Chicago, July 16 -- The Women in Sustainability Alumnae Group is inviting nominations for the The Women in Sustainability Leadership Award (WSLA) by July 20. WSLA, sponsored by gb&d magazine’s, recognizes the women making a difference in the world through sustainability. The award was created by gb&d in 2014 to grow awareness, promote advancement, and support the development of women leaders. The award, now in its fifth year, is judged by gb&d magazine, members of the Women in Sustainability Leadership Alumnae group, and leadership at the USGBC.

During GreenBuild 2017, Rochelle Routman, Metroflor’s chief sustainability officer, spearheaded the formation of the WSLA Alumnae Group, comprised of past winners, to extend the impact of the WSLA by creating a formal network that would enable the women to collaborate and together create positive change in the world, specifically through mentorship. By empowering even more women to lead, WSLA Alumnae Group is leveraging its collective knowledge, power and experience to cultivate the next generation of sustainability leaders.

“The members of the Alumnae Group are passionate and accomplished women who are true visionaries,” said Routman. “They are also well organized and committed. Together, we have tremendous hope and excitement around the prospect of mentoring others in the sustainability field, and helping them succeed in their chosen role. This is truly a global effort, as we now have alumnae members representing several nations.”

The inaugural WSLA Alumnae Summit will be held in Chicago on November 13 coinciding with GreenBuild week as well as the fifth annual WSLA celebration, during which the 2018 class will be honored. A service project is also planned for the alumnae prior to the 2018 awards reception.

Several committees have already accomplished important steps toward achieving WSLA Alumnae Group’s mission statement: to advance sustainability by empowering women to lead. Communication platforms have been set in place on social media and through a database of all WSLA alumnae to engage them in the group’s mission; this will enable information sharing about job, career, and mentoring opportunities. Additionally, the USGBC (Los Angeles chapter) has agreed to be the WSLA Alumnae Group’s fiscal sponsor.

For more information, visit gbdmagazine.com.