How one energy champion shaped a more efficient school district
Energy efficiency looks a little different for everyone. For Vermont's large businesses and institutions, saving energy helps reduce operational costs. For schools specifically, that savings directly benefits taxpayers.
For 40 years, Cathy Reynolds helped Vermonters save energy and money. Between 2012 and 2024, she worked primarily with some of Vermont’s biggest businesses and institutions. She developed enduring partnerships that paved the way for successful efficiency projects at places like Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union in Bennington.
Holly Andersen is the director of facilities management and operations at Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union, where she oversees 10 schools. She has spearheaded several massive efficiency projects in the district.
After Cathy retired in 2024, she and Holly got together to reflect on their relationship and to share their hopes for Vermont's future.
Cathy: Efficiency Vermont puts a lot of focus on those large energy users. Each large business or institution has an Efficiency Vermont account manager. Their goal is to identify the most cost-effective measures that will help a business save energy.
As an account manager, part of my training was quite technical. But the most important part is understanding how the business works and what their challenges are. It's about trying to meet the business where they are. It's about developing long-term relationships and working hard to listen. That sort of complicated conversation is a lot easier if there's trust. For some businesses, we've been part of their operation and their culture for so long that we're now working with our third plant manager there.
Cathy: We started working together when Holly was a project manager at Bennington College. Anytime there was a large construction project, she was in charge of design and implementation. We worked together for 13 years, and then Holly got recruited to be the director of facilities management and operations at the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union. So our relationship has continued.
Holly: We've worked together for many moons. I immediately fell in love with Cathy because we appreciate all the same dorky things and we're epic nerds. We nerded together about variable frequency drives (VFDs) and LED lamps and low-pressure steam.
Cathy: One of the reasons I've enjoyed working with Holly is that we share this challenge of working in a pretty male-dominated field. We're often the only women in the room, and we're busting myths and surprising people and getting things done. That feels successful when I'm the only woman in the room, but it feels five times more successful when we're together. It's so powerful to get people's attention and just start getting things done.
Cathy Reynolds, retired Efficiency Vermont principal account manager (left) and Holly Andersen, Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union's director of facilities management and operations.
Cathy: One thing that makes these partnerships work well is when there's someone who's a champion of energy efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in their organization. Someone who's very committed to finding the pathway to making things happen. No one knows that better than someone from inside.
Businesses with energy champions are the most fun to work with. They're also generally the most successful at dramatically reducing their electric usage or improving their operations.
That's one of the special things about Holly. She's always been committed to understanding her organization, where the pressure points are, and how to pitch efficiency projects. She took on this newly merged school district by storm. She started by replacing every single light bulb in every single school: Seven elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools.
Holly: I'd rather try something and fail than do nothing at all.
You don't know what you don't know. I've been really mindful about bringing people together and not having each school be its own silo. Facilities managers meet twice a month and talk about how to improve operations, and how to share resources across the district.
It's nice to have trusted partners, because it makes everything easier and way more fun. I've brought in outside groups like Efficiency Vermont to provide guidance. It's great to have other eyes looking at the mechanical systems in different ways than they're looked at every day.
“It's nice to have trusted partners, because it makes everything easier and way more fun. I've brought in outside groups like Efficiency Vermont to provide guidance. It's great to have other eyes looking at the mechanical systems in different ways than they're looked at every day. ”
Holly: Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union has two biomass facilities. Working with Cathy, we've upgraded all the software controls. The biomass used to be either on or off; there was no way to modulate it. Now, the biomass facility controls are connected to the building management controls, so we have a lot more control over energy usage.
Another project was working with the superintendent to build an updated master plan for all the buildings in the district. Not just for deferred maintenance, but also for energy improvements. So sustainability is part of the entire master plan, not just a side thing. Sustainability means sustainability in all senses: for the students, for the teachers, and for the taxpayers who pay the bills. We need to be mindful that all our investments should have a reasonable return on investment. We should be doing projects that save money over time.
Right now, we're implementing air quality infrastructure improvements in every building. It's important for occupants to be comfortable. If they don't have indoor air quality, they can't learn.
Cathy: Holly has been very successful at getting grant money. All districts struggle with deferred maintenance and not enough money, but Holly is setting an example for what's possible.
Cathy: I’ve always been passionate about efficiency because I hate waste, and I also love technology that makes peoples' lives better and makes the world better. These big businesses and institutions are like big fun puzzles.
I'm a child of the gas crises. When I was in high school, I sold coffee in the gas line because people would have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to put gas in their cars. And I was like, 'something's wrong with this picture.' So that's why I started working in energy efficiency. I think what I wish for all of us here in Vermont is that we can work together to optimize our energy choices so that Vermont can remain as affordable as we can make it.
“I think what I wish for all of us here in Vermont is that we can work together to optimize our energy choices so that Vermont can remain as affordable as we can make it. ”
Holly: Exactly. It's not about me. It's not about the school district. It's about the future, and being able to afford to live here.
