Industry News

Press Release, Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO)

Houston-based Thermal Energy Corp. (TECO) recently announced two new employees and a promotion.

Michael Manoucheri, PE, has joined the company as vice president, engineering and maintenance. He will be responsible for TECO’s plant engineering and maintenance functions, including design, project management systems and expansion. He also will be in charge of environmental, safety and health programs; IT; and security. He will work in coordination with his predecessor Bruce Turner until Turner’s retirement later this year.

Manoucheri is an active IDEA member and was previously employed by The University of Texas at Austin, Utilities and Energy Management department. He started with UT Austin as maintenance manager in 2007, moving up to associate director of plant operations, where he served from 2012 to 2018. As associate director, Manoucheri led a team of 80 people who operated, maintained and improved the central power plant, chilling stations and chilled-water distribution system for UT Austin’s main campus and J.J. Pickle Research Campus.

Earlier Manoucheri worked in the petrochemical industry at The Dow Chemical Co. and Fluor Daniel Inc. in various engineering, maintenance and operations roles. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University and his master’s in mechanical engineering from UT Austin.

Melissa Ripple joined TECO as training manager in April 2018. She works in coordination with Vice President Larry Null who developed the company’s extensive training program over the past decade.

Ripple was previously employed at the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Co. (TPNOC) in Palacios, Texas, for more than 16 years. She started as a mechanical engineer in TPNOC’s maintenance engineering department and eventually became a licensed training instructor.

As training Instructor, Ripple developed, administered, documented and participated in all phases of the operations and maintenance training programs.

Ripple graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UT Austin.

TECO’s Mycah Jewell, PE, was promoted from senior project engineer to maintenance manager. He is working closely with predecessor Charlie Michalak to transition into full responsibility for the position August 1, 2018. He will be in charge of planning, scheduling and economic control of all building, plant and distribution system maintenance as well as parts inventory. He will also handle optimizing maintenance procedures and inter-department coordination.

Jewell joined TECO in 2016, performing engineering duties, project scheduling and contractor oversight. Previously he was employed by Entergy in The Woodlands, Texas, and Exelon in central Pennsylvania.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida in Tampa.