Daniel A. Huard Takes Global GreenTag Deeper Into the Health Space

Together with his appointment with Global GreenTag (operator of one of the world's most advanced product certification standards), Daniel A. Huard is ready to help further champion health in the built environment, go deeper into the health space and roll up his sleeves higher.

Known in American green building industry circles as the 'Godfather of Sustainability,' Daniel Huard is never shy nor tired of living up to the title that has been affectionately bestowed upon him. In November, the Las Vegas based global sustainability expert and new CEO of Global GreenTag Americas stepped into another new key position. In addition to being a WELL Accredited Professional, he was elevated to the prestigious WELL Faculty of the International WELL™ Building Institute.

"In 2019, as CEO of Global GreenTag Americas and in alignment with WELL's mission to advance health and wellbeing in buildings globally, I will be giving considerable focus to help develop greater awareness in the market about what constitutes a healthy building and explore ways to reach and educate a much expanded market than goes the green building market, and inspire more product manufacturers to the cause as well." There is a greater need more than ever, Huard says, to highlight the critical role of product intelligence and certification to make wiser and healthier material choices, especially in a construction market that has been steadily growing since 2011 and is expected to climb again from 2019.

"Ultimately, people spend a significant amount of their lives in both working and living environments, and materials are the constituents, they are the building blocks of every project. It makes great business sense to prioritise health, wellness and safety and accordingly choose healthier, certified selections of materials along the whole supply chain – and over riskier, business as usual products that can be costlier in the longer term. For a smart and sustainable project design to be fulfilled, intelligent product decisions need to be made and really there is no escaping that fact."

Backed with degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, a Masters of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huard has contributed to numerous US domestic and international High‐Performance Building, Sustainable and Restorative Development projects. He says that it is a great privilege and opportunity to be working with the strong alignment that exists between WELL and Global GreenTag, whose product certification standard and **Product Health Declaration (the Global GreenTag PhD™) is formally recognized by the International WELL™ Building Institute. He adds:

"It will be a great challenge to help many more healthy buildings to spring up in the Americas and Globally. In essence and practice, the Global GreenTag Standard is beautifully aligned to the vision and mission of WELL. Now with WELL version 2 rolled out it is going to be an exciting journey to see how much further we can go to champion and help to accelerate and mainstream healthier buildings and the uptake of certified, healthier products."

In addition to his roles with WELL, Huard also holds an impressive position as one of 283 LEED Fellows in the world, as well as a dozen other professional designations. He is also a member of the USGBC's LEED Technical Committee, contributing to the development of LEED v4, more recently the beta version of LEED v4.1 and planned future LEED V5 Standards. Daniel also is Chairperson of the LEED Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group.

Read more about the Global GreenTag PhD and how to apply

** Of added interest for manufacturers thinking about a GreenTag PhD, Global GreenTag is now also offering a sequence of HealthRATE™ TAGS that make visible a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum 'Healthiness in Use' rating under a unique new HealthRATE™ system – designed to enable consumers and all end users make quick, safe, reliable and healthy product choices.

Read more about Global GreenTag HealthRATE™

DANIEL HUARD

A lifelong learning proponent, Daniel has long been a sought-after Green Building expert. Beyond his professional degrees in the fields of architecture, mechanical engineering and urban planning, Daniel holds multiple other professional accreditations including: LEED AP O+M as well as LEED AP BD+C from Green Business Certification Inc. and was elevated to LEED Fellow in 2017, PMP from Project Management Institute, Living Future Accredited from International Living Future Institute, GGA, GGP and GPCP from Green Building Initiative, WELL Faculty and WELL AP from the International WELL Building Institute in addition to ASHRAE Commissioning Process Management Professional.

Daniel's body of work and advocacy in green building goes back over 20 years – and beyond. From a beginning as He started as an Engineer with General Motors performing Environmental Compliance Reporting in 1989 andDaniel has continued this dedication and focus with every organization desirous of demonstrating environmental leadership since.

In 1998, Daniel drilled down his passion for green development, becoming the Founding Principal of Humann Building Solutions, a registered Professional Engineering firm in which he has led restorative development work on diverse specialty purpose facility projects to design and construct buildings and infrastructure for improved sustainability, efficiency and operability. His global project expertise includes offices, resort and hospitality buildings, government facilities, museums, cultural, education facilities and sustainable improvements to historical restorations and landmarks.

Beyond providing Executive and Operational Level Program Management, Facilitation, Planning, Project Management and Administration, since 2001 Daniel has also served as a Corporate and Organizational Governance Expert, incorporating Organizational Best Practices into Leadership, Organizational, Operational Structure and Strategic Planning. He has provided his professional expertise in sustainability to numerous international events as well, including Greenbuild, WaterBuild, Living Future unConference, WaterSmart Innovations, Advanced Energy Conference, Energy Management Congress, CAPAC and Global Gaming Expo to name a few.

Daniel also has an ongoing commitment to mentoring, service and leadership within the green building industry, contributing in an ongoing basis to the National Fenestration Council, International WELL Building Institute, Association of Energy Engineers, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‐Conditioning Engineers, USGBC Nevada, USGBC Western Regional Council and USGBC National and as well founded the Las Vegas Valley Living Building Challenge Collaborative serving as Nevada's ILFI Ambassador.

In addition, Daniel has also served as a former League of Indian Nations of North America Ambassador to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where he focused on international sustainability programs, social and educational programs and native rights recognition and advocacy.