Global Green USA’s 18th annual Millennium Awards rolled out the artificial turf carpet for attendees at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, California, on June 7.
As the American affiliate of Green Cross International, Global Green USA gathers every year to recognize achievements made in building, media, and public policy that further a global shift towards a sustainable future.
This year’s event welcomed guests including celebrities like Ed O’Neill of the TV show Modern Family, Matt Walsh of VEEP, and Dawn Olivieri from House of Lies. Many California state senators including Kevin DeLeon, Fran Pavley, and Carol Liu also joined in alongside the California state controller John Chiang and deputy mayor for budget and innovation Rick Cole.
Les McCabe is the new Global Green USA President and CEO. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Global Green USA
Defiant Whisky was served at the reception along with 360 Vodka. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Global Green USA
The festivities kicked off with a casual cocktail reception featuring drinks from 360 Vodka and Defiant Whisky, followed by a four-course meal that included farm fresh, organic ingredients like Arctic Char from Washington and flourless chocolate cake served with berries.The festivities kicked off with a casual cocktail reception featuring drinks from 360 Vodka and Defiant Whisky, followed by a four-course meal that included farm fresh, organic ingredients like Arctic Char from Washington and flourless chocolate cake served with berries.
The big news of the night came shortly thereafter with the announcement of Global Green’s new president, Les McCabe, who joined the organization from the nonprofit Institute for Shipboard Education in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he worked since 1987.
“Having conducted a national search for the past six months, we realized that Les was uniquely positioned to lead Global Green into its next 20 years, given his experience, passion, and vision for the organization,” Bob Bucklin, chair of the board of directors, said at the event.
Santa Monica’s Fairmont Hotel hosted the event. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Global Green USA
Singer Dana Williams performs during the ceremony. Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Global Green USA
Honorees of the night included president and CEO of NRG Energy David Crane, who won the Corporate Environmental Leadership Award, and Rick Fedrizzi, the president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, who was recognized with the Individual Environmental Leadership Award. Both Crane and Fedrizzi gave speeches about bringing more awareness to green initiatives across the country.
Other highlights included musician Dana Williams, who performed an acoustic set before the official program broke off into a live auction that raised funds for Global Green’s longstanding initiatives. Auction items included a vacation package at the Fairmont hotel, a tour of the set of TNT drama Major Crimes and the lavish 9-night adventure package to South Africa.
On the whole, the evening was a successful celebration of creating change and encouraging sustainability. “Our guests commented on how moved they were by the whole evening,” said Mary Luévano, interim executive director of Global Green USA, “from the stories of the honorees to learning more about what we can each do to green our own corner of the world.”
