Rob McManamy

Chicago

Executive Editor at HPAC Engineering

Smart cities won't care where you went to school.

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Articles

Attracting Engineering Talent, with ASHRAE's Jennifer Leach and Keith Hammelman

4 weeks ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

Our June 2025 episode of 'HPAC On The Air' welcomed engineers Jennifer Leach and Keith Hammelman, who are both presenting at the 2025 ASHRAE Annual Conference in Phoenix this month. Their topic? Next-generation engineering talent. "How to Get'em; How to Keep'em." Leach is an associate principal at BR+A Consulting Engineers in the Washington DC area and a graduate of Penn State University.
Economic Unpredictability Has Industry on Edge

1 month ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

The economic news has been fast and furious this spring and more than a few headlines seem to be in conflict with each other. To make sense of it all, let's review the latest from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, plus industry voices at the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Associated General Contractors (AGC), Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Dodge Construction Network, and more. Taken together, they offer a clearer view of the road ahead for U.S. design and construction.
AI, Nex-Gen and Finding Pathways

1 month ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

Last week, jaw-dropping news hit the wire that the Chicago Sun-Times and some other major daily newspapers had mistakenly included 10 AI-generated, fake book titles in their 2025 recommended summer reading list. AI had paired real author names with plausible book titles...
On The Economy, with Rob McManamy

1 month ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

The economic news has been fast and furious this spring and more than a few headlines are in conflict with each other. To make sense of it all, here we briefly review the latest from Fed Chair Jerome Powell plus industry voices at the American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors, and more. Taken together, this snapshot hopefully can give us a clearer view of the road ahead for U.S. design and construction... Click below to listen...
Navigating Uncertainty, with Economist Richard Branch

1 month ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

At this time of extraordinary economic disruption, 'HPAC On The Air' welcomes back longtime industry analyst Richard Branch for his take on how design and construction firms can manage best in the face of a potential recession. Formerly the chief economist at Dodge Construction Network, Branch left that role in January. But he continues to monitor our industry's most relevant economic indicators, billing himself as the Free Agent Economist and publishing a free weekly newsletter for subscribers.
EPA Resets, Engineers Stay Focused, with Rob McManamy

2 months ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

In March, the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to roll back more than 30 regulations and de-emphasize the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions. Since our industry is already heavily invested in decarbonization, we spoke with a number of key engineering leaders to gauge their reaction. Here, in his latest Editor's Notes, Rob McManamy reports on what they told him. Click below to listen... #####For all episodes of HPAC Editor's Notes and HPAC On The Air, visit our archives here.
Protecting Your Business, with Nick Espinosa

2 months ago | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

As building operations become more and more automated, building engineers and project teams face ever-increasing cybersecurity challenges. Whether the client is a federal agency, a sports arena or a food processing plant, vulnerabilties continue to abound and evolve daily in the modern marketplace.
Breaking Barriers, Listening to Customers, with ABMA's Nancy Simoneau

Mar 1, 2025 | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

This month, HPAC On The Air welcomes Nancy Simoneau, president of Groupe Simoneau, a 40-year-old Canadian boiler manufacturer based in Quebec, and the new Board Chair of the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA). In January, Ms. Simoneau became the first woman ever to attain that title with the 137-year-old trade group, as well as the first non-U.S.-based member to fill that role.
AHR Expo 2025: Scenes from the Second Day

Feb 12, 2025 | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

An industry reporter and editor since 1987, McManamy joined HPAC Engineering in September 2017, after three years with BuiltWorlds.com, a Chicago-based media startup focused on tech innovation in the built environment. He has been covering design and construction issues for more than 30 years, having started at Engineering News-Record (ENR) in New York, before becoming its Midwest Bureau Chief in 1990.
Panel Finds Industry in Uncertain State

Feb 12, 2025 | hpac.com | Rob McManamy

Given the ongoing pivot in federal leadership on so many relevant issues, it was hard not to feel the swirling mix of anxiety, optimism, and curiosity permeating the packed meeting space for AHR Expo's annual 'State of the Industry' panel on Tuesday. Some 250 attendees attended the one-hour session that featured insights from ASHRAE President M.