What Two Years Can Do

In looking at stats prior to our first Leadership Summit on Sustainability in 2002, we published the following states as having the fewest LEED-accredited professionals.

In looking at stats prior to our first Leadership Summit on Sustainability in 2002, we published the following states as having the fewest LEED-accredited professionals. In 2002, the bottom 10 were: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi and West Virginia.
As of July 2004, the following states had the lowest population of LEED-accredited professionals:

New Hampshire 21

Montana 17

Delaware 13

Mississippi 13

Rhode Island 8

South Dakota 4

Wyoming 4

West Virginia 3

Louisiana 3

North Dakota 2

According to July totals provided by the USGBC, there are roughly 7,665 accredited professionals in the U.S.; 1,044 in Canada and about 13 members from other points abroad.

Which states have the highest number of LEED-qualified individuals? Of course, state population is a big driver, but the most recent count is as follows:

California 1,567

Washington 669

New York 527

Texas 505

Massachusetts 469

Colorado 423

Pennsylvania 422

Georgia 404

Illinois 383

Virginia 365

Membership from British Columbia would fall at number six on the “state” list, with 432 LEED-accredited professionals.

The www.usgbc.org site provides information about certification, accreditation, workshops and membership, which now stands at more than 4,000 organizations. It’s interesting to note some of the first firms and corporations to join, among them William McDonough + Partners (1993); the Joslyn Castle Institute (‘96); HOK (‘96); Target Stores (‘97); RTKL (‘96); Miller/Hull Partnership (‘96); HOK (‘96); Arup (‘97); the City of Austin (‘96); Turner Construction Company (‘97); Cesar Pelli Associates (‘96); and the Rocky Mountain Institute (‘97).
Source: USGBC