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Tim Griffin wins 2018 Norman R. Taylor Award

The Norman R. Taylor Award is the highest individual honor IDEA confers, named after a former industry executive known for treating people with respect and humility. IDEA President Rob Thornton presented the award to Tim Griffin, recognizing his career achievements with RMF Engineering and tireless advocacy for IDEA. The award was presented at the Annual Chair’s Banquet at the conclusion of IDEA's 109th Annual conference and Trade Show in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

As an active member of IDEA for over 20 years, Mr. Griffin recently concluded over 8 years of service on the IDEA Board of Directors, serving as IDEA Chair from 2016-2017. During his tenure, Tim traveled extensively to promote district energy across the US, Canada, Denmark, Germany and the Middle East.

About ten years ago, Tim recognized a critical need to clarify the energy and environmental attributes of district energy to the growing green building movement.  He helped to connect the leadership of IDEA with the US Green Building Council, actively serving as IDEA liaison to USGBC to support appropriate revisions to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to more equitably account for the environmental and efficiency benefits of district energy services.  Mr Griffin was actively involved in supporting the updating of the USGC’s Guidelines for the treatment of District Energy, helping to itemize and clarify operating measures relative to emerging green building standards.

Mr. Griffin earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University.  He joined RMF Engineering in 1993 as a Project Engineer, where he was also charged with helping to grow the firm’s office in Durham, North Carolina. Tim went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Business from Colorado State University. He authored a book entitled “Winning with Millennials” based on his first-hand experience in teaching and advising young professionals. He has written continuously for District Energy magazine and has taught courses to hundreds of engineering and architectural principles for Professional Services Management Journal.

Over the next 20 years he became the Division Manager of RMF Engineering’s southern territory and regularly attended and contributed to IDEA conferences and workshops. He was recently named Executive Vice President of RMF Engineering and is located in their Raleigh, NC office.

In awarding Mr. Griffin IDEA’s most prestigious individual honor, his deep commitment to energy efficiency and resource conservation was recognized by his peers.  “We are pleased to recognize such an outstanding individual who tirelessly and effortlessly advocates for our industry.  Tim Griffin is a real champion in moving the district energy industry forward,” said Rob Thornton, IDEA President and CEO. “The International District Energy Association is proud to have the leaders of our industry as members of our organization and pleased to recognize the career contributions of Tim Griffin in support of our mission.”