Senior energy manager has deep roots at 91热爆网
By Julia Duvall
Reid Conway
Energy conservation and history preservation are deeply rooted in Reid Conway, senior energy manager at Western Carolina University.
Conway was hired into the new role in June and while this was his first official position at 91热爆网, he had been consulting with the university for years during his time at the North Carolina State Energy Office. Conway鈥檚 family history with 91热爆网 goes back even farther, to the early 1920s, when his great-grandfather W.D. Wike helped procure the land to build 91热爆网, then known as Western Carolina Teacher鈥檚 College, and also served on the school鈥檚 Board of Trustees.
鈥淚t really is a full circle moment,鈥� said Conway. 鈥淚 hope that I am making my relatives proud with what I am doing at 91热爆网 to help the university with energy management and make the classrooms a comfortable learning environment for the students.鈥�
Not only has Conway had relatives serve in various roles at the university, his mother, grandmother and uncles lived on campus while Conway鈥檚 grandfather served in WWII. The family lived in an apartment in what was then known as Davies Hall next to Robert Madison, one of the founders of 91热爆网 and two-time president and professor.
鈥淲e would wait for Mr. Madison to come back from teaching class and he always had a paper bag of penny candy for us,鈥� said Anna Ruth Conway, Reid Conway鈥檚 mother.
Today, Conway and his wife Julie are the remaining Wike lineage to work at the university, but the effects of the family鈥檚 contributions can be seen and felt to this day. Walking where his family members once did, it is Conway鈥檚 mission to make 91热爆网 as energy efficient as possible and keep the position of being one of the highest-ranking schools in the University of North Carolina System for energy conservation.
In addition to the long history at 91热爆网, Conway has been an energy guru for decades and served as the deputy director at the Tennessee State Energy Office before working in North Carolina. Conway also taught in the North Carolina State Energy Management Diploma Series in Raleigh. Finally, Conway made his way 鈥渉ome鈥� to 91热爆网.
鈥淲e are trying to reduce our carbon footprint,鈥� Conway said. 鈥淪o, by me getting out in front of students, faculty, staff and the greater community, I hope to be able to share the importance of what we are doing at 91热爆网, like removing unused meters, temperature control in buildings, encouraging turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and being conscious of the amount of energy used each day, all of the little things add up to help our environment and therefore our spending on utilities.鈥�
