Gresham Smith is excited to announce that our Sustainability and Resiliency Center (SRC) has welcomed two new specialists, Jeff Hochberg and Tia Bussey. As more clients prioritize preparing for the future, the addition of building rating system and organization planning expertise to the SRC team will expand the solutions provided for clients.
“The SRC continues to prioritize the services that provide long-term value and resiliency for the future,” commented Lauren Seydewitz, LEED AP BD+C, Sustainability and Resiliency Program Manager. “Specifically, the addition of Jeff and Tia to the SRC brings forth expertise in sustainable building rating systems and in organizational level planning, which are key areas clients are looking to document their sustainability and resiliency goals.”
Jeff Hochberg, WELL AP, LEED GA, GRESB AP, ActiveScore AP, Fitwel Ambassador, joins the team as a sustainable building certification specialist, where he will lead the administration of third-party rating system certification projects and contribute to expanding the breadth of rating systems supported at Gresham Smith.
With over 35 years of experience in healthy building, employer-based wellbeing and population health management, he most recently served as a senior director and technical account manager at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), where he managed global client accounts pursuing WELL certification, WELL Ratings, and WELL features at scale, across their organizational portfolio of buildings. In his role, Hochberg also served as a strategic consultant, identifying features across the WELL standard that supported organizational initiatives in sustainability, ESG, DEI, and workforce wellbeing, and helped clients to leverage and promote their efforts in annual and ESG reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University and a master’s from the University of Arizona at Tucson.
“I am excited to be joining the Sustainability and Resiliency Center team at Gresham Smith, especially at a time of rising demand for intentionally designed, sustainable structures that embrace mental and physical health within our communities,” said Hochberg. “I am honored to play a role as part of a firm doing such important work across various fields and markets.”
Tia Bussey joins the team as a sustainability and resiliency specialist, where she will contribute to organizational level sustainability planning for a diverse set of clients. Additionally, she will provide technical sustainability and resiliency operational solutions, including carbon accounting, waste management and effective multi-disciplinary communication.
Previously serving as a sustainability consulting associate at Environmental Resources Management, Bussey worked to respond to rising regulatory demands, customer preferences, and shareholder expectations, while also aligning clients with ESG reporting frameworks and standards, managing GHG data, creating sustainability and climate reports, and conducting materiality assessments.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Auburn University and is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering with a concentration in sustainable smart cities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a program which equips professionals with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking necessary to assess, design, and implement sustainable strategies for smart cities worldwide.
“From a young age, I’ve been deeply passionate about the environment, witnessing firsthand the impacts of climate change in my local communities,” commented Bussey. “As I step into my new role at Gresham Smith, I’m eagerly anticipating the opportunity to contribute to sustainable solutions and make a positive impact.”
