Taryn Holowka, Director of Marketing and Communications, U.S. Green Building Council
Taryn Holowka is the consummate communications professional. During her seven-year tenure at the U.S. Green Building Council, Holowka has overseen an agenda that has tripled
the organization's membership and solidified its role as a leadership voice in the global sustainability movement. Strategic and methodical, Holowka's contributions have been key
to successfully carrying out the mission of the U.S. Green Building Council to educate and advocate for green building practices.
Under Holowka's leadership, USGBC's advertising campaigns have won several awards. Plus, the launch of four new Web sites, coupled with member communications efforts, have
caused a growth in membership ranks, from 10,000 organizations to 17,000+ in one year.
Being a new media advocate has paid enormous dividends for Holowka. She was responsible for making USGBC's Web site easier to navigate and more interactive. Holowka also
conceived the idea for greenbuild365, USGBC's online education portal that features videos and podcasts but also acts as a platform for webinars.
In addition, Holowka has contributed several articles to both in-house and trade publications; she has also counseled other departments on ways to use guerrilla marketing to
meet goals.
Honorable Mentions
Aaron Hurst, President and Founder, Taproot Foundation--Hurst's vision and leadership have expanded the pro bono movement beyond the legal profession and into the business
community, providing meaningful social impact. Thanks to Hurst, pro bono service is not just for lawyers anymore.
Theresa Kim, Director, Communications and Marketing, EngenderHealth--Kim successfully led EngenderHealth through a branding process that involved five media relations
campaigns, the publication of an award-winning annual report and the transformation of her organization's image. And she did all this on a limited budget and with her energy and
humor intact.