This month’s Employee Spotlight is…
Robby Oakley
Senior Technical Specialist
1. Where did you grow up? Where do you reside now?
I grew up in Naperville, IL, a part of the Chicago Suburbia landscape. I now live in Madison, WI.
2. What did you want to be when you grew up (when you were a child)?
I wanted to be a zookeeper growing up because I loved animals. But on a particularly warm visit to the zoo, I realized doing that might stink and decided to go do something else.
3. What guided you into the energy efficiency industry?
I was in Boy Scouts and always enjoyed being in nature (minus the mosquitoes…), and I wanted to make sure it was protected for those who came after me. I figured the best way I could help the energy efficiency industry was by working to make buildings more efficient, moving the goalposts forward for renewable energy systems.
4. What does a day in your life at PSD look like?
My days are split between sitting at my desk and sitting in my car. On office days, I review ratings submitted to the PSD Providership and the WI Focus on Energy program, or I field helpdesk calls from our Raters and Building Performance Consultants. On Field days, I drive around the state of WI performing QA on ratings. This involves running a blower door, the occasional duct test, and scampering around basements and attics.
5. Our company has five core values (Integrity, Passion, Collaboration, Vision, and Making an Impact). Which of these values resonates most with you and the work you do at PSD?
Integrity matters the most to me. I understand my job as a QA guy is often seen as meddling in people doing their jobs, but it is still important to make sure things are done correctly. My philosophy is that QA shouldn’t be punitive. Sometimes mistakes are made, and if I am allowed to learn something new every day, so should a Rater. Mistakes can be a learning opportunity, so that we can make sure we do things correctly in the future.
6. What do you do when you aren’t at work? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
I spend a fair bit of time planning my DnD campaign for my friends. We have been playing for a year and a half now, so I like to think that means they have been enjoying it. The irony is not lost on me that I am a “Rules-Lawyer” in both my professional and personal life.
7. Do you have any pets?
My partner and I have 2 cats, but I think they see me as just a roommate. One is a fluffy Standard-Issue-Cat who is legally named Nutmeg, but is mostly referred to as Floof for how fluffy she is, which has been shortened to Foofa. My other roommate is a Tuxedo cat, legally named Robin, but is also called The Bean or Bean depending on context.
8. What is your favorite holiday?
My favorite holiday would have to be Halloween. Mostly because it is the one day a year I can wear a cape, and nobody will give me the side eye. My partner and I enjoy dressing up as characters from whatever show we enjoyed that year. I also deeply respect Halloween as the last line of decorative defense protecting us from having to listen to Christmas music during Labor Day.
9. Favorite travel destination? Or dream travel destination?
I really enjoyed the Netherlands. My partner is getting her Ph.D. in Dutch Linguistics, so whenever we go, it is like having a personal tour guide, and it gives me an excuse to use my 1500+ Dutch Duolingo streak.
10. Favorite musician/genre?
I usually listen to music song by song, but my favorite band would have to be Rise Against.
11. What’s the top item on your bucket list? Have you checked anything cool or fun off?
Everything I do at the moment is in pursuit of adopting a corgi. But that entails owning a yard, so that is a bit of a way off. I did check off proposing to my partner and getting everything set up for our wedding in April 2026, so I think that’s pretty cool.
12. What is an interesting thing about yourself that people may not know?
I have extensive knowledge of the best Fish Frys in Madison and which ones are best for different group sizes, since I usually rally my friends to get Fish on Fridays.
