Tim's visionary leadership in sustainability made this project possible. Building a $100 million dollar complex is a daunting tax and adding the extra up front sustainable costs to a project of this size is not an easy decision to make. Tim's beliefs in "Doing the right thing" cascades throughout the organization and shows in every project that he takes on.

Through Aug. 1 of this year, the 992-panel solar field has produced more than 298,000 kWh of electricity. This has removed 52-plus tons of methane, 106.5 tons of carbon, and 390 tons of carbon dioxide from the planet in just 7 months. The hotel’s anticipated Gold LEED certification required builders to reuse and divert over 70 percent of building debris. 

Single stream recycling and composting programs through Champions Waste has been immensely successful. Although the hotel and convention center sits on a very large footprint, the monarch way station, the upcoming raptor habitat, elimination of 95 percent of all grass to zero-scape and native drought-tolerant plants, and many other programs are having huge environmental impacts for North Dallas.

Programs like Clean The World, O'Reach Committee and the hotel’s Monarch Way Station are having an impact both locally and throughout the world. The hotel’s multiple committees have partnered with Our Daily Bread, Cumberland Children's Home, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Serve Denton, Boys and Girls Club, and multiple other local agencies to make an immediate impact in our local and regional community.

There are fewer than 70 Gold LEED hotels in the U.S. and only four convention centers in the U.S. that are at or anticipated to be at a Gold level. This anticipated designation means a lot. The hotel’s four diamond AAA rating means a lot (less than 7 percent of all hotels world wide are a 4 diamond or higher rating), and most of all working for O'Reilly Hospitality means a lot to the local and regional environment. The hotel’s far reaching Clean the World program extends its reach to multiple other countries and continents. Tim and his company is constantly driving to reduce its footprint in one of the most difficult businesses out there for sustainability. This award would recognize Tim and the entire team at the Embassy Suites Denton Hotel and Convention Center for their past efforts as well as on-going efforts to make a difference.