Office of Sustainability

Jacquelyn Overbey Hart — Alumnae

Goodwyn, Mills, & Cawood, Birmingham, AL

Jacqui Hart is a registered architect with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) AP credentials. She is Chair of the Sustainability Committee at Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood (GMC), the largest architectural and engineering firm in Alabama, with more than 250 employees.

Jacqui is a 1988 graduate of the Auburn University College of Architecture, Design, and Construction, and an alumna of the Rural Studio where her passion for sustainability and the environment became apparent to all. Jacqui has taken that passion and commitment out into the wider world, where she has catalyzed sustainability initiatives in numerous LEED building projects.

Through her work, Jacqui has changed the way many around the Southeast view sustainability. She works at the front lines of sustainability, encouraging clients, colleagues, and contractors to embrace sustainable design, resulting in the creation of smart, sustainable projects.

Under her leadership as Chair, the GMC sustainability Committee started a campaign to increase recycling and reduce waste, issues a quarterly newsletter to encourage sustainable design companywide, and sponsors community events such as the Green Apple Day of Service.

The Sustainability Committee also developed an education program to train employees to pursue LEED credentials. Over a six month period the numbers of LEED accredited architects, engineers and designers at GMC increased from 12 to 38, more than a 300% increase.

Jacqui defines what it means to be a sustainability practitioner. She incorporates the principles and practices of sustainability in her professional life with passion and skill in real-world situations. Her efforts have transformed individual lives and organizational cultures, and guided projects to achieve high levels of sustainability performance.