"Within the BACnet International community, there are members who consistently go above and beyond to make BACnet an effective and successful building automation standard and we are proud to recognize them as ‘Leaders of the Pack.’"
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 30, 2015
The BACnet International community is proud to honor a distinguished set of members whose contributions to the BACnet community made them deserving of the highest recognition.
BACnet International’s Leaders of the Pack awards are bestowed upon deserving individuals, companies and projects annually in recognition of outstanding achievements in the BACnet International community. The award ceremony took place during the 2015 NFMT Orlando Conference & Expo on Oct. 27, 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center. BACnet International President Andy McMillan on hand to present the awards to each winner.
“This is the time when we recognize individuals who through their hard work and dedication continually enrich this organization," McMillan said. "Within the BACnet International community, there are members who consistently go above and beyond to make BACnet an effective and successful building automation standard and we are proud to recognize them as ‘Leaders of the Pack.’ I hope all BACnet International members will join me in thanking the winners for their unfailing devotion and service to BACnet International and the BACnet standard."
The award winners, categories and explanations are listed below:
St. Bernard Award
Coleman Brumley, PolarSoft
The St. Bernard Award goes to a prolific, long-time contributor to the BACnet community who is always coming to the rescue. Coleman Brumley is Software Architect and BACnet Evangelist for PolarSoft Inc. He currently serves as secretary and voting member of ASHRAE SSPC-135, and has been actively involved with BACnet for over 15 years. Coleman has also served as convener of the ASHRAE SSPC-135 Internet Protocol Working Group for 5 years. Coleman is both a philosopher and product developer and widely recognized speaker, teacher and contributor in multiple BACnet forums. He was the recipient of the prestigious 2015 Swan Award, which is awarded by the SSPC for contributions to the standard.
Alpha Dog Award
Bernhard Isler, Siemens Building Technologies
The Alpha Dog Award is presented to an individual who exhibits outstanding leadership. Bernhard Isler, System Architect at Siemens Building Technologies, first got involved in BACnet in 1992, when evaluating BACnet--available as its second public review draft at that time--for application in fire detection systems. He later wrote a first proposal for better support of fire systems in BACnet, ultimately ending in the today life safety objects of the BACnet standard. Isler was heavily involved in adding physical access control capabilities to BACnet. and convening the Objects & Services Working Group for more than seven years. Isler is currently the chairman of the ASHRAE SSPC 135 committee (otherwise known as the BACnet committee).
Labrador Award
Scott Ziegenfus, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
The Labrador Award is presented to someone who shows unquestioning loyalty to BACnet International and the BACnet Standard. Scott Ziegenfus is a 21-year Senior Systems Engineer for Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. He has served on the SSPC 135 BACnet standard committee since 2010 and on the BACnet International education committee since 2012. Ziegenfus has written articles for the “BACnet Today” supplement of the ASHRAE Journal and BACnet International’s Foundation magazine. He has overseen hosting the spring SSP135 BACnet committee meeting by Lutron Electronics at Lutron Florida Experience Center in 2014, 2015, as well as coming up in 2016. Finally, Ziegenfus oversees Lutron products for BTL listing.
Jack Russell Award
Ben H. Dorsey, III, Continental Industries
The Jack Russell Award goes to an individual who is always doing something for the betterment of BACnet International and the BACnet Standard. Ben H. Dorsey, III is an industry marketing executive with an extensive background in B2B technology as well as a freelance writer, speaker and photographer. He routinely deals with topics of building intelligence, building sustainability, emerging market factors, and, of course, BACnet. He contributes regularly to BACnet International publications and to sponsored conferences. Dorsey has also been a contributing member of the BACnet International Marketing Committee for several years.
German Shepherd Award
Steve Jones, The S4 Group, Inc.
The German Shepherd award is given to an individual or company who is known for keeping the group in line and upholding the BACnet Standards. This year’s winner exemplifies this through his work with his family company. The S4 Group first joined BACnet International in 2010, but owner Steve Jones’ history with the organization goes back to his time at Johnson Controls, more than 12 years ago. Jones is a supporter of PlugFest participation, recently joined the BACnet marketing committee, and can be seen at various shows and events throughout the year. Jones is an active participant in the industry and a firm believer in the importance of working together to share best practices, implement/develop industry standards and create innovative, interoperable solutions.
Howler Award
Grant Wichenko, Appin Associates
The Howler Award serves to recognize an individual for making a lot of noise about BACnet International and BACnet Standards. For three decades Grant Wichenko has led the engineering firm, Appin Associates, which provides building automation consulting services to commercial buildings and instituts across North America. He possesses a passion for project excellence and is always a proponent of a BACnet approach. Wichenko understands the engineering challenges associated with projects and can relate these to audiences in his writings and presentations. He participates regularly in conferences such as the NFMT as well as BACnet International publications. Just as importantly, he approaches all situations with a healthy smile and a positive attitude.
Best In Show Award
Ohio University, The S4 Group, Inc.
The Best in Show Award is given to a project posted to BACnet International’s Success Stories that is worthy of merit. The S4 Group, Inc., is proud to be the enabling technology behind the Best in Show BACnet Success Story, but they also wanted to acknowledge the efforts of both Limbach and Building Control Integrators, who were the forces behind this project. S4 understands that its success hinges on the success of partners in the field, and they are enthusiastic to showcase their partners’ projects by doing case studies like this one.