IWBI’s National Policy Summit Charts the Future of Healthy Buildings

In partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, IWBI and over a dozen supporting organizations—including AAFA, AIHA, ASHRAE, BOMA, Global Green, Green Building Initiative, Green Seal, ICC, IFMA, NEMA, NIBS and USGBC—spotlight policy as a catalyst for scaling healthy buildings and creating healthier communities

Event features nearly 30 confirmed speakers—from a former U.S. Surgeon General, a distinguished member of Congress, an award-winning journalist, to top leaders from ASHRAE, GRESB, USGBC, JLL, UL Solutions, Brown University, Corvias, Aeroseal, Johns Hopkins University, Savills 
and Trane Technologies

NEW YORKA, August 13, 2025 /3BL/ - The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, is proud to host its second annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on September 29. This landmark, full-day event is dedicated to exploring the critical role of policy at all levels of government in transforming workplaces, buildings and cities to improve health, build resilience and foster thriving communities.

“Building on our momentum from last year’s inaugural event, this year’s Healthy Building Policy Summit dives deeper into critical areas — from indoor air quality to innovation and private sector leadership — showing how we are doubling down on the policies and partnerships that can turn every building into a force for well-being for everyone, everywhere,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon.

By convening a dynamic cross-section of policymakers, public health experts, private sector innovators, and government leaders, the Summit aims to accelerate bold ideas and actionable policies that advance health through the built environment. “We’re excited to host this policy summit at a moment when decisions on human health are being treated as a core performance metric for public and private places across the built environment,” said Uwe S. Brandes, Professor and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, which is hosting the event at the McCourt School of Public Policy on its Capitol Campus. “We'll be exploring how policy, planning, and investment decisions at all jurisdictional levels enhance and protect human health in our buildings and cities."

The Summit will focus on critical topics and timely issues impacting the built environment including indoor air quality, the evidence-based return on investment (ROI) of healthy buildings, as well as the influence of legislation on market transformation. Other key topics include access to healthy environments, the leadership role of cities and states, and the contribution of professional organizations and technical standards in advancing healthy building initiatives.

An impressive lineup of nearly 30 speakers are confirmed, including:

• Dr. Richard Carmona, M.D., MPH, FACS. 17th Surgeon General of the United States
• Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI
• Congressman Paul D. Tonko. D-NY 20th District, U.S. House of Representatives
• Christopher King, Dean, School of Health, Georgetown University
• Holly Paeper, President of Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies
• William McQuade, President, ASHRAE
• Erin Billups, National Health Reporter, Spectrum News
• Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, GRESB
• Tanya Eagle, Director of Sustainable Buildings, JLL
• Georgia Lagoudas, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Brown University School of Public Health
• Kazukiyo (Kazu) Kumagai, Chief of the Air Quality Section, California Department of Public Health
• Erika Heet, Editor-In-Chief, BuildingGreen
• Elizabeth Beardsley, Senior Policy Counsel, U.S. Green Building Council
• Uwe Brandes, Professor, Director of the Urban & Regional Planning Program and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, Georgetown University
• Seydina Fall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Planetary Health, Johns Hopkins University
• Wendy Feldman Block, Executive Managing Director, Savills, Inc.
• Denise Hauck, President, Department of Defense (DOD) Division, Corvias
• Sean McCrady, Vice President, Software and Advisory, UL Solutions
• Dr. Serene Almomen, CEO, Co-Founder, Attune
• Rachel Kohli, Director of Campus Planning, Georgetown University
• Trisha Miller, Vice President, Policy and Market Development, Aeroseal
• Whitney Austin Gray, SVP, Research, IWBI
• Susan Chung, Associate Director, Enterprise Research, Vice President, HKS
• Jonathan Gritz, SVP, Energy Solutions, WellStat
• Jason Hartke, EVP, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI

This year’s Summit is supported by leading companies committed to advancing health in buildings. Principal sponsors include Trane Technologies, Aeroseal, UL Solutions and Attune, whose leadership and commitment help make the event possible. The event is also supported by Associate sponsors SafeTraces and Vogel Group, with Daikin serving as host for the Summit’s evening reception. Lutron and WellStat are joining as WELL Summit Series Gold sponsors.

"We now know unequivocally that our buildings are foundational to our health, shaping how we live, work and connect. By positioning them to actively promote well-being, we can unlock a healthier future for everyone," said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States. "The Healthy Building Policy Summit is a signature gathering where we can come together to explore the accelerants that will take these strategies to scale in communities across the country."

“We have a chance to get ahead — to shape the future of our workplaces, buildings and communities through smart policy, effective programs and more strategic use of the vast public funds being directed into our buildings over the next decade,” said Jason Hartke, Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit is the only national gathering dedicated to charting that future and shaping policies and priorities that will deliver on our ambitious healthy building agenda. I’m honored to be partnering with Georgetown and an extraordinary coalition of supporting organizations, industry leaders and media partners, showing that the strongest leadership comes through partnership.”

"Research is the bridge between what we know works for health and how we put it into practice," said Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research, IWBI. “We know that investing in health in the built environment delivers returns far beyond well-being, from stronger business performance to greater community resilience. The Policy Summit is a unique opportunity to showcase the evidence that makes the business case, equipping policymakers to shape the future of healthy building policy."

The event also includes several Supporting Organizations, including American Industrial Hygiene Association, ASHRAE, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, BOMA International, Global Green, Green Seal, International Codes Council, International Facilities Management Association, ISSA - Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, National Institute of Building Sciences, and U.S. Green Building Council. In addition, the Summit’s Media Partners include BuildingGreen, FacilitiesNet and Buildings Magazine.

What Our Supporters are Saying

“Advancing health in buildings is becoming a clear priority for organizations around the world,” said Scott Tew, Vice President, Sustainability and Managing Director, Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Trane Technologies. "We’re proud to support the Healthy Building Policy Summit because it is moving this critical conversation forward and reshaping how we coalesce around policy solutions to ramp up building-scale interventions that improve health and well-being, boost productivity and strengthen our businesses.”

“Collectively, we have the technologies and scientific knowledge—many of them readily available and capable of transforming workplaces and organizations so they can better invest in their people,” said Sean McCrady, Vice President, Software and Advisory, UL Solutions. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit provides an opportunity to break down barriers and build a future where healthy indoor spaces are the norm.”

“The Healthy Building Policy Summit gives us the opportunity to deliver high-performance building solutions in collaboration with stakeholders across the country,” said Trisha Miller, Vice President, Policy and Market Development, Aeroseal. “Fortunately, we’re seeing an important convergence where health, energy efficiency and building resilience are coming together, so we can support these shared priorities at once.”

For more information and to register for the event, visit IWBI’s Summit registration page.

WELL’s accelerating global reach reflects the growing momentum for policies that prioritize healthier spaces worldwide. Last month, global growth and adoption of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) surged to more than 6 billion square feet (557.4 million square meters) of real estate, demonstrating incredible market adoption spanning nearly 100,000 locations across 138 countries that are realizing the positive impacts of people-first places.

About the International WELL Building Institute

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative

The Georgetown Global Cities Initiative reaches across the entire University community to

explore cross-cutting themes related to urbanization. Through this dialogue, Georgetown aims to align more than 60 faculty scholars and practitioners engaged in urban research who are not otherwise linked through their traditional academic disciplines. The Initiative matches Georgetown’s international research networks with our civic role as a leading local anchor institution in Washington, DC. Research themes include social equity, rapid urbanization, city diplomacy; urban governance frameworks; social entrepreneurship; public health; technology, data and ethics; and changing environmental resources. We invite you to join us in dialogue as we engage one of the most important global trends in the 21st Century.

Media Contacts:
media@wellcertified.com
globalcities@georgetown.edu

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