ARLINGTON, VA -- The Flooring Sustainability Summit, taking place July 17 to 18, 2024 in Washington, D.C., will feature an impressive opening keynote panel of leading authorities from the architecture, interior design and green building community. This esteemed panel will set the stage for the first-of-its-kind summit aimed at facilitating productive and insightful discussion of sustainability and green building practices. 

• Alexander Cochran, Esq., chief advocacy officer, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
   Prior to AIA, Cochran served as advisor to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton Administration. More recently, he served as Special Counsel to the Governor of New York State, where he oversaw federal and state government affairs policy experts and co-conceived the governor led US Climate Alliance. 
• Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO, International Interior Design Association (IIDA)
   With 15,000 members across 58 countries, Durst oversees the strategic direction of IIDA, heading its International Board and setting an agenda that leads the industry in creating community, advancing advocacy, and continuing decades of work toward equity. She is a member of the International WELL Building Institute Governance Council and the first African American woman inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. She hosts The Skill Set podcast and has been referred to by Interior Design magazine as “an ambassador for innovation and expansion, and a visionary strategist.”
• Peter Templeton, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
   For 25 years, Templeton has worked to accelerate global adoption of practices that enhance human health, environmental well-being and quality of life for all. He joined USGBC to direct the launch of the LEED Rating System, which has become the most widely used and respected green building program in the world. He served as president and CEO of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute from 2018 to 2021, and he is a board member of the World Green Building Council and Sustentabilidad para Mexico (SUMe).
• Vicki Worden, president & CEO, Green Building Initiative (GBI)
   At GBI, an international nonprofit dedicated to improving the impact of buildings on climate and society, Worden has spearheaded the creation of a decarbonization rating system for commercial buildings (Green Globes Journey to Net Zero program). A member of Women Executives in Building and former Chair of the National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council, Worden has supported industries, corporations, government agencies and international nonprofits in progressing sustainability goals. 

Eventgoers will gain insights on the latest developments in flooring sustainability, with focused discussions on green building standardization, health and material reporting, embodied carbon and more.