“People have always been at the heart of green buildings and this year’s LEED Fellows represent an important group of professionals who play a vital role in shaping the future of our work,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, GBCI and the U.S. Green Building Council. “These Fellows have used LEED to deliver on key sustainability goals that have the power to improve lives and create healthier buildings and communities for us all to enjoy. Their work has contributed to the continued growth of LEED and green buildings around the world and we’re stronger because of their dedication and commitment to a better future.”

Perez is one of DLR Group’s sustainable design experts working out of the Orlando, Fla. office, and serves as a national resource on LEED, Green Globes, and Architecture 2030 project planning and certification processes. She leads integrated design teams through sustainable strategies particularly within the K-12 and Higher Education Studios.

LEED Fellows are nominated by their peers and must have made at least 10 years’ worth of exceptional impact on LEED, and hold an active LEED AP with specialty credential, among other requirements. The evaluation process includes extensive portfolio review and is carried out by the LEED Fellow Evaluation Committee and supported by GBCI. The LEED Fellow program was established in 2011 to recognize outstanding LEED APs who have demonstrated exceptional impacts and advocacy with LEED with proven outcomes.

The 2019 LEED Fellows will be recognized at this year’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo during the USGBC Leadership Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at the LEED-certified Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.