International commercial real estate services firm Studley has promoted Olivia Millar to director of sustainability and workplace strategies, a new practice designed to help clients achieve LEED certification for their office space or building.

Millar is noted as one of the first LEED Accredited Professionals in Washington, D.C., and joined the firm in September of 2007. She will serve as the company’s chief spokesperson on LEED initiatives and act as primary LEED resource for Studley clients nationwide.

“In this day and age, sustainable counsel is an important service to offer our clients,” said Michael Colacino, Studley president. “The decision to create this practice comes after years of working on sustainable real estate assignments encompassing both interior and base-building LEED projects.”

To date, Studley has worked with clients on the development of more than six million sq. ft. of LEED-certified space, including recent projects for U.S. Census Bureau, American Trucking Association, SEIU, and Conservation International.  Studley also worked on the largest LEED-CI project in the country.

Prior to joining Studley, Millar worked for Mancini Duffy where she served as the firm’s first LEED manager, creating sustainable commercial interiors for nonprofit, financial, retail and government clients. She received both her master’s degree in interior architecture and bachelor’s degree in graphic design from George Washington University, where she was a Presidential Arts Scholar.

“The key to keeping a LEED project on schedule and on budget is identifying potential LEED credits or requirements early in the real estate process that can be achieved with minimal capital expenditure,” said Millar. “Studley’s sustainable real estate practice will offer clients LEED accredited real estate professionals to participate in the earliest stages of their projects.”