Six Years on the NESEA Board: What I’ll Carry Forward

The Power of Community

As I close out my second three-year term on the NESEA Board, I’ve been reflecting on what this organization means to me. The word I keep coming back to is community.

For me, NESEA has always been more than a professional network. It’s the infrastructure that makes real connection possible—where people can show up as colleagues and as humans. It’s where I’ve had conversations that go deeper than project checklists, where people share not only what worked, but also what didn’t and why. We’re all aware insights often come not from what went right, but from analyzing what didn’t. The NESEA community’s willingness to share those experiences creates a learning environment that’s hard to match. That kind of honesty is rare, and it’s what makes this community so invaluable.

Mentorship and Emerging Voices

One of my favorite recent experiences was serving as a mentor for the BE the Future Scholarship at BuildingEnergy Boston 2025. I had the chance to spend time with Becks Akin, an engineering student and fellow Brunonian, whose enthusiasm for the future of building decarbonization was infectious. Becks and other scholars brought fresh ideas and open minds that reminded me how much energy and imagination is already shaping the next chapter of our field.

The BE the Future program is a powerful example of how NESEA is building toward tomorrow while strengthening the work of today. Since 2016, the scholarship has opened doors for more than 175 students and emerging professionals, giving them a foothold in the NESEA community and a place at the table. Those conversations, those connections—they matter just as much as the technical expertise that’s long been NESEA’s hallmark.

Building Trust and Shared Success

What strikes me most is the kind of trust that builds over time—earned through showing up, sharing openly, and caring about one another’s progress. NESEA thrives because people don’t just attend events; they invest in each other. Walk into any NESEA gathering and you feel it: a collective momentum, a sense that we’re building something far larger than the sum of our projects. It’s not just buildings we’re shaping—it’s relationships, shared knowledge, and the culture that will sustain this work for generations to come.

A Lifelong Connection

Looking ahead, my wish for NESEA is that it continues to nurture that spirit while welcoming new voices and perspectives. The founders set the tone 50 years ago, and it’s up to all of us to carry it forward. With every new member who joins, every honest conversation, every lesson learned, the community grows stronger.

I’m grateful to have played a small part in that journey. And while my board service may be ending, my connection to NESEA is lifelong.