Meet Illinois Green’s 2024 Outstanding Volunteers

Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green? 

Answer:  When I first heard about Illinois Green in 2022, I was a few months into my first full-time sustainability role and very much in over my head. A kind consultant (now friend) invited me to a Member Breakfast and for the first time I started to feel connected to the Chicago sustainability community. The organization has helped me to build my confidence, knowledge, and network much more than I could have on my own. It is a privilege to be able to give back and support an organization that has poured into me. 

Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green? 

A: Volunteering with Illinois Green gives me the opportunity to be creative and use skills that I wouldn’t necessarily get to do day-to-day in my current role. The projects I’ve supported with Illinois Green allow me to call upon my experiences in event planning, program development, and mentoring in a supportive and inclusive environment. The Illinois Green staff and Auxiliary Board leadership in particular have really pushed me to grow and saw potential in me where I didn’t, which made volunteering even more rewarding. 

Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2024? 

A:  We accomplished so much as an Auxiliary Board in 2024 that it’s hard to pin one specific thing down! Our “Every Job is a Green Job” program is definitely a top moment for me—from sitting down as a committee to brainstorm in the first meeting to filling every seat in the SmithGroup common space with folks eager to learn from us, it was a whirlwind that was so incredibly rewarding.  

Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green? 

Answer: I volunteer with Illinois Green to be a part of the local effort to lead decarbonization initiatives across the state of Illinois. I want to better understand and overcome the complexities of achieving these initiatives using my skillset gained through my current and past sustainability experiences and do my part, however big or small, to fight climate change.

Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green? 

A: I enjoy being able to share my knowledge of professional development, networking, and sustainability across the Illinois community. I also love interacting with other Illinois Green members and volunteers— the organization is filled with like-minded, passionate individuals always looking for opportunities to grow.

Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2024? 

A:  My volunteer highlight from 2024 was hosting the "Greener Together: Speed Networking in Sustainability" event in early November. Not only was it well-received by event attendees, but it was an important milestone in my career, where I was able to see my own professional growth by successfully leading a team of 4 other volunteers to host this sold-out event.

Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green? 

Answer:  I volunteer at Illinois Green because it gives me a strong connection to the local sustainability community. We know that we have a lot of work to do in educating consumers and professionals about the positive impact they can make to advance sustainability for the next generation. I've found that the Illinois Green membership is filled with people who want to do the work of advancing sustainability in their fields. 

From architects to engineers, urban planners to public policy advocates, there is a diverse professional workforce engaged at Illinois Green. What better place is there for a realtor like me to put my efforts toward centering sustainability in my work? Volunteering at Illinois Green advances my business, my knowledge base, and fulfills my need to actively promote sustainability.

Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green? 

A: I truly enjoy volunteering at the Illinois Green. Two highlights for me are the intellectual stimulation I gain from Programs Committee meetings, where I deepen my technical understanding in the course of our work. Furthermore, the networking opportunities at meetings and events are invaluable. These interactions provide me with positive connections and enhance my professional performance. Engaging with the membership at events is always an energizing experience.

Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2024? 

A:  In January 2024, I had the privilege of working with a group of Programs Committee volunteers to produce and showcase a three-unit, all-electric building that a client built in Woodlawn. This cutting-edge project, located in an often overlooked but wonderful neighborhood, boasts solar panels, a highly insulated and airtight building envelope and sophisticated mechanical systems that ensure resiliency, comfort, and excellent indoor air quality. I consulted on the building's development, successfully marketed and sold it, and then had the pleasure of guiding over 50 Illinois Green program attendees through a two-hour open house. Witnessing the neighbors' amazement as the attendees descended on this high-performance home was truly rewarding. It was a joy to demonstrate how we can create healthier, happier living spaces.

Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green? 

Answer:  It's funny—I had not even considered my involvement with Illinois Green and [the Building Energy Resource] Hub Advisory Board as volunteerism. I thought of it more as an opportunity to be at the table where decisions and policy are discussed, with much smarter and more experienced folks around me.  Illinois Green always has very high-quality folks, both on staff and boards.  So, the chance to be around those folks more consistently really attracted me, and it has not disappointed. I get far more out of my time with the board than I receive, no doubt.   

Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green? 

A: I like the conversation around a very collectively smart and passionate group of engineers, entrepreneurs, and building managers. There is not the question of, should we decarbonize; the question is how we help buildings decarbonize. It is a refreshing group of individuals to be around, and one of those obvious situations where a group is stronger than an individual.  On a personal level, it is a place I feel very much with my people —not just on aligned values, but on industry knowledge and strategic thinking.   

Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2024? 

A:  I definitely enjoyed watching the Solar Eclipse on a break at a board meeting for the Hub.  It was a great experience, humbling to be experiencing something so rare and consequential.  I love how we discussed the impact on solar PV production, HVAC impact, and how nature responds to the event.  It was very bonding and meaningful to me.

Question: Why do you volunteer with Illinois Green? 

Answer:  I volunteer with Illinois Green because it is a great opportunity to share my passion for sustainability and green building with the broader Illinois community and help advance Net Zero buildings in Illinois. There are also varied opportunities to volunteer so members can contribute where and when they can.   

Q: What do you enjoy about volunteering with Illinois Green? 

A: There are so many amazing people who are a part of the Illinois Green community across many industries and phases of their careers. Getting to meet and work with all these passionate individuals has made volunteering both fun and meaningful. Additionally, there are always opportunities to learn when getting involved and I find that everyone leaves the experience with something extra.

Q: What is your volunteer highlight from 2024? 

A:  My volunteer highlight from 2024 was working with the students at Urbana High School through the Illinois Green Schools Project.  It was great to see the student’s excitement and interest as they formulated and then executed their solar panel and energy audit project. After a fun and challenging project, they were able to showcase their hard work by discussing engineering and renewable energy with fellow students as they charged their devices from newly purchased solar panels! It was great to see the students recognized with Illinois Green’s Path to Zero Energy Award!