PRESS RELEASE
Weston, FL

The Institute of Green Professionals (IGP) just released a member survey indicating reasons why its membership has grown faster than the initial years of USGBG - an increase of over 530 members in its first 12 months!  Plus, over 100 of the world's most influential sustainability leaders are members. 

The Institute of Green Professionals is the only education and credentialing membership organization for sustainable development professionals (architects, engineers, land planners, landscape architects, accountants, appraisers, attorneys, IAQ and CSR experts) and others admitted by special application/consideration.  IGP confers the Fellow (FIGP) and Member (MIGP) professional designations to qualified individuals.

The recent Member survey indicates the top five (5) reasons for becoming a designated member of IGP:

#1.  The designation is a tool to get clients aware of my specialty expertise in sustainability.   A sample comment from an IGP member:  "I have been generally recognized as an architect who considers sustainability factors in all my projects, but the designation has been an effective marketing tool to highlight this and to more effectively reach out to a wider client base."

#2.  Personal satisfaction from an independent acknowledgement of my skills.  A sample comment from an IGP member:  " I have been a designated professional (P.Eng) for many years and this respected designation is both a reaffirmation and recognition of my specialty skills."

#3.  The IGP designation is a competitive advantage.  A sample comment from an IGP member:  "In the increasingly fuzzy world of so-called experts in so many areas of sustainability, this is the one designation that has clear standards, ethics and required experience and education - as IGP becomes more recognized, the comeptitive advantage of members will increase - I got one new client as a direct result of describing my new designation in my company newsletter."

#4.   Value for the money.  A sample comment from an IGP member:  "I took advantage of the recent membership special at $109 . . .  what a deal! This included my two courses for my FIGP designation, I wrote an article for their blog that got me lots of attention, and the membership certificate is beautiful."

#5.   Chance of a better job position.   A sample comment from an IGP member:  "Professional certification, beyond my primary designation as an AICP, shows to an employer that I go beyond the regular guy and that my skills are better, that they have been tested by another independent body and that I am the better choice as an employee."

The IGP survey was completed by 72% of all members as of 2/1/2010 (excluding Honorary Fellows).  The top five responses (above) are reported in order of member importance/response.  

If you are an IGP member and you would like to make an additonal comment about IGP and why you are a member, please send along. 

Grant W. Austin, M.S., MAI, MRICS
on behalf of the IGP Board of Directors