Up Close with Brian Baker

By Shirley Coyle, LC

Looking for a job in the late 1980s that would still allow him to continue going to school during the day, Brian Baker signed on with a small, local lighting company in the Milwaukee area and stepped into the middle of the big energy retrofit of the day - replacing 40W T12s with a 34W energy saver lamp. Brian found the environment infectious, was intrigued by the energy savings, and immediately felt it was the right job at the right time to get him through a short period. Now, more than 30 years later, Brian is still in lighting!

Opportunities for advancement came up, requiring travel that caused Brian to put traditional schooling aside. Through his company’s membership in NALMCO, he instead started an alternate path to increased confidence – a path that included lighting education, comradery, and mentorship. His first NALMCO certification earned was the CLMC (Certified Lighting Management Consultant). He has since earned two other NALMCO certifications: the CLCP (Certified Lighting Controls Professional) and the CSLC (Certified Sustainable Lighting Consultant).

Brian’s biggest challenge came as he transitioned from the smaller company where he was involved “soup to nuts” in all the roles (audit, sales execution, rebate incentive documents, permits, invoicing) to a more focused role as a project manager at a much larger organization, Energy Management Collaborative (EMC). He recalls the early days of the technology transition to LED: “At first there was a lot of fear with LEDs – it was seen as unproven and very expensive.” After learning about LED, it became an opportunity to help clients through the process.

Just recently promoted to Principal Project Manager at EMC, Brian attributes much of his success to his involvement over the years with NALMCO, along with his own hard work and commitment to education. He has been guided by friends and mentors through his career in lighting. Getting involved early-on as part of a NALMCO committee was a key step, and now in his second term on the Board of NALMCO, Brian notes that with NALMCO, “There are no limits on personal growth, for my company’s growth and in helping the industry. It’s mutually rewarding for the individual and for the NALMCO member company.” In his committee work, Brian led the mammoth project to update the CLMC certification content – an effort that took “more than a year and a village of volunteers!” He and his team of hard-working volunteers all received the highly- respected Lumina Award from NALMCO for commitment, dedication and leadership to NALMCO and the lighting industry.

Reflecting on the biggest issues facing the lighting management industry at this time, Brian notes that while there are still some material and supply chain challenges, the biggest problem is a lack of skilled labor as the technology has evolved. He finds the shortage is most problematic in the specialty areas, including networked controls, human-centric lighting, UV, and EV charging (which has fallen under the lighting umbrella). Brian sees NALMCO as well-positioned to provide the important ongoing education, citing the various NALMCO certifications, along with NALMCO’s partnership with Acuity Academy. He would also like to see the NALMCO content incorporated into the technical high school and trade programs.

Asked for his advice to young people entering the lighting industry, Brian encourages them to explore lighting. “Try to job shadow for a few days at a distributor, get on a committee with NALMCO or IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) – you will get exposed to individuals who are so passionate about lighting!” He sees this business continuing to grow and change: “The first wave of LEDs is already needing to be replaced, and there’s still a lot of non-LED lighting out there to be converted or maintained. This industry is a place for young professionals to grow, and quickly if they so choose – I’m always happy to speak to them and provide information on the NALMCO certifications if they reach out to me”

On a beautiful 10-acre property bordering a ski hill in Wisconsin, Brian and his wife live in a wonderful log home – loving it in spite of the constant maintenance required –cleaning, treating and re-staining the wood. He and his nowgrown boys like to race snowmobiles, with the whole family enjoying life outdoors – camping, biking and trail-riding. Both sons are in the trades – one in electrical, one in HVAC – “It’s fun to watch them grow and emerge on that path!” ■