The Building Commissioning Association (BCxA) honored Grumman|Butkus Associates Vice President John Villani, PE, CCP, CEM, LEED AP, with its prestigious Benner Award at its recent annual conference. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in making building commissioning “business as usual”: a testament to Villani’s dedication and contributions to the industry over the past two decades. (Villani shown at left with Liz Fischer, Executive Director, BCxA.)
Villani’s involvement with the BCxA, the international nonprofit organization that serves as the recognized authority and resource on commissioning, dates back to 2001. Beyond his participation as a member, his influence and impact are evident in his leadership and committee roles. He is past president of the association’s Central Chapter as well as the entire BCxA, and has served on the group’s best practices, training, and education committees. In 2019, Villani was honored with the BCxA’s President’s Award, which recognizes a member who has made a significant contribution through committee participation or other activities.
He has also participated in the Commercial Workforce Credentialling Council through the US Department of Energy and the National Institute of Building Sciences which established and maintains the commissioning industry’s ANSI certification credential qualifications and job task analysis. He chaired a volunteer group that recently revised the Health Care Facility Commissioning Handbook, a project of the American Society for Health Care Engineering in cooperation with the BCxA. Villani has also spent many years as an active member of ASHRAE and the Association of Energy Engineers.
He notes,” I am very honored to receive the award! Knowing the depth and magnitude of Nancy Benner’s impact on the industry adds even more weight to this nomination and achievement. As a pioneer in the advancement of commissioning, there was a lot behind Nancy’s mission.
“Over 25 years, I’ve personally known Benner Award winners. I’ve looked up to them and aspired to learn from them. It’s humbling to receive the award in light of Benner’s efforts and influence in the industry: a trailblazer for building commissioning at a time when it was an industry dominated by men. I am grateful to the BCxA and the industry for the opportunity to grow and learn.”
Since joining GBA in 2008, Villani has overseen significant growth in the firm’s commissioning, retro-commissioning, and monitoring-based commissioning services. He spearheaded the company’s expansion into the New York region with the opening of a Hoboken, NJ, office in 2013. Villani currently oversees a diverse group of more than 40 Cx-, RCx-, MBCx- and energy engineers, providing services nationwide. His prior experience includes posts at Johnson Controls and Columbia University.
A graduate of SUNY Maritime College and a former licensed engineer in the US Merchant Marines, Villani lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Nancy, and children, Sarah and CJ.
