From left, Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, Lake Placid village Mayor Craig Randall and Clarkson University professor Erik Backus pose Dec. 6 at a ceremony where Lake Placid and the greater Olympic Region were awarded gold LEED certification. (Provided photo — Connor Frasier)

LAKE PLACID — Lake Placid and the greater Olympic Region have been awarded a gold LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Design, is a globally recognized rating system that evaluates buildings and communities based on a variety of factors, including transportation, sustainability, water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and innovation.

Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall, North Elba Supervisor-elect Jay Rand, state Olympic Regional Development Authority CEO Michael Pratt, Lake Placid Central School District Superintendent Roger Catania, Clarkson University professor Howard Lechler and Clarkson students collaborated to evaluate the community’s sustainability and achieve this certification.