Staff Spotlight: Karina Balekjian
By Jennifer Huang
Verdical Group’s Staff Spotlight series highlights the incredible contributions that each of our team members make through their expertise. The series is also a great way to delve into what our team members do on a day-to-day basis to mitigate the climate crisis.
Meet Karina Balekjian, an Associate Project Manager at Verdical Group. She supports the Project Management team across a wide range of sustainability certifications, including LEED, Fitwel, CHPS, and ESG/Carbon Footprint Reporting. With her LEED Green Associate and Fitwel Ambassador credentials already in hand, she’s currently pursuing her LEED AP BD+C and WELL AP to deepen her expertise in the field.
Karina brings a passion for big-picture sustainability to her work. One of her favorite projects so far has been the City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan. “This isn’t a typical scope for us,” she said. “It was incredibly interesting to zoom out and look at a city as a whole—not just buildings, but streets, green spaces, and transit infrastructure.” With a strong interest in urban planning, Karina found the city-scale impact especially fulfilling.
Her day-to-day work is a blend of coordination and collaboration—diving into project deliverables, client emails, sustainability documentation, and regular team check-ins to stay aligned with the project management and VG teams.
Among the many stages of a project, design is where Karina finds the most joy. “The earlier our team is brought on board, the more flexible the design team can be,” she explained. “It’s rewarding to help implement sustainable strategies that weren’t originally considered—or even known.”
Outside of work, Karina’s love for sustainability carries into her hobbies. She designs and makes clothing using upcycled materials and unconventional fabrics—once crafting a runway-ready skirt from her dad’s old neckties for a fashion show at UCLA. Yoga is also a consistent source of grounding and balance. “It reminds me that life isn’t about the things we have, but the things we do.”
While working in sustainability can sometimes feel daunting, Karina stays optimistic by reflecting on global progress and the importance of individual impact. “Even if it doesn’t always feel like it, we’ve made incredible progress in the fight against climate change,” she said. “As long as we are here, there is a world worth fighting for.”
Fun fact? When Karina got the job offer from Verdical Group, she was so happy she cried.
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Click here to learn more about the many other sustainability services our team provides, or click here to find out about employment opportunities with Verdical Group.
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