The challenge
USGBC-NCC was launching a bold new initiative to reframe green building as a public health issue. The Building Health Initiative brought together a coalition of 40 leading companies and institutions, spanning real estate, healthcare, tech, and policy, to shift industry thinking, change procurement practices, and elevate the urgency of healthy environments. The initiative needed a communications strategy that could cut across sectors and bring new energy, clarity, and credibility to this important evolution in the green building movement.
The strategy
I led the strategic communications approach for the initiative, working closely with USGBC-NCC and our client leads to develop the messaging framework and launch roadmap, then managing execution across media engagement, content development, and partnership alignment.
We began by anchoring the narrative in a powerful premise: green buildings should support human health, not just environmental performance. That message became the backbone of the media and event strategy, positioning the Building Health Initiative as a national model for what happens when public health, sustainability, and business come together to drive systemic change. The campaign launched with the inaugural Building Health Forum, which brought 275+ health, sustainability, and design leaders to San Francisco for a first-of-its-kind event exploring the intersection of building systems, materials, equity, and well-being.
The outcome
- Positioned BHI as a pioneering effort that reframed green building as a public health movement
- Successfully launched the Building Health Forum, drawing hundreds of cross-sector leaders and establishing national visibility for the initiative
- Strengthened USGBC-NCC's brand as a convener and change-maker within the broader sustainability ecosystem
- Created a lasting communications platform that aligned coalition members and supported ongoing storytelling around healthy design, procurement, and community wellness