News

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Bernhard announced this week the promotion of Lauren Skeen to Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Skeen joined Bernhard in March 2019 and has served as the Director of Marketing for the Development Division where she led marketing strategy in support of the Company’s Energy-as-a-Service transformation.

In her new role, Skeen will lead the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of Bernhard’s Marketing and Communication department. She will position both internal and external communication efforts to grow Bernhard’s national brand, and work collaboratively with company leadership and business development teams to continue to grow Bernhard’s traditional energy services, as well as its turnkey integrated solutions. Skeen will oversee a diverse team, with members based in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Utah.

“Lauren has been an incredible asset and teammate during her tenure on the marketing and communications team,” said Melissa Samuel, Chief Administrative and Legal Officer. “We have full confidence she has the tools and industry experience to lead our marketing and communications team during this exciting time of explosive growth at Bernhard.”

Skeen has more than 13 years of marketing experience and 10 years of experience in the AEC industry. Prior to joining Bernhard, she served as the Director of Marketing at Entegrity.

“As an industry leader supporting North America’s energy switch, it’s imperative that Bernhard’s communications and marketing strategies evolve to meet this exciting and ever changing landscape,” said Skeen. “I am honored to lead such a talented team driving our strategy, growing our presence, and helping to provide solutions to reduce energy consumption and build resiliency in partnership with our clients across the United States.”

Skeen earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Arkansas State University in 2010, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in digital marketing from Wake Forest University.

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Bernhard announced today the promotion of Philip Catanzaro to Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the retirement of the Company’s former COO, Jim Sabin.

Catanzaro began his career at Bernhard in 1997, and quickly rose to increasing positions of leadership, through and including his most recent role serving as the Company’s President of Delivery. As COO, Catanzaro will oversee all day-to-day operations of Bernhard, including the program management of Energy-as-a-Service projects, implementation of strategic initiatives, and continued advancement of internal processes. Throughout his tenure, Catanzaro has relentlessly focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and enhancing operational execution.

“Philip has dedicated his entire career to Bernhard, serving in several critical roles during our growth,” said Ed Tinsley, Bernhard CEO. “He brings strong leadership, a collaborative approach and operational expertise at a critical time as we continue our Energy-as-a-Service transformation.”

In his new role as COO, Catanzaro’s primary mission is to ensure operational readiness and organizational integration as Bernhard expands into new geographies, opens new service offerings and continues a commitment to being the leading Energy-as-a-Service provider in North America.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to help guide the company into its next chapter,” said Catanzaro. “Bernhard is made up of innovative and talented individuals who are truly masters in their field. I’m committed to empowering our teams to achieve even greater success, positioning the Company for continued growth, and providing ground-breaking solutions to reduce energy consumption and build infrastructure resiliency in partnership with our customers.”

Catanzaro’s promotion comes after the retirement of Sabin, who joined Bernhard in 2019, and led the Company through unprecedented growth in its Energy-as-a-Service offering. “For many years, Jim has selflessly and dynamically led Bernhard’s operations through a period of tremendous growth and transition,” said Tinsley. “He has been an invaluable asset, partner and friend.”

A steadfast leader, Sabin leaves Bernhard with nearly 40 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry. Prior to joining Bernhard, Sabin served as an executive at Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation, The Shaw Group, Inc., Chicago Bridge & Iron, and served as Board Director for NET Power, LLC.

“I’m proud of what we’ve built at Bernhard in becoming the only true turnkey Energy-as-a-Service provider in North America, partnering with our customers and communities to create a more sustainable future,” said Sabin. “I want to thank our customers, shareholders, and the Board of Directors for their unwavering support. I also want to give my utmost appreciation to our employees whose work and dedication have allowed us to achieve more than any of us could have ever imagined.”

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Bernhard announced today that an Energy Stewardship Program created with St. Louis-based Mercy recently won the 2022 Association of Energy Engineers’ Region IV Corporate Energy Management Project of the Year.

The award was presented during the AEE’s 45th annual World Energy Conference & Expo, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The awards recognize organizations, individuals and projects making contributions to or doing important work in energy management, sustainability, energy efficiency and related fields.

“Bernhard shares Mercy’s focus on stewardship and improving patient care through the upkeep of Mercy’s infrastructure and controls assets. The program’s turnkey, design-build-commission approach allows projects to follow expedited schedules and preserve team continuity from start to finish,” said Aric Reed, project manager at Bernhard. “Maintaining contact with each facility after completion of projects via monitoring-based commissioning and operator training ensures the implemented energy-saving measures remain in place.”

Launched in March 2020, Mercy’s energy stewardship program is focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing operational costs, making needed infrastructure upgrades and improving indoor environmental quality for patients and co-workers. The project is unique in size and scope, with Bernhard substantially optimizing the energy efficiency of systems serving more than 14 million square feet of medical office and clinical space. 23 projects have been completed, with another 29 in progress.

“Mercy has benefitted in many ways from the energy stewardship program,” said Tom Brinkmann, Mercy’s Director of Facilities Maintenance and Operations. “In addition to reducing operating costs, focusing on this critical aspect of our facility operation improves comfort, indoor air quality and maintenance resource utilization, energy stewardship also supports our overall sustainability initiative.”

Multiple systems were upgraded as part of the project, including direct digital control (DDC) building automation, HVAC upgrades and modernization, metering, fault detection, LED lighting upgrades, as well as ongoing measurement and verification, remote operator support, utility bill auditing and commodity management. The program has led to estimated energy savings of $1.7 million per year.

The AEE’s Region IV judging considered energy projects from 11 states in the central and southern U.S., including Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Founded in 1977, the Association of Energy Engineers currently represents more than 18,000 energy professionals in more than 100 countries.

For a full list of 2022 AEE Regional Award winners, click here.

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Bernhard announced this week a bold commitment to hire 360 Tulane University graduates over the next three decades. Dubbed the “360 Promise,” the program is a partnership between Bernhard and the Tulane Energy Institute (TEI), a world-renowned component of Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business in New Orleans. The commitment, although primarily focused on Tulane Energy Institute students and curriculum, also extends to other relevant departments across the university, including Tulane’s Law School and School of Science and Engineering.

“When we think globally about the opportunity that the Energy Transition presents, it’s clear to us that talent is a critical ingredient to success,” said Rob Guthrie, Bernhard’s Chief Development Officer. “That’s true of the energy industry in general, and it’s certainly true at Bernhard. By making the 360 Promise with Tulane, Bernhard is strengthening its role to shape and develop future industry leaders. It’s a bold and exciting step, made more significant by the strength of our partner—one of the nation’s leading universities.”

As a branch of the Freeman School of Business, the Tulane Energy Institute provides educational opportunities that improve understanding of the integration of energy markets, policies, technology and the environment, and fosters interest and expertise in the energy industry, propelling graduates into top positions in one of the world’s most dynamic fields. As part of the commitment, Bernhard experts will assist Tulane in developing course content and curricula relevant to burgeoning trends in the energy services industry.

“A unique feature of this promise is folding in Bernhard projects into our course content,” said Pierre Conner, Executive Director of Tulane Energy Institute. “Students get a chance to learn from real-time projects alongside experts from one of the most respected energy services companies in the world. That brings our curriculum to life and makes for a more engaging learning experience, which we take great pride in at Tulane.”

360 Promise comes on the heels of Project RISE, a 30-year Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) partnership, designed to help Tulane substantially reduce on-campus greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. Bernhard will complete a host of major energy infrastructure improvements at Tulane facilities including the construction of a 1-megawatt solar energy plant that will supply 10 percent of electrical demand at Tulane’s uptown campus.

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Bernhard announced today that a 30-year Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) partnership reached in January with Tulane University has been named a finalist for the 2022 P3 Awards in two categories.  Founded in 2018, the P3 Awards recognize excellence in public infrastructure projects that use private financing in long-term partnering agreements.

Known as Project RISE (Renew, Innovate, Sustain, Engage), the partnership between Tulane and Bernhard was named a finalist in the “Best Education and Higher Education Project” and “Best Energy Project” categories.

“At Bernhard, our teams are celebrated for being innovative and thinking outside-the-box,” said Rob Guthrie, Bernhard’s Chief Development Officer. “Being shortlisted for such a prestigious award in multiple categories is evidence that we are breaking new ground in what was once considered possible in energy efficiency.”

Announced in January 2022, Project RISE is designed to help Tulane University substantially reduce on-campus greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. As part of the agreement, Tulane transferred to Bernhard the authority to operate, upgrade and maintain energy infrastructure at the university’s uptown and downtown campuses. Bernhard will complete a host of major energy infrastructure improvements at Tulane facilities as part of Project RISE, including construction of a 1-megawatt solar energy plant that will supply 10 percent of electrical demand at Tulane’s uptown campus.

“This P3 award nomination speaks to the innovation of the unique relationship between Tulane and Bernhard,” said Patrick Norton, Tulane University chief operating officer. “We are proud that Project RISE has been selected as a finalist in both of these categories, and that the university’s long-term commitment to sustainability and resilience has been recognized on a national scale.”

Tulane University president Michael Fitts said of Project RISE:  “The Bernhard and Tulane partnership will significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as we journey toward a carbon neutral future that also fully supports our critical research and educational missions. By increasing efficiency, building resilience and seeking alternative energy sources, we also expect to achieve the goal of a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2025 as outlined in Tulane’s Climate Action Plan.”

In 2021, an EaaS partnership between Bernhard and East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Ala., was a finalist for the P3 Awards’ Best Social Infrastructure Project of the year. Winners of the 2022 P3 Awards will be announced on Oct. 11, 2022.

For more information about the P3 Awards, visit p3awards.com