Staff spotlight: Jody Renouf

GreenerU’s Vice President of Operations Jody Renouf has been a team member and leader within the company for more than a dozen years now.

You’ll find him everywhere—as one of the stars of GreenerU’s video partnership with the MSPCA–Angell Animal Medical Center; as the poster child for countless web pages, flyers, and posters; as the guy who comes in early, leaves late, and still somehow manages to pop up at client sites—and car shows.

Here’s a little more about our lead construction project manager.

What would you say is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is seeing or hearing someone on the operations team get a well-deserved compliment from one of GreenerU’s clients. Our team takes enormous pride in the projects we implement, and we celebrate positive feedback.

A close second place to that experience is being on site when a new system is started up for the first time. Our team collectively shares the excitement of finishing a months-long project coupled with the last-minute pressure of seeing what is going to happen when the proverbial switch is flipped.

Is there a new green project trend or innovation you learned about recently that you’re excited about?

While this isn’t strictly energy-related, I like the new trend of planting native plants instead of the traditional expansive lawn and garden ornamentals, to encourage pollinators and local biodiversity while saving water in the long run. At home we have replaced lawn and other ground coverings with native plants which bloom throughout the growing season for a pleasing display. It would be great to see more campuses and facilities convert or set aside some native plant areas.

What’s the first step you take when you’re starting a new building project?

Talking with the client and visiting their buildings and systems before construction are valuable first steps in my routine. In addition to learning the client’s needs and expectations, walking the site helps me contextualize the project and better answer future questions. By working on existing buildings, we have the benefit of seeing built spaces and the people using them, rather than having to imagine a new building on an empty lot.

Is there anything that can make a project particularly challenging to execute? If so, how do you work around that?

There are the usual aspects of a project that can be challenging: a compressed schedule, limited space, tight budget, and all the unknowns that crop up in existing buildings and systems. We deal with those challenges as part of construction and project management.

But aside from that, the real challenges are when things are out of our control: waiting on utility companies to make connections or determine incentive amounts, hearing from vendors that lead times are longer than expected or costs are higher than planned, or exercising patience while project funding comes through. Any of these challenges require collaboration and good communication with all parties involved.

On the flip side, what’s a recent project you’re particularly proud of?

The latest projects to decarbonize buildings have been highlights for me. Bringing new technology into old and historic buildings takes a lot of work and planning, and it’s satisfying for any organization looking to play their part in the fight against climate change.

You’ve been working at GreenerU for 12+ years now. What’s kept you hanging around for so long?

GreenerU’s culture matches what I care most about, helping counteract climate change with a shared mission of delivering quality work. I like the variety of what we do. No two projects are the same.

Lastly, what do you do for fun in your free time?

I am very active in a car enthusiast group that has regular events and annual weekend invitational events. In June, we drove our 1957 Imperial from Cambridge to the national invitational in Chicago. My volunteer gigs include being on the Property Care and Green committees at church, where we hope to decarbonize the building in a few years. It’s a little like taking work home, but satisfying all the same.

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