Company
Our Vision
Businesses worldwide will recognize the environmental and economic value of abiding by environmental laws and business practices.
Our Mission
The mission of the Green Business Bureau is to foster environmental awareness among businesses and promote business practices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially beneficial. We serve as a national third-party program that provides certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices.
We are firmly committed to these values and continuously seek to carry out our mission by:
- Serving both businesses and consumers by providing a trusted nationwide program for green businesses certification
- Supporting green businesses by recognizing their commitment to environmental responsibility
- Helping increase the visibility of green-certified businesses in the marketplace
- Promoting commerce and consumer loyalty to green businesses
- Guiding green businesses to reach their goals by providing a program of realistic initiatives that yield tangible benefits
- Developing a collaborative forum that encourages members to share their accomplishments and seek support from other green businesses
- Keeping our members informed about the latest environmental news and regulations that affect their businesses.
The Green Business Bureau is the place to turn to for the latest initiatives your business can take to become increasingly environmentally friendly. We provide unbiased standards and work diligently to give our members all the resource help they need to accomplish these tasks.
The Green Business Bureau is a trusted seal in the marketplace that says you are green – your customers and vendors will recognize and be encouraged to do business with you.
How It Started
The Green Business Bureau was started by a group of environmental and business professionals that recognized a need in the marketplace for a national, trusted, certification for small to medium sized businesses related to their business practices.
In these tough economic times, businesses are looking to not only protect the environment but also participate in the benefits of reduced energy and material costs. Being good to the environment is good for business. And the Green Business Bureau helps businesses excel and share their success along both dimensions.
While there are other certifications for green buildings (such as LEED) and for green products, there was not a robust system to help businesses go green step by step and gain credibility in the marketplace. That is why the Green Business Bureau was created.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
The GBB executive team brings years of experience in operations, sales and marketing:
Marcos Cordero, Co-Founder, CEO. Marcos is a LEED Accredited Professional and has experience in the environmental and solar photovoltaic industries. Marcos joined the entrepreneurial ranks after a successful career in management consulting; he was a Manager in the Strategy and Operations Group at Deloitte Consulting, a top-tier management consulting group where he worked with Fortune 500 clients on their most challenging business issues. His studies include an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a mechanical engineering degree from MIT.
Ami Almquist, PR and Media Relations Director. Ami serves as media relations specialist for GBB. She maintains a background in public relations, with more than seven year experience in media and public relations. With a degree in Communications with emphasis in PR, Ami has served positions such as PR account manager for a PR Boutique in Houston; associate editor for a medical publication and has completed several freelance projects both locally and nationally. Ami uses her experience to assist GBB members with gaining recognition in their media markets, as well as nationwide, by recognizing business strategies as they relate to various media outlets.
Jamie Clem, Member Services Director. Jamie Clem joined the Green Business Bureau Team in June 2009. Initially in a sales/business development capacity, taking excellent care of GBB’s members has always been important to Jamie, thus moving from sales to after-sales service was a natural transition. As GBB’s Member Services Director, Ms. Clem brings more than a decade of documented success to this vital role. A citizen of the world, Jamie was born in Holland and educated in Singapore and Scotland. She has a BA from Oklahoma Baptist University in Radio, TV and Film.
Katherine McGraw Patterson, Marketing Director. Katherine offers expertise and knowledge gained over 20 years’ experience in marketing for professional services firms. Katherine has specialized in the needs of small businesses and startups since 1999, when she established an independent consulting service in Hong Kong. After several years of success in the international market, Katherine returned to the U.S. in 2002, where she applied this critical experience in addressing the marketing needs of small businesses here in the U.S. Katherine brings this expertise to GBB, where she is responsible for assisting business members market their green status to consumers.
Jay Sullivan, VP Business Development. Jay has over 16 years of experience, including 10+ years in High Tech. Jay has led National and Global Sales and Marketing organizations at Fortune 500 companies, including AMD and Dell. Jay has also worked in and managed other functional areas such as Accounting, Finance, and Operations. Jay has previous experience in start-up companies and his Entrepreneurial spirit runs deep. Jay has an undergraduate degree in Finance along with his MBA.
Frank Vega, Co-Founder, Sales and Marketing Advisor. Founder and President of NSS since its inception in October, 2001. Prior to launching NSS, Mr. Vega founded several other marketing companies, the most recent of which, Monsterbook.com, was sold to Transmedia Asia Pacific in May 2000. Mr. Vega has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida. Mr. Vega is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and currently holds the position of President for the Houston chapter.
