I started my academic career as a mechanical engineering student. It didn’t take long to recognize that there was another way of looking at problem solving. Accordingly, I signed up as a dual major with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in business administration (MBA). I will never forget my first day in business graduate school. Not surprisingly, I was the only engineer in the room and quickly discovered that my suspicions were accurate: most people in the room had a much different perspective of problem solving. The secret to overcoming this situation is realizing it is not an obstacle at all. Rather, it is a way to broaden my own perspective and to create a more holistic solution.
I entered the HVAC industry through our family’s mechanical contracting firm. Upon graduation, the first instruction my father gave me was to join ASHRAE. This exposed me to another very diverse group of individuals who had different perspectives on how to solve a problem, thereby enhancing my own problem solving skills. I have also been active as a consulting engineer and as a professor of construction management. I have said this many times, and it is completely true. ASHRAE made me a better contractor, a better engineer, and a better professor. My pathway to success was to become very involved in ASHRAE, surround myself with exceptional people with different perspectives, and to keep an open mind.