April 2026 Newsletter 
Calendar of Events
APRIL MONTHLY MEETING - OMAHA
April 14th, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Legends - Aksarben 6920 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68106
How to Protect Project Budgets, Meet Code and Improve Indoor Air Quality through ASHRAE 62.1 IAQP
The presentation will enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of ASHRAE 62.1: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality for Commercial Buildings, with a particular focus on the Indoor Air Quality Procedure (IAQP) as a cost-effective, energy-efficient strategy for achieving optimal indoor air quality. Participants will gain practical skills in applying the IAQP through detailed guidance on ASHRAE tools, research, and supporting methodologies.
The presentation is especially relevant as building and energy codes evolve, requiring greater mastery of ASHRAE 62.1-2019 and 62.1-2022 standards. Participants will develop professional competencies in areas including confidence in applying the IAQP, leveraging LEED v5 for indoor air quality compliance, evaluating economic trade-offs of ventilation strategies, and understanding the emerging industry trend that effective indoor air quality management and energy-efficient ventilation can be achieved simultaneously.
Bio:
Audwin Cash joined GPS Air as the CEO in late 2024. Audwin joined GPS Air after roles as President of Climate Systems at Regal Rexnord, and SVP of Digital Controls at Acuity Brands Lighting. In these roles, Audwin has been a technical and business leader focused on bringing energy efficient solutions with an ROI to market. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech and MBA from Lehigh University. Audwin resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he lives with his wife and two teenage children.
APRIL MONTHLY MEETING - Lincoln
April 15th, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lazlo's Brewery & Grill - 210 N 7th St., Lincoln, NE 68508
How to Protect Project Budgets, Meet Code and Improve Indoor Air Quality through ASHRAE 62.1 IAQP
The presentation will enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of ASHRAE 62.1: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality for Commercial Buildings, with a particular focus on the Indoor Air Quality Procedure (IAQP) as a cost-effective, energy-efficient strategy for achieving optimal indoor air quality. Participants will gain practical skills in applying the IAQP through detailed guidance on ASHRAE tools, research, and supporting methodologies.
The presentation is especially relevant as building and energy codes evolve, requiring greater mastery of ASHRAE 62.1-2019 and 62.1-2022 standards. Participants will develop professional competencies in areas including confidence in applying the IAQP, leveraging LEED v5 for indoor air quality compliance, evaluating economic trade-offs of ventilation strategies, and understanding the emerging industry trend that effective indoor air quality management and energy-efficient ventilation can be achieved simultaneously.
Bio:
Audwin Cash joined GPS Air as the CEO in late 2024. Audwin joined GPS Air after roles as President of Climate Systems at Regal Rexnord, and SVP of Digital Controls at Acuity Brands Lighting. In these roles, Audwin has been a technical and business leader focused on bringing energy efficient solutions with an ROI to market. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech and MBA from Lehigh University. Audwin resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he lives with his wife and two teenage children.
President's Report
Nebraska ASHRAE Members,
Happy Spring! I hope you were able to enjoy some March Madness and even participate in our Nebraska ASHRAE Bracket Challenge. Congratulations to Tony Mueller for pulling out the win! All money raised as part of the bracket challenge will go toward our chapter RP goal.
Congratulations to our RP Committee for a very successful first annual Top Golf fundraiser last month! Thank you to all of the sponsors who helped make the event possible and allowed us to raise almost $6,000 for ASHRAE Research! Tony Mueller and Callen Schwank worked hard to put this event together and have set it up to be successful for years to come. Keep an eye out next year for your chance to participate!
I have gotten a couple questions from our members regarding our annual CEU Day. This year we have an exciting opportunity to combine it with the CRC we are hosting this summer, so we will be offering an expanded Technical Conference as part of CRC on August 7th. Registration will include the Presidential Luncheon where the new Society President, Sarah Maston, will present her theme for the year. Registration for the Tech Conference and CRC (and our exciting a la carte events, like a Welcome Party at the Durham and a dinner at the Zoo) will open in April. I hope to see many of you there!
We are also looking for volunteers for CRC. There are many roles to fill, including registration, preparing welcome bags, VIP guest transportation, meeting setup, and hospitality suite staffing. If you're interested in volunteering for a short time slot, please fill out the quick survey at this link (https://forms.office.com/r/Eu5shmN39Z) or reach out to Shaun Nienhueser ([email protected]). We also still have sponsorships available for CRC. If your company or a manufacturer you represent is interested in sponsoring our CRC, reach out to Will Morris ([email protected]) or find more information later in the newsletter. We have been hard at work planning a great event and are so appreciative of your support!
We also have the opportunity to host the current Society President, Bill McQuade, in May. Keep your calendar open for a special lunch meeting on May 22nd at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha. Bill will present an update to what has been accomplished regarding his theme of healthy buildings and IEQ and you'll have a chance to ask him a few questions. It's an honor for our chapter to be able to host the Society President and I hope many of you will join us in welcoming him to Omaha. Registration will open soon. We will also have our technical tours in Omaha and Lincoln in May.
Join us next week for our Omaha and Lincoln meetings where we will be learning about ASHRAE 62.1 and IAQ. It's hard to believe this will be our last regular meetings for the year! I hope to see you there!
Thanks for your continued support of Nebraska ASHRAE!
Sarah Bordenkecher
President - Nebraska ASHRAE
ASHRAE RESEARCH PROMOTION
research promotion spotlight
Target Goal: $25,250
Current Donations: $12,993
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!
- Choose the option "Endowed Research Funds"
- In the dropdown list next to "Apply To Existing Endowed Fund"
- 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
Tim Wentz
Sarah Bordenkecher
Ryan Hempel
Tyler Glesne
Jeff McCaslin
Patrick Killeen
Jessica Renner
Other Donors
Geir Rimmereide
Donald Horn
Corporate Donors
Major Donor ($1,000 - $2,499)
Samsung
Victaulic Co
ASHRAE NE Chapter - Member Appreciation Casino Night
Major Donor ($500 - $999)
Sys-Kool - Omaha
Hydronic Energy
Honor Roll ($150 - $499)
Engineered Controls Inc
Mechanical Contractors Association - Omaha
Hayes Mechanical
Mechanical Sales, Inc.
Verne Simmonds Company
Tune Facilities
Johnson Controls Inc.
Grundfos Americas Corporation
Trane - Ralston
Community Announcements
Certification application discount
NEW! 25% Certification Application Discount
Apply May 1 - 31
Exciting news! Apply May 1-31 with the discount code CERT2026 to receive a 25% discount on applications for any of ASHRAE's seven (7) building design or building performance certifications.
Here’s how the discount works:
- Apply anytime May 1-31 using the Discount Code: CERT2026
- Take your certification exam at any of ASHRAE's new 1,000+ test center locations worldwide
Discover what ASHRAE-certified professionals say about the Benefits of Certification:
►Credibility
►Recognition
►Career Opportunities
►Earning Power
YEA Events
YEA DEADLINES
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Upcoming YEA and Student Events and Deadlines |
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2026 Design Competition
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2026 Annual Leadership U Applications
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YEA HVAC Design Scholarships
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YEA Developing Leader Award
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YEA Inspirational Leader Award
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ASHRAE Connect
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March Madness
2026 march madness bracket challenge
Congratulations to our winners!
- 1st place - Tony Mueller
- 2nd place - Jason Eickmeier
- 3rd place - Callen Schwank
Tournament Statistics
- 16 total participants
- 1 Michigan champion
- 2 UConn champions
- 8 Arizona champions
- 3 Duke champions
- 1 St. John’s champion
- 1 Florida champion
- No bracket picked all Final Four teams correctly
- Only 1 bracket picked 3 correctly
- 9 brackets picked 2 correctly
- 3rd place was a two-way tie
- Callen perfectly predicted the chapionship game's final point spread at 132 points for the tiebreaket
Region IX CRC
REgion ix crc sponsorships
The Nebraska ASHRAE chapter is seeking sponsorships for this incredible event that will be held in Omaha in August. Sponsorships of ANY amount are greatly appreciated! If you are interested and have questions regarding available sponsorships, please contact Will Morris @ [email protected].