Boca Raton earns LEED for Cities gold certification, city sustainability manager credits cross‑department work
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Summary
The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Boca Raton LEED for Cities Gold; sustainability manager Tina Bato Jennings and USGBC director Karen Jernigan highlighted the city's scorecard and pathways to improve future recertification.
The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Boca Raton a LEED for Cities gold certification, city Sustainability Manager Tina Bato Jennings told the City Council workshop on Oct. 27, 2025.
“Tina Bato Jennings, sustainability manager for the city,” Jennings said, thanked Mayor Singer, council members and staff and described the application process she led during her first year in the role. She said the city earned 64 out of 110 possible points under LEED for Cities and that the scorecard shows areas for future improvement.
Karen Jernigan, director of U.S. Market Transformation and Development with the U.S. Green Building Council, explained the LEED for Cities framework and said it evaluates jurisdictional performance across energy, waste, transportation, water and quality of life. Jernigan noted Boca Raton’s natural assets and programs — beaches, parks, recycling expansion, stormwater management and public health initiatives — as factors that helped the city achieve gold status. She also commended city staff and mentors from the USGBC who assisted the city through the process.
Jernigan said Florida leads globally for the number of LEED‑certified local governments and welcomed Boca Raton into that network.
Ending: The council accepted the gold certificate and acknowledged staff and external mentors; Jennings said the city will use the LEED framework to prioritize future sustainability improvements.