the power of common-sense sustainability:
health + people
We all want to be great stewards of society, business, our lives, and the world.
But where is the easy button?
Sustainability efforts often feel overwhelming with seemingly high costs, conflicting priorities, or unclear ROI. In a world of many shades of green, this session brings clarity, helping participants grasp complexities without feeling overloaded. It also helps design professionals navigate today’s political climate around sustainability and its impact on client expectations and workplace priorities. Attendees gain insight into frameworks, best practices, tools, and resources to apply common-sense sustainability in spaces where people live, work, and thrive. Blending storytelling and actionable insights, this session equips participants with tangible strategies to drive sustainable transformation in their domains.
Key Learning Objectives
- Identify key areas of complexity and contradiction when integrating sustainability into design
- Explore the unique challenges faced in creating sustainable spaces
- Discover innovative, common-sense approaches to sustainability that balance health and environmental impact
- Equip ourselves with best practices and resources you can apply to your next project — and even in your own life
“Her demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter was only surpassed by her ability to connect with the audience and move them to return to their campuses and immediately begin work on their sustainability efforts. Her obvious enthusiasm and commitment to the community are contagious.”
Victor R. Clements, The University Financing Foundation
Holley is the author of Becoming a Green Building Professional (Wiley). A frequent speaker on sustainable design, she has inspired hundreds of groups through keynotes, presentations, and training sessions on a wide range of eco and health topics. Her audiences include ASID GATHER, Greenbuild, IFMA World Workplace, NeoCon, the Hospitality & Design Conference, CBRE World Conference, and many more professional associations and corporations (full list available upon request). Holley also brings deep expertise as a charter member of the original National USGBC LEED Faculty and served as an ASID Distinguished Speaker during the program’s tenure.
Engage Holley for your next keynote or training session. Here are key topics that are requested again and again. Each of these presentations can be given as a keynote (30-90 minutes) or as a workshop (half or full day). Custom presentations, including continuing education (CE) courses, are available upon request.
other popular keynotes + training topics:
next gen green:
resilient roots, adaptive futures
As challenges evolve, the future demands moving beyond sustainability to embrace transformative adaptation. This session explores sustainability’s evolution, sharing lessons and strategies for next-level green adaptation. Through storytelling, data, and practical guidance, attendees will gain tools to create resilient, sustainable spaces. They will leave inspired and ready to apply these insights professionally and personally.
“Holley was highly recommended by other professionals in the field of Sustainability. Holley was engaging, professional and widely praised for her presentation. We would certainly hire Holley again!”
David May, Wilsonart International
leading with purpose:
nourishing entrepreneurial cultures
This session explores entrepreneurial vision, career growth, and firm culture to empower leaders in the design industry. Attendees will gain strategies for motivational leadership, professional development, and career advancement. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, participants will uncover insights to build resilient, dynamic careers and teams.
“Who could forget the inspiring words of Holley Henderson at our mid-year meeting in San Antonio?”
Margo Street, LEED Green Associate, Manager, Community Advancement, U.S.Green Building Council
manufacturer motivator:
make green work for you
Over the years, several manufacturers have reached out looking for an all-encompassing program that can speak to their management, sales, marketing, technical and customer service teams. In response to those requests, we have developed this presentation to be customized for your product niche. Discover in this course how your product relates to green and how to discuss it with your clients. This presentation can be offered to the entire company with or without individual breakout sessions with specific team members as needed. Here are some outcomes you can expect:
- Position ahead of the green building requirements curve
- Practical approach to telling your green story in concert with understanding the competition’s
- Galvanize your team (Tech + Sales + Customer Service) to feel confident in eco-discussions
career calling:
green building professional
We are all students in life – constantly learning. Green can be integrated into any career. Your audience may be college students in search of their career start line or building practitioners who wants to shift lanes this presentation discusses the process of becoming a green building professional. Holley is the author of the book, Becoming a Green Building Professional recently published by John Wiley & Sons. She shares lessons learned and tools from over 300 interviews discussing pros/cons, education options and where the jobs are. Here are some outcomes you can expect:
- Leapfrog your career into the green realm with best tips for interviews and resumes
- How to transform your current position into an eco-role
- What you need to know before you get into the green business to determine the best fit
tips, tricks & land mines in the field of green building certifications
For those who are entrenched in green building certifications such as LEED projects and need higher level insight from a road warrior, this is the presentation for you. With over 4 million square feet of LEED certified spaces globally, this presentation offers inspirational insight from bumps, bruises and lessons learned along the way. Here are some outcomes you can expect:
- Best practices in communication for an integrative team
- Common pitfalls and how to navigate over, under, around and through them
- Detailed plan of attack and handy toolbox for best results
“You were terrific…and we all appreciate your talent, your intellect and your delightful personality.”
Jerome M. Cooper, FAIA, Chairman, Cooper Carry
