This month’s Employee Spotlight is…
Michael Rossi – Energy Code Specialist
1. Where did you grow up? Where do you reside now?
I grew up in Methuen, Massachusetts and moved to Nashua, New Hampshire a few years ago to live with my fiancée Alison.
2. What did you want to be when you grew up (when you were a child)?
I’ve always been interested in the environment and the outdoors, which stemmed from when I was a Boy Scout when I was younger, so I wanted to be an Environmental Scientist!
3. What guided you into the energy efficiency industry?
During my college career I went to a small school in rural Maine that prioritized sustainability science, so my interest in energy efficiency started there, but as it relates to building science, I stumbled across it accidentally. As I was looking for jobs after I got my degree, I realized that I knew a little bit about a lot of different topics but wasn’t really specialized in anything. When I got an offer to be a HERS Rater, I learned all about the impacts that buildings have on our health and safety and how they are a large contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and I fell in love with the energy efficiency industry because I realized that I could make an impact and improve the lives of building occupants.
4. What does a day in your life at PSD look like?
In my role as an Energy Code Specialist, I’m typically providing technical assistance and support to building professionals in the states we work with, developing new training content and tools to reflect state energy code updates, delivering energy code training, helping communities adopt more stringent energy codes and collaborating with our clients to make sure we meet and exceed their expectations.
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?
I would say Passion. I’m very passionate about making sure that we’re leaving a better world for future generations and think energy efficiency can help us mitigate the worst impacts of climate change while also making people’s lives better by adhering to more stringent energy codes.
6. What is your favorite PSD-related memory?
My favorite memory was when I went outside of my comfort zone to lead our team in helping our client with a competitive grant to adopt building performance standards.
7. What do you do when you aren’t at work? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
I love to read environmental non-fiction books and typically read over 30 books per year. I’m also on a competitive barbeque team called Hot Mess BBQ.
8. Do you have any pets?
No.
9. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas.
10. Favorite travel destination? Or dream travel destination?
I’ve always wanted to go to Italy! I also like going on cruises to tropical islands.
11. Favorite musician/genre?
I love Broadway musicals.
12. What’s the top item on your bucket list? Have you checked anything cool or fun off?
The top item on my bucket list is to get married, have kids, and own a home. One cool thing I’ve checked off is meeting a former President.
13. What is an interesting thing about yourself that people may not know?
Prior to working in the energy efficiency industry, I was actively involved in political campaigns and was a Regional Organizing Director for a presidential campaign in 2020 in New Hampshire and South Carolina and worked as the Campaign Manager for the Mayor of my hometown.
Thank you, Michael! We appreciate you taking the time to do this and are excited to have people get to know a little more about you!
