01 October 2026
LEED Fellow Annoucement
Beyond Sustainability is proud to announce that its Managing Director, Sandra Friederike Bär, has been named a 2026 LEED Fellow by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
Sandra Bär is among 21 professionals from around the world selected for the 2026 class of LEED Fellows, representing nine countries and the global community of more than 220,000 LEED credential holders. The LEED Fellow designation recognises professionals who have demonstrated expert-level knowledge of LEED together with sustained leadership, commitment, service and impact in advancing green building practices.
More than certification
Sandra’s work with LEED spans more than 15 years and has been closely connected to the development of sustainable building practice in Greece.
Her LEED journey began with Karela Office Park, which became the first LEED-certified building in Greece in 2013. Since then, she has been involved in projects that have achieved a number of significant milestones for the Greek market, including the first LEED Platinum office building in Greece and, more recently, the first LEED Platinum building in Thessaloniki and the first LEED Platinum residential project in Greece.
Throughout this work, LEED has been used not simply as a certification target, but as a framework for bringing sustainability considerations into design, construction and building operation. This approach has included working closely with architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, developers and building users to turn LEED requirements into practical solutions that improve environmental performance, resource efficiency, health and wellbeing.
Building knowledge and strengthening the community
A central part of Sandra’s work has always been sharing knowledge. Over the years, she has provided training and mentoring to professionals entering the field, worked with project teams and manufacturers to improve their understanding of sustainable building requirements, collaborated with universities and students, and contributed to conferences and professional events across Greece.
This broader engagement reflects her view that the impact of LEED extends beyond individual buildings. Building the knowledge and capacity of the people involved in the built environment is essential to creating lasting change — helping sustainability become part of everyday decision-making rather than a requirement addressed only during certification.
Through Beyond Sustainability, Sandra continues this work across a growing portfolio of projects, supporting clients and project teams in integrating LEED and wider sustainability principles into new construction, renovation and residential developments.
Recognition by the global LEED community
The LEED Fellow programme is the highest recognition offered to professionals who have translated their LEED expertise into sustained leadership and measurable industry impact. Candidates are nominated by their peers and undergo an extensive review by a committee of current LEED Fellows before final approval by the GBCI Board of Directors.
“We are very pleased to see Sandra’s long-standing contribution to LEED and to the development of sustainable building practice recognised through the LEED Fellow designation. For Beyond Sustainability, this recognition reflects not only her professional experience, but also the importance she places on sharing knowledge and using sustainability as a means of creating better places for people and communities.”
The 2026 LEED Fellows will be formally recognised on October 21, 2026, in New York City, during the USGBC Leadership Awards Celebration held as part of Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.