CORP CRR 2024 8.5x11 v10 - Flipbook - Page 5
Our coworkers, customers and communities are at the heart
of everything we do. The “Heart of Highwoods” program
continues to be an authentic, down-to-earth initiative focused
on enhancing service to our communities and customers,
expanding health and well-being resources for our customers
and coworkers, advancing diversity and inclusion and enriching
our company culture. In 2024, we refined and expanded our
annual REALM Mentorship program with coworker input and
welcomed our second class of 28 participants. Demonstrating
our dedication to improving the health and vitality of our
coworkers, we received Cigna’s Gold Level Healthy Workforce
Designation for the second year in a row, improving our
recognition from Silver in 2022. In our communities, we
supported over 50 non-profit organizations through our
Highwoods Helps community service initiative and provided
coworkers additional volunteer time off to get more involved in
their communities.
In 2024, we refined and expanded our dedicated Customer
Experience department through our Highwoods
Customer Journey Initiative. Formalized into a playbook,
this initiative outlines a customer roadmap with targeted
engagement points to proactively meet our customers’
needs, improve satisfaction and foster greater collaboration.
Additionally, our #BetterTogether initiative continued to
enhance the customer experience by organizing curated
customer events across our markets that are innovative,
distinctive, collaborative and meaningful.
As a result of our ongoing commitment to sustainability
and portfolio resiliency, we achieved the following
recognition in 2024:
We earned the GRESB GREEN STAR RATING for the fifth
consecutive year, demonstrating continuous improvement
year-over-year.
We earned recognition from industry leading
frameworks, including:
• Sustainalytics: Ranked as “LOW ESG RISK PROFILE.”
• ISS: Earned the highest ISS GOVERNANCE QUALITY
SCORE OF 1 and earned an ESG PRIME BADGE.
We achieved LEED and FITWEL certifications for all new, wholly
owned developments.
We achieved ENERGY STAR certifications for 64% of our
portfolio gross floor area.
We also continued to demonstrate progress towards our
expanded portfolio-wide energy and GHG emissions reduction
goals through continued investments in energy efficiency
projects to further decarbonize our portfolio.
The dedication and resilience of our team are a source of
immense pride. Their commitment to our core values and
strategic vision has positioned Highwoods for continued
success. Looking forward, we remain committed to creating
exceptional workplaces where the best and brightest can
achieve together what they cannot apart.
Ted Klinck
President and Chief Executive Officer
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