Calendar of Events

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President's Report

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ASHRAE Region IX Technology Award

Region IX Technology Award Deadline

The Region IX Technology Award Deadline is approaching! (March 1st)

Please submit all applications for Technical Awards by March 1 to CTTC RVC.

See H&A Website or ask your CTTC RVC for more info.
https://www.ashrae.org/membership/honors-and-awards

ASHRAE Technology Award applications are accepted in each of the following categories: 
I. Commercial Buildings (New, Existing, EBCx) 
II. Institutional Buildings (New, Existing, EBCx) • Educational Facilities • Other Institutional 
III. Health Care Facilities (New, Existing, EBCx) 
IV. Industrial Facilities or Processes (New, Existing, EBCx) 
V. Public Assembly (New, Existing, EBCx) 
VI. Residential 

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ASHRAE Golf Outing

ashrae top golf FUNDRAISER

2026 marks the first year of ASHRAE's Topgolf fundraiser event!

All vendor representatives and manufacturers are being invited to sponsor this event to help bring together our industry for an evening of drinks, food, and Topgolf while also raising money for this year's ASHRAE Research Promotion fundraising campaign! Please find the event details below.

Vendors - we are asking for your help in identifying manufacturers willing to sponsor. This event provides ample marketing opportunities depending on the sponsorship package chosen. There is also a greater opportunity for networking as participants are free to roam about and make connections with anyone at the event.

Similar to the ASHRAE Golf Outing, sponsors are responsible for filling their booths, up to 6 total players per booth.

If you have any questions, please feel free to respond to this email. We will be setting up a payment link if you would like to pay digitally; however, this comes with a processing fee. The most straightforward way would be to pay with a check made out to "Nebraska ASHRAE Research Promotion".

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Government Affairs

Nebraska gac spotlight

The Government Affairs Committee has had a busy start to 2026! 

On January 20^th, Sarah Bordenkecher, Jessica Renner, and Todd McDevitt joined GAC Chair Jeff McCaslin for a “Day on the Hill” event.  They successfully met with members of both the Natural Resources and Urban Affairs Committee.  That afternoon, Jeff McCaslin stuck around to testify on a committee hearing on LB800 on behalf of ASHRAE.

On February 3^rd, Jeff McCaslin was joined by Sarah Bordenkecher, Abby Visty-Brophy, and Anne DeVries for a proclamation ceremony, where Governor Pillen declared E-week in NE on behalf of ASHRAE.

Jeff McCaslin gave the following speech to those present:

Good morning.  My name is Jeff McCaslin.  I’m an engineer, and I’m here to help kick off National Engineer’s week. 

E-Week is a time to celebrate how engineering shapes the world.  We celebrate the achievements of the engineers of today and hope to inspire engineers of tomorrow at the same time. 

This year, E-week will run from February 22-28, and I’m proud to be here today on behalf of my organization (ASHRAE).

ASHRAE has been around since 1894.  It is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. We have over 55,000 members around the world, and over 400 right here in Nebraska

I became an engineer right here in Lincoln 20 years ago when I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering.  However, I certainly wouldn’t say that’s when my engineering education ended; It’s just where it started. That’s the thing about engineering… there’s always more to learn. 

Our Nebraska chapter of ASHRAE recognizes the importance of Engineering education at all levels, and we try to do our part to help.

For K-12 students, we judge science fairs, and every year, we read an engineering storybook to every second-grade classroom in Omaha.

For colleges students pursuing an engineering degree, we sponsor a student chapter where we provide scholarship opportunities and professional development.

For those of us working in the engineering field, we offer monthly courses for engineers who need Continuing Education Credits to maintain their professional license. 

This is what I meant when I said that there’s always more to learn.  It’s in these monthly meetings that new technologies are introduced, changes to building codes are presented, new solutions discussed, and we even provide discussion on engineering ethics.

One presentation we had this year stuck out to me as a great example of the cooperation of the engineering community.  The presentation was on a topic called “Thermal Storage.”

The basic premise is this: Sustainable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) don’t necessarily create energy at the same rate at which it’s consumed.  So, what do you do with the excess?  Rather than storing it in a battery, what if you used it to make ice overnight?  This would allow for energy to be saved as a thermal utility that could be reclaimed during the day.  I know it’s February right now, and the last thing any of us want to imagine is a room full of ice, but all that energy can supplement a cooling system on a hot summer day, without taxing the energy grid so much during peak hours. I know we’ve all looked at an electric bill during the summer thought “There’s got to be a better way!”

What struck me about this particular presentation was the combination of disciplines necessary to make it work.  At a large scale, a well-designed thermal storage system would require Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Plumbing engineers, plus controls experts to make all the systems communicate with each other.  It’s more complicated than you might think, melting all that ice efficiently.  That’s the beauty of engineering. Nobody can be an expert in everything, but by working together, we can change the world… one project at a time.

Thank you, Governor Pillen, for recognizing E-week for the state of Nebraska!

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ASHRAE RESEARCH PROMOTION

research promotion spotlight

Target Goal: $25,250

Current Donations: $4400

Click the link below to donate to the 2025-2026 Nebraska Research Promotion fundraising campaign:

https://www.ashrae.org/about/invest-in-the-rp-campaign

If you do not have a specific area you would like your donation applied to (YEA, scholarships, etc.), please consider donating to the Nebraska Chapter's Endowment Fund!

1. Choose the option "Endowed Research Funds"
2. In the dropdown list next to "Apply To Existing Endowed Fund"
3. Select "Nebraska Chapter Research Fund"

Donating to the endowment fund works similarly to growing an investment account. The more donations made to it, the larger the account grows. Every year, we are guaranteed a 5% minimum return on that investment which goes directly to research projects and counts towards our Chapter's RP fundraising goal for the year. In essence, the more we grow the fund, the easier it will be to improve our fundraising capabilities every year! If you regularly donate to the "ASHRAE Research" category, consider this as a way for your donation to have an even larger impact.

Again, THANK YOU to our donors!

Individual Donors

Major Donor ($500 - $999)

Sara Robbins

Nicholas Mandel

Major Donor ($250 - $499)

Dan Holtmeyer

Frederich Granzow

Honor Roll ($150 - $249)

Abigail Brophy

Grayson Harvey

Tim Wentz

Will Morris

Sarah Bordenkecher

Gary Cooper

Ryan Hempel

Tony Mueller

Tyler Glesne

Peter Koneck-Wilwerding

Jeff McCaslin

Geir Rimmereide

Shaun Nienhueser

Patrick Killeen

Richard Kapustka

Corporate Donors

Major Donor ($1,000 - $2,499)

ASHRAE NE Chapter - Member Appreciation Casino Night

Major Donor ($500 - $999)

Sys-Kool - Omaha

Honor Roll ($150 - $499)

Engineered Controls Inc

Mechanical Contractors Association - Omaha

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ASHRAE Chapter Officers

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