The appointment of Nicole to this new leadership position is an important step in accountability to the greater social good and service to our clients
newsstand
04.19.2023
OTJ Welcomes ESG, Wellness and Sustainability Director
OTJ Architects is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicole Keeler, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador, GRI Trained, ActiveScore AP, as Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG), Wellness and Sustainability Director. In this role, Nicole will work to advance ESG at all levels of our firm by leading the development of socially responsible operational practices while helping our design teams respond to growing regulatory requirements. Nicole will also lead the expansion of our wellness and sustainability service offerings across a rapidly growing geographic footprint.
In addition, Nicole will partner with OTJ’s DEIA Engagement Group and its co-chairs to further strategic, measurable, and time-based initiatives that support our commitment to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and industry. Nicole will also work to increase OTJ’s recruitment of minority and diverse staff members and serve as the firm’s DEIA ambassador to clients and the A/E/C community at large.
As a design and business partner of choice to progressive organizations nationwide, OTJ has long recognized the importance of action towards our own corporate social responsibility objectives and those of our clients. Adds CEO Lance Jaccard, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP: “Our clients and team members continue to ask important and sometimes difficult questions on issues of environmental stewardship, diversity, equity, and governance. The appointment of Nicole to this new leadership position is an important step in accountability to the greater social good and service to our clients.”
With more than 25 years of experience, Nicole is noted for her ability to craft multi-disciplinary solutions that quantifiably align trusted frameworks, reporting structures, and certification systems to the corporate responsibility goals of professional services firms and their clients. She is also a wellness and sustainability expert practitioner who has assisted organizations such as ADP, Bank of America, Citigroup, Hertz, and PepsiCo in realizing net operating gains through initiatives such as the development of sustainability business plans, GRI material topic analyses, as well as decarbonization, life cycle and net-zero impact assessments to name a few. Nicole is a sought-after speaker on the topics of environmental stewardship, healthy buildings, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as the sensitive repositioning of vacant structures for renewed relevance. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior and Environmental Design from Illinois State University and is currently pursuing an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
