About Us
U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter
Welcome to the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter: Illinois’ Green Building Community. The Illinois Chapter’s 1,600-plus members represent the entire spectrum of Illinois’ green building community, from real estate professions, architects, engineers, and designers, to contractors, product 
manufacturers, state and local government officials, homebuilders and homeowners.
The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter is the local affiliate of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a national non-profit composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED® provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle.
The USGBC-Illinois Chapter furthers the work of USGBC through a variety of programs, events, educational and research initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and resources for the local green building community. Annually, the Chapter offers over 100 events and programs for its members and the general public.
Mission of the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter
The U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter is a nonprofit membership driven organization that advances buildings and communities that are sustainable, prosperous and healthy. We achieve this through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
Branches
The Illinois Chapter’s service region covers all of Illinois, excluding metro St. Louis. To better serve our members throughout the Chicagoland region, the Chapter has established four suburban branches to bring programs and resources to various parts of our service region. The Chapter’s existing suburban branches include: Fox Valley (Aurora, St. Charles, Elgin, Geneva, Batavia, etc.); North/Northwest Suburban (Arlington Heights, Evanston, Gurnee, Northbrook, etc.), West Suburban (Lisle, Oak Park, Schaumburg, Wheaton, etc.), and South Suburban (Forest Park, Joliet, Kankakee, Palos Hills, etc.).
In addition, the Chapter consolidated with the Central Illinois Chapter to create one USGBC Chapter in Illinois that now serves the majority of the state, excluding the Metro East communities and counties which are served by the St. Louis Regional Chapter. The Central Illinois Branch focuses on the Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, and Springfield areas. The Chapter is interested in starting additional branches throughout the state.
The Chapter’s newest branch is the Rockford/Northern IL Branch which was established in June 2009. The Rockford/Northern Illinois Branch serves the North and Northwest portions of the state including: Rockford, DeKalb, and Quad Cities regions.
For more information on the Chapter’s existing branches, or for information on starting a branch in your area, please visit the branch section of the web site.
Committees
The Chapter’s skilled and diverse membership is its most valuable asset. Our members participate in a variety of committees that develop programs and events for various segments of the region’s green building community and/or assist the Chapter in a variety of operational functions that help us achieve our goals. Committees include: Education and Research, Residential Green Building, State and Local Government, Green Schools, Public Relations, Membership, Emerging Professionals, Finance, Fundraising, and Governance. The committee section of the web site explores committees in further detail.
Programs
Annually, the Chapter offers over 150 events, program, and resources throughout the region, including:
• Tours of green buildings
• Policy-related roundtable discussions
• Monthly workshops that explore LEED points and concepts in practice
• LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) study sessions
• Application-based training for contractors and tradespersons
• Regional networking and social events
• Regional speakers’ bureau that brings green building awareness to local government and community groups
• Collaborative programs with other professional and non-profit organizations
• A variety of resources to help make high performance green building the standard in the region
For a complete listing of Chapter programs and events, please see the Events Calendar section.
Membership
Chapter membership is geared towards individuals. Companies or organizations join the national USGBC, while individuals join Chapters. There are three types of local Chapter membership: Regular Chapter Membership, USGBC Member Discount, and Full-time Student Discount. To join the Chapter or to learn more about Chapter membership, please visit the membership section of the web site.
To learn more about national USGBC membership for companies and organizations, visit the membership section of the USGBC web site.
State of the Chapter
At our Annual Chapter Business Meeting, Doug Widener our Executive Director , presented our 2011 State of the Chapter. If you were unable to attend, or are interested in learning more about our Chapter’s activities in 2011, please click here. Please check back for updates about our 2012 State of the Chapter.
Awards and Achievements
The USGBC-Illinois Chapter has received several local, regional, and national awards including:
USGBC Chapter Award of Excellence – Community (Large Chapter) – 2009
USGBC Chapter Award of Excellence – Organizational Excellence (Large Chapter) – 2008
Shore Bank Green Neighbor Award – 2008
USGBC Heartland Regional Award – 2008 – Promoting LEED
USGBC Chapter Award of Excellence – Education (Large Chapter) – 2006
Press Releases
For the latest information on the Chapter and its programs, check out our PR and News section
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a specific question about the Chapter, USGBC, LEED, or the LEED AP Exam, check out our Frequently Asked Questions section.
