Jane Palmieri, business president, Dow Building & Construction, a business group of The Dow Chemical Company, has been selected as a 2015 recipient of Green Building & Design’s (gb&d’s) Women in Sustainability Leadership Award.

Green Building & Design, a magazine that promotes leading green professionals with a mission statement of creating a more sustainable world, created the awards to celebrate the achievements of women who are making lasting change in the environmental arena. In giving the awards, the magazine strives to identify, support and give opportunities to future women in leadership.

The Nov. 6 edition of gb&d announced this year’s recipients and Palmieri will be recognized at a ceremony on Nov. 19 in Washington, D.C.

“We are very proud that Jane is receiving this well-deserved accolade,” said Neil C. Hawkins, corporate vice president, EH&S, and chief sustainability officer. “For two decades, Jane has been a leader in Dow’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency both inside and outside the company – from helping to develop technologies to lightweight automobiles and make solar power more accessible, to championing Dow’s energy and climate change policy proposals.”

Hawkins added that Palmieri’s work strongly aligns with Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals, which seek to redefine the role of business in society by unlocking the potential of people and science, valuing nature, and collaborating courageously.

Palmieri, whose work at Dow has spanned marketing, sales, new business development and business operations in several Dow businesses for 20 years, is grateful for gb&d’s acknowledgment of her efforts.

“My passion for energy efficiency didn’t truly take hold until I was involved in the auto industry, focusing on lightweighting vehicles to improve fuel economy,” Palmieri said. “Once I started my journey of awareness about the impact that we all have on the environment, I became compelled to take action.  At the root of that journey is the importance of education and awareness in driving behavioral systemic change for the good of our planet and future generations.”

Palmieri currently serves as the industry chairman of the board for the Alliance to Save Energy, a federation of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders that advocates the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide. She also serves on the board of directors for The Franklin Institute, one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States.

A member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Palmieri has served on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of America and the board of trustees for the Chemical Education Foundation (CEF). She is also a trustee for the Committee for Economic Development (CED).

Industry colleagues previously lauded her work with a Crain’s Detroit Business 40-Under-40 Award and as one of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in Automotive, both in 2005.