After more than three decades in the building automation industry, I’ve learned that real progress happens at the intersection of innovation, openness, and practical application. As CEO and Founder of Engenuity Systems, Inc., I’ve spent the better part of my career championing smarter, more sustainable buildings—particularly in the underserved small and medium-sized building (SMB) sector. From our early days as one of Echelon’s original LonWorks Independent Developers to today as architects of the eViewIoT platform, my team and I have always focused on enabling real-world interoperability and driving value through intelligent integration.
Now, I’m honored to join AutomatedBuildings.com as a contributing editor.
This opportunity allows me to share insights from a unique vantage point: leading a technology company that has both distributed and developed smart building solutions, representing the global LonWorks community as Chairman of the Board of LonMark International, serving on the Governing Board of the Coalition for Smarter Buildings (C4SB), and advocating for open systems as a foundational requirement in the built environment.
While I’ve long supported the LonWorks community and continue to see real technical value in its proven resilience and flexibility, I also recognize the critical role that BACnet has played in shaping the modern building controls landscape. Its widespread adoption and status as the de facto industry standard underscore just how important interoperability and open protocol collaboration are to scaling smart building solutions across different markets and system architectures.
My editorial contributions will explore this broader context—highlighting the evolution of open, interoperable systems through both historical lenses and forward-looking innovations. I’ll focus especially on IoT, edge-to-cloud control strategies, and emerging frameworks that help bring modern connectivity and intelligence to SMBs. I will also shine a light on the LonWorks and BACnet communities—including developers, OEMs, integrators, and end users—who continue to advance the state of the art through open collaboration.
Whether I’m writing about energy management in restaurants and retail, or exploring how protocols like LonTalk and BACnet coexist with cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes, my goal will always be to provide actionable insights. My belief is simple: when systems talk openly, buildings perform better—and everyone benefits.
Thank you to the team at AutomatedBuildings.com for the invitation. I look forward to contributing regularly and continuing the dialogue on how we make buildings not just smarter, but more responsive, efficient, and connected for all.
