Ibrahim Abdul-Matin Appointed to International Living Future Institute Board of Directors

SEATTLE, October 29, 2015 /3BL Media/ - The International Living Future Institute™ announced today that Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Director of Community Affairs at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, has been appointed to the Institute’s Board of Directors. Abdul-Matin works to make sure that New York City residents have a responsive government that helps bring water to their homes and takes their wastewater away. He’s also a powerful advocate for the idea that diverse perspectives are necessary to grow the environmental movement.

“Ibrahim brings a unique perspective to our Board,” said Amanda Sturgeon, Institute Executive Director and incoming CEO. “He is an experienced policy maker who works in one of the most complicated and densely populated metropolitan areas in the world. We need more people who think like Ibrahim if we are to create a socially just and culturally rich future.”

“My intention is to bring a lens of faith, equity, imagination and courage to the Institute's Board and community,” said Ibrahim Abdul-Matin. “Humanity is making the transition from a world rooted in domination and extraction toward a world rooted in regeneration and interdependence—the International Living Future Institute is crucial for this transition. I'd like to push our thinking about what we make, how we make things, how we exchange things, how we care for each other and ourselves, and how we share the benefits of our labor.”

At the Institute’s Living Future unConference in April, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin brought the sold-out crowd to its feet with his inspiring talk that explored the nature of humanity on a very deep level. His provocative and passionate talk pushed everyone just past their comfort zone and challenged us all to do more and to do it better.

His work has influenced the public and private sector during his service as the sustainability policy advisor to Mayor Bloomberg, and in his current role as the Director of Community Affairs at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Ibrahim has been covered by Al Jazeera, FOX News and ABC News, and his writings can be found in many publications including The Washington Post, CNN.com, the Muslim Observer and more. His book, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet is a one-of-a-kind exploration about the positive contributions of people of faith to the environmental movement. He holds numerous awards including the National Urban Fellow (2008), Green for All Fellow (2009), and most recently was named one of the 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in New York City Politics from City & State Magazine (2015).

Abdul-Matin joins the Institute at a pivotal moment in its growth as a leader in the regenerative building movement, as over 300 projects embark on the quest to achieve full Living Building Challenge certification, the Institute is moving into the third year of the Living Community Challenge and begins the process of certifying its first Living Products.

###

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIVING FUTURE INSTITUTE:

The International Living Future Institute is an environmental NGO committed to catalyzing the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Composed of leading green building experts and thought-leaders, the Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute runs the Living Building Challenge, Living Community Challenge, Living Product Challenge, Net Zero Energy Certification, the Cascadia Green Building Council, Ecotone Publishing, Declare, JUST and other leading-edge programs. A global network of more than 350 volunteers across nearly 30 countries drive the local adoption of restorative principles in their communities.

Contact:

International Living Future Institute
Lisa Lilienthal
404-661-3679
lisalilienthal@earthlink.net