The E+E 100 are the VPs, directors, managers and engineers who are making significant strides in driving our industry. See the complete list here or download the report for more detailed information about these leaders. And stay tuned for the Call for Submissions coming later this fall, when you can nominate your favorite sustainability or energy management professional!
Now, meet Andrea Mancino, director of new construction for Bright Power. Mancino oversees a team of engineers that works on ground-up new construction projects, ensuring that the buildings are built to be as efficient as possible through optimizing design and performing quality control inspections throughout construction. Her team focuses on programs such as LEED, passive house, and enterprise green communities.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in the last year or two?
I took over as director of new construction during a time when the team was going through a huge workload and financial boom. I came in at a time when we didn’t have capacity, processes or resources to grow at scale since we were still young in the industry.
How have you addressed that challenge?
Keeping up with the workload and the demand in our industry involved tripling our team in the span of about six months, from five to 17 people. It also included overhauling internal processes and revamping the restructure of the team to allow for more collaboration between team members. I did this all while having to ensure members were adequately trained and the quality of our services remained strong. We go through it though and we are stronger than we’ve ever been. It was a stressful and greatly challenging time but the team persevered.
What advice would you give other professionals as they try to accomplish their sustainability or energy management goals?
I always tell people you’re only as strong as your contacts in the industry. Networking is one of the most beneficial ways you can get ahead both as an individual and on a company level. Go to conferences and events and see who’s out there. Whether you’re finding a new career opportunity or collaborating on a project level, having a list of contacts can bear opportunities you never thought were possible.