ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter - FOG April 2026 
President's Report
Dear Golden Gate Chapter Members,
What an exciting stretch it’s been for our Chapter. We’ve had strong engagement, great energy, and some truly memorable events this Spring.
In March, we kicked things off with a fantastic Refrigeration Night and distillery tour in Oakland. A big thank you to Refrigeration Chair Ian Anderson for leading the program, Ruben for an excellent technical presentation, and Norman S. Wright for sponsoring the evening and helping make it a success.
In April, our Women in ASHRAE Panel brought together an outstanding group of industry leaders Leslie Kramer, Ana Levitt, and Amy Nagengast, moderated by Marina Shatalova for a powerful conversation on leadership, sustainability, and career growth. The energy and participation in the room really stood out.
We also hosted our Annual Product Show last week. A special thank you to John Plecnik for hosting the event and managing the significant coordination required to bring the show to a new venue. We also thank our speakers Conrad Carino and Jose Bocanegra for sharing their insights, along with all the manufacturers, engineers, contractors, and owners who made it a highly successful and well attended event.
Looking ahead, I’m especially excited for our May meeting at Southland Industries featuring the presentation Southland Industries, DMFA and Prefabrication plus a Shop Tour led by Greg Hamm. At this meeting, we will also be awarding $61,000 in scholarships to support the next generation of engineers and leaders, an incredible milestone for our Chapter.
A huge thank you to all our volunteers and sponsors who continue to make everything we do possible. Your time, effort, and support are what keep this Chapter thriving.
I will be traveling to Nepal for the next three weeks with my family. If everything works out, I’m hoping to share a special photo from Everest Base Camp in the next newsletter.
I’m also looking forward to seeing many of you at the Golden Gate ASHRAE Annual Golf Tournament on May 18, always a great day of networking, friendly competition, and fun on the course.
Sincerely,
Sanjil Karki
President, ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter
Upcoming Events
Please join us for our annual Golden Gate Chapter Golf Tournament happening on Monday May 18th at Berkeley Country Club.
Job Opportunities
Check out this exciting new job opportunity with Amit Wadhwa and Associates Engineers (AWA)!
JOB TITLE: HVAC Engineer
LOCATION: SF Downtown Location
OVERVIEW
Seeking HVAC Engineer with 5+ years of experience in designing Mechanical systems for commercial office buildings (both base building and tenant improvement design). Must be affluent in ACAD (experience with Revit is a plus but not mandatory). PE or non-PE both ok. Attractive Salary and Bonus. SF Downtown location.
We are also open to fresh graduates with a Mechanical Engineering degree who are eager to start their career in HVAC design.
Please contact Amit Wadhwa at [email protected] if interested!
Refrigeration Committee
The refrigeration committee organized our first technical presentation of 2026 at the March monthly Golden Gate chapter meeting, with special thanks to Ruben Willmarth from Norman S. Wright Mechanical Equipment. Ruben is a heat pump specialist with more than 28 years of experience in the engineering, construction, and manufacturing industries and he is a current member of the ASHRAE Sierra Delta chapter. His presentation focused on the transition from R410 to A2L refrigerant for VRF systems. Ruben provided lots of technical detail on design and installation of these systems and there was lots of participation from the attending members asking questions. A big thank you as well to Wright & Brown Distilling Co. for letting us host this meeting at their West Oakland distillery. We were lucky enough to try cocktails made with their house distilled spirits, whiskey flights, and finish the evening with a tour of their distillery operations. Special thanks also to Sanjil and John Plecnik for organizing the delicious Jamaican BBQ catering for this event!
What else would you like to see in the new year from the refrigeration committee? Cold room and freezer design, the latest low-GWP synthetic refrigerants, data center balance-of-plant design considerations? Let us know if you have any ideas or would like to be a part of the refrigeration committee. Reach out to Ian Andersen, [email protected], for more information.
Stars of our Community
Over the past few months we have recognized the following Stars of our Community. Click the links below each name to read the full features.
Brian Chacon, Sales Engineer at Ascent HVAC
https://ggashrae.starchapter.com/blog/MemberSpotlight_Brian_C
Cassie Waddell, Senior Director Facilities & Engineering at Genentech
https://ggashrae.starchapter.com/blog/MemberSpotlight_Cassie_W
Past Events
(4/16/26) Golden Gate Chapter Product Show
(4/9/2026) WIA Panel: Sustainability in the Built Environment
(3/26/26) March Meeting: Refrigeration, The Transition to A2L Refrigerants, including tour of Wright & Brown Distillery in Oakland
(3/19/26) March Meeting: ASHRAE Presidential Visit from Bill McQuade
(2/26/26) February Meeting: Ground Source Heat Pumps: Past, Present, and Future, including tour of SMACNA Training Facility in Livermore
ASHRAE Discounts
NEW! 25% Application Discount
Apply by May 31
Exciting news! Apply by May 31 and use the discount code CERT2026 to receive a 25% discount on application for any of ASHRAE’s seven (7) building design or building performance certifications.
Here’s how the discount works:
1. Apply anytime by May 31 using the Discount Code: CERT2026
2. Take your certification exam at any of ASHRAE’s 1,000+ test center locations worldwide.
