HDR's Wittmann Honored as Inaugural LEED Fellow

(November 16, 2011) - HDR's Michaella Wittmann, LEED AP BD+C, has been named a LEED Fellow by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). She was one of 34 professionals to receive the honor this year, the inaugural year of the program. LEED Fellow is the GBCI's most prestigious professional designation developed to honor and recognize distinguished LEED APs who have made a significant contribution to the field of green building and sustainability.

Wittmann, based in the firm's Omaha, Neb., office, founded and directs HDR's Sustainable Solutions program. She has been a leader in the sustainability and green building industry for more than 17 years. Guided by Wittmann, HDR began a process for integrating sustainable design concepts into its work beginning in the early 1990s. The Sustainable Design Services group was established to pioneer a more rigorous approach to green building through educating co-workers, advising project teams, and collaborating with like-minded industry leaders.

In 1994, under Wittmann's direction, HDR became the first A/E/C firm to join the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). She was actively involved in the development of the first Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating Tool and has worked with a multitude of clients including Federal and state agencies, universities, healthcare systems, and commercial building owners. Wittmann explains: "Our firm has never once looked back, and with HDR's steady support, I have been able to grow an austere idea into a dynamic force that is now part of our corporate identity. In 1994 I never dreamed of all that could—and would—be accomplished."