By GREGORY ZELLER //
A region long known for amazing feats of scientific engineering finally has its first-ever Engineer of the Year.
The Long Island Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers has announced the inaugural winner of its Engineer of the Year Award, recognizing a Long Island-based mechanical, electrical, plumbing or controls engineer with an outstanding record of performance and/or innovation in the heating/ventilation/air-conditioning/refrigeration industry.
The first-ever winner, crowned June 13 at the ASHRAE Long Island’s Past Presidents’ Night at Westbury Manor, is mechanical engineer and Oceanside resident Jonah Allaben, a senior energy services associate at New York City-based consulting engineering firm Goldman Copeland.
Jonah Allaben: Efficiency pioneer.
With 15-plus years of design and managerial experience on complex engineering projects, Allaben’s knack for turning energy-audit result into actionable energy-efficiency designs provides key contributions for a firm that’s completed energy audits and retro-commissioning projects for more than 50 million square feet of commercial and institutional properties – and has certified more Energy Star-rated buildings around Greater New York than any other firm, according to ASHRAE Long Island.
The graduate of Cornell University (where he earned bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in mechanical engineering), Association of Energy Engineers Certified Energy Manager and LEED-accredited professional is the perfect choice for the inaugural Engineer of the Year Award, according to ASHRAE Long Island President Murat Bayramoglu.
“The Long Island Chapter of ASHRAE is pleased to initiate its Engineer of the Year Award by honoring Jonah Allaben, a leading practitioner of energy efficiency in the tri-state area,” Bayramoglu said. “At a time when energy efficiency is a crucial priority locally, regionally and nationally, this year’s award winner underscores the essential role of engineers in achieving the highest standards of energy efficiency.”
