ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 10

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
EMPOWERING OUR WORKFORCE:
Building a
Sustainable Future
BY M. DENNIS KNIGHT, P.E., BEMP, FELLOW/LIFE MEMBER ASHRAE
I
am the one of happiest people alive. Here's why. My wife Shirl and I are
celebrating 50 years of marriage! When Shirl and I got married, we were
kids. She was 17, and I had just turned 18. Our wedding photographer's
camera of choice was a Polaroid-you know, the ones with self-developing
pictures? About an hour after our wedding, we pulled our 1965 Plymouth
Sport Fury into a drive-through restaurant to grab two hot dogs for our
honeymoon meal. Then, we were off to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a two-night
honeymoon getaway.
If you asked me the secret to a 50-year marriage,
I would tell you that it's an investment in and
commitment to making our relationship work. I'd also
tell you that it's not always easy-but boy, it is worth it!
Our honeymoon lasted only two nights because I had
to return to work first thing Monday morning.
My journey in the building industry began just two
weeks after I graduated from high school. I stepped into
the workforce, ready to learn and contribute. My brandnew
job title was " power plant piping systems designer. "
That's a fancy way of saying " draftsperson. " An engineer
named Fred Howard, who visited my high school
drafting class, offered me the position in my junior year
when I was just 16.
Why would the largest power company in the U.S. that
designed, built, owned and operated some of the biggest
power plants in the world talk to a 16-year-old kid
about employment? The answer is simple: workforce
development!
They invested in and were committed to attracting
and retaining people who would do the necessary work
to advance their business goals. By starting at the high
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ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org A U G UST 2024
school level, they were casting a wider net, accessing a
larger pool of employment candidates and including
students on traditional and nontraditional tracks to
higher education and career development.
Why Workforce Development?
So, why should we focus on workforce development?
Over the last several years, we accepted the challenge
of being vital players in addressing the most severe
threats to our planet in our lifetimes: the COVID-19
pandemic and the climate crisis. That said, our industry
is facing its own crisis-one that will hinder our ability
to meet the challenges we've accepted, the targets we've
set and the commitments we've made. That crisis is with
our workforce-or more appropriately, the lack of skilled
people like you who have the capability and desire to
choose a career in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning
and refrigeration (HVAC&R).
The truth is, we need more people like you. Your
skills, your passion and your commitment are what
will drive our industry forward and ensure its viability
for years to come.
DAVID STRAUSS OF DAVID STRAUSS PHOTOGRAPHY
http://www.ashrae.org
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024

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