EarthX Announces New Leader to Take the EarthX Mission Global
EarthX, a Dallas-based environmental organization, has announced the appointment of Tony Keane as chief executive officer. Keane was appointed after a nation-wide search was conducted.
With international leadership in the built environment and sustainable facility management, Keane has developed environmental solutions that matter for the nation and the world, the organization said in a news release.
A certified association executive with significant experience in the nonprofit sector, Keane served for more than eight years as the president and chief executive officer of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), leading the organization through a period of tremendous growth.
During his tenure, he increased the organization’s membership by 40 percent and tripled international membership to 30 percent of the total. Keane led a global staff of 70 and managed a $16 million budget that covered conferences and exhibits, credentialing, membership, government affairs, and content curation.
Most notably, he transformed the organization’s emphasis on conventional facility management to managing state-of-the-art smart, green buildings using the latest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. IFMA launched the first credential on sustainable facility management under Keane’s leadership.
“EarthX made a strategic choice to hire a CEO with a business background, rather than an activist or individual with deep knowledge in a single environmental field, given our organization’s strong participation from business and industry interests, unique among environmental events,” said Trammell S. Crow, founder and chairman of EarthX.
“We’re pleased to bring Tony Keane on board to drive our expansion toward Earthx2020, the 10th year of EarthX and Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. Our planet is at a critical point where change is not just something we can dream or talk about – it is our reality, and citizens across the globe need to make adjustments.”
Buildings are currently responsible for 70 percent of electricity usage and 30 percent of emissions nationwide. With EarthX headquarters located in Dallas, a major international center of the real estate industry, Keane’s expertise in developing responsible facilities managers will be especially valuable, the news release stated.
“I look forward to making EarthX the must-attend event for the environmental sector by developing year-round engagement and impact,” said Keane.
In its ninth year, EarthX is becoming more national and international and is experiencing rapid growth in attendance and reputation. Keane will integrate the dozen EarthX conferences, environmental exposition, film festival, hackathon, investment forum, and solutions workshops.
Additionally, under Keane’s leadership, EarthX will amplify its engagement of businesses, government, academic institutions, non-profits, and the general public to make positive, impactful change for the environment.
