Photo courtesy NIBS
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) elected Anne M. Ellis, PE, Hon.MACI, FASCE, MNAC, executive director with the Charles Pankow Foundation, as the first woman to serve as chair of its board of directors.
Ellis will serve along several new officers which include:
- Thomas H. Phoenix, Sr., PE, FASHRAE, LEED-AP, CPL Architects and Engineers, PC, as vice-chair;
- Darrell X. Rounds, FMA, CEM., Operations Group Manager, General Motors, as treasurer; and
- Charlie (Chuck) D. Curlin, Jr., PE, CEM, CPD, principal with Shultz Engineering Group, as Secretary.
NIBS also elected three new board members, including Sez Atamturktur Russcher, PhD, head of the department of architectural engineering, college of engineering with Penn State University; Fiona Cousins, PE, LEED Fellow, an Arup Fellow and member of Arup’s Group and Americas Region Boards; and Sandra Benson, worldwide head of engineering, construction, and real estate with Amazon Web Services. The new board term starts October 1.
“We recognize the need to improve diversity and inclusion in leadership roles in this industry, and this year’s nominations process was a step in the right direction,” said Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, NIBS president. “The skillset and knowledge these new board members bring to the table will increase our ability to serve the needs of the nation’s building industry.”
This new slate, along with the four board members recently appointed by President Biden and submitted to the U.S. Senate for approval, will put NIBS in a strong position moving forward, the organization said in a press release.
The NIBS board comprises 21 members. The U.S. president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints six members to represent the public interest. The remaining 15 members are elected from the country’s building community and include both public interest representatives and industry voices.
