omens, Chief Strategy Officer, JUST Capital
• Dr. Yao Wang, Director General, International Institute of Green Finance; Deputy Secretary General of Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking
• Dr. Yu Wang, MD, PhD, Chairman, Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control; Former Director General, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

In addition to these five new members, the Council had another recent addition in April, Alessandro Miani, President of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) and Professor of Environmental Prevention at the University of Milan.

“How we live and work has never been more top of mind than today–with design continuing to play a central role to inform what is best for people across homes and organizations, equitably,” said Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO, International Interior Design Association (IIDA). “In joining the IWBI Governance Council, I’m looking forward to reinforcing the value of design in the decisions made to elevate society’s health and well-being.”

“Working at the intersection of real estate and sustainability, I have strived to make the Japanese built environment greener and more sustainable,” said Yasushi Kinoshita, Representative Member, Eminence Partners G.K.; Co-chairperson, Green Building Japan (GBJ). “As IWBI’s mission is to work beyond the built environment and impact whole communities and organizations with health and well-being strategies, I’m thrilled to join a coalition to prioritize and influence this expanded work.”

“Society’s increasing focus on health and well-being in the workplace comes with new considerations for how to operationalize, measure and advance these strategies,” Alison Omens, Chief Strategy Officer, JUST Capital said. “In such a crucial time of pandemic and economic recovery, I look forward to serving on IWBI’s Governance Council as the organization develops solutions and tools to help companies take leadership in health, equity and well-being.”

“With evolving capital reporting frameworks across the globe, it’s important that there are measures to support them–particularly as the sustainable finance movement expands. Organizations are more aware and concerned with return on investments not just in capital, but in human benefits, as well,” said Dr. Yao Wang, Director General, International Institute of Green Finance; Deputy Secretary General of Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking. “As a member of its Governance Council, I am honored to play a role in IWBI’s expanding work in this area.”

“The pandemic has led us to look at public health through an added lens of the buildings and communities where we spend our time–and how that impacts people. As a member of IWBI’s Task Force on COVID-19, we worked urgently to address market needs in the midst of a pandemic,” said Dr. Yu Wang, MD, PhD Chairman, Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control; Former Director General, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “I am excited to continue my journey with the organization as a member of the IWBI Governance Council, to ensure frameworks and ratings are able to transform the market.”

Formally constituted in February 2020, the Governance Council most recently convened to ratify the WELL Performance Rating in spring 2022. Members serve a two-year term on a volunteer basis.

These leaders join a distinguished group of current members of the IWBI Governance Council, including:

●      Dr. Richard Carmona, M.D., MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States

●      Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI

●      Stephen Huddart, Former President & CEO, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

●      Mona Naqvi, Global Head of ESG Capital Markets Strategy, S&P Global

●      Avi Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolis Magazine

●      Nancy Roman, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America

●      Davina Rooney, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia

●      Raymond Yau, Ph.D, MBA, BSc, General Manager, Technical Services & Sustainable Development, Swire Properties

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About the International WELL Building Institute

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.  

International WELL Building Institute pbc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delos Living LLC. International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Portfolio Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Health-Equity, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Performance Rating, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

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