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Kate Holly earns inaugural USGBC Emerging Leader Award
The award recognizes Kate’s growing impact on sustainability leadership and the green building industry.
Kate Holly, WELL AP, LEED AP, sustainability manager at Salas O’Brien, earned one of the inaugural Emerging Leader Awards from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) at the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.
The award honors rising professionals who are advancing sustainability through leadership, innovation, and industry involvement. Kate’s recognition speaks to her commitment to creating healthier, more sustainable built environments and supporting the continued growth of the green and healthy building movement.
At Salas O’Brien, Kate helps clients advance sustainability goals through thoughtful planning and high-performance building strategies. Her work emphasizes collaboration and practical solutions that improve building performance while supporting long-term environmental impact.
Kate is currently supporting her office’s WELL recertification, which is on track for completion later this summer, while also managing ongoing efforts like water testing and air quality sampling throughout the year. This work is especially meaningful to her, as it strengthens her team’s ability to advise clients and speak firsthand to the impact and feasibility of wellness and sustainability strategies.
Kate’s passion for sustainability began early in her career as a Green Building Intern at Middlebury College, where she helped update the university’s sustainability standards to reflect evolving environmental commitments. Since then, she has remained deeply engaged in the industry, serving as Auxiliary Board Co-Chair for the Illinois Green Alliance and volunteering to bring sustainability professionals together through regional educational and networking events.
This recognition by USGBC reflects both the impact of Kate’s work and the leadership she brings to the field. At Salas O’Brien, she continues to help shape a more sustainable built environment while strengthening the next generation of green building professionals.