PORTLAND, Ore. – June 3, 2015 – Commissioning industry leader Gerald “Jerry” Kettler received the renowned Benner Award at the 23rd annual National Conference on Building Commissioning (NCBC) held May 19-20, 2015 in St. Louis, MO. In memory of commissioning industry champion Nancy Benner, the Benner Award recognizes outstanding achievement in making building commissioning “business as usual.” The Benner Award Committee grants the award to an individual or organization that has engaged in educational or demonstration activities, policy initiatives, or endeavors that successfully promote building commissioning.
Jerry is a legend in building commissioning. He is a licensed professional engineer in nine states and certified in many specialties including commissioning, test and balance, and environmental management. He has performed commissioning for over 300 projects. Jerry has worked diligently across many industry associations to ensure consistency in the process and technical aspects of commissioning. He has served on ASHRAE Guideline 0, The Commissioning Process Committee, as chair of Guideline 1.4, Systems Manual, and was the Chairman of ASHRAE Standard 202 standing committee on commissioning documentation. Jerry was on the Board of Direction for the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council at the National Institute of Building Science where he was a major influence in ensuring that Cx was treated as professional service. Possibly Jerry’s hardest job recently has been involvement with the International Code Council’s efforts to develop Standard 1000 and the IAS Accreditation. He is a LEED Fellow and has served on USGBC committees to help advance commissioning. Locally, Jerry is a Director of the Building Commissioning Association’s Texas Chapter, and active in his ASHRAE Chapter, USGBC Chapter, and is the founding chair of the Dallas 2030 District.
Michael Chelednik, AIA, nominated Jerry for the Benner Award this year and summed up his application this way, “Jerry spends so much time working for our industry trying to make it better for all of us we often wonder if he has a day job!”
Liz Fischer, BCA Executive Director, says, “I am honored to present this award to one of the industry’s founding fathers. Jerry’s is responsible for facilitating so many of the commissioning industry’s milestones it would take more time than we have today to list them all. I have personally learned much from him and am grateful for everything he does on behalf of stakeholders in the built environment.”
About NCBC 2015: NCBC was held in St. Louis, MO on May 19-20, 2015. The theme this year was the “Gateway to the Future of Commissioning.” Since 1993, NCBC has been the premier annual event for leaders and newcomers across the building community to join together to learn and report on industry trends, cutting edge applications and quality education. NCBC is designed to advance state-of-the-art building commissioning and the professionals who practice it. NCBC provides the forum for sharing the most cost-effective processes for optimizing building performance, reducing energy use, and improving indoor air quality, occupant comfort, and productivity.
About BCA: The Building Commissioning Association is dedicated to maximizing the value of building commissioning to the built environment and its stakeholders. The BCA helps create, promote and provide leadership and education on current and evolving best practices in building commissioning for building owners, operators, designers, constructors and commissioning providers. http://www.bcxa.org.
