HORSHAM, PA, October 18, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Roxanna Lopez, an Operations Manager in LRA Worldwide's Quality Assurance Practice, has passed the Tier 1 accreditation exam offered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) arm of the U.S. Green Building Council. By passing the exam, Lopez earned her LEED Green Associate credentials.
As sustainable operational practices become increasingly important in the lodging industry, Lopez will work to integrate "green" standards into existing LRA client quality assurance programs. The consultants in LRA's Quality Assurance practice currently conduct nearly 13,000 property evaluations in a given year.
"As more of our clients are looking to add 'sustainable' operational practices into their brand standards, it was important that LRA be equipped to add value to this process," explained John Roberto, a Senior Vice President at LRA and Managing Director of the firm's Quality Assurance practice. "Roxanna had a strong foundation in environmentally sustainable hotel operations to begin with, and the LEED accreditation process will only further her expertise."
In addition, Lopez will serve as the operational lead for LRA's partnership in Green Key Global, a graduated ranking, certification and inspection program designed to recognize hotels, motels and resorts for their commitment to sustainable "green" operations. Green Key, a joint venture with the Hotel Association of Canada, launched in the United States last month and currently has more than 1,200 members in North America.
"Though Green Key will provide members a financial and marketing return, it is an environmental program, first and foremost," said Tony Pollard, President of the Hotel Association of Canada, founders of Green Key. "Roxanna's LEED credentials will ensure that Green Key remains a cutting-edge program, representing the most relevant best practices in sustainable tourism."
The revised LEED Professional Accreditation process now begins with the LEED Green Associate exam; this Tier 1 exam is comprised of 100 questions, with topics covering Energy & Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental, Material Resources, Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency. Lopez is currently studying for Tier 2 exam, which will designate her as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), with a specialty in Existing Building Operations & Maintenance.
About LRA Worldwide:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.
In LRA's 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question - "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, the PGA TOUR, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at http://www.LRAworldwide.com or look for our brand new listing in the http://www.gbci.org professional directory.
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