CHAD Nichols
38 | Encore Renewable Energy | VP of Development and Construction
Residence: Burlington
Career highlight(s): I have been fortunate to be part of many great efforts and projects throughout my career! Two of the highlights for me so far are; the 50,000 sqft funky and sustainable renovation of the VEIC office space on Lakeside Ave and more recently the parking lot solar canopy project at the ECHO Aquarium on the waterfront in Burlington. These projects were some of the most challenging and rewarding of my career!
Community Involvement: My community involvement includes various boards and volunteer work. In addition to coaching baseball for my two boys, I am active with Kids on the Ball a local group focused on educating kids about life through the sport of tennis, in addition to here in Vermont, I have volunteered with them in Cuba and New 
Orleans as well where they support thousands of kids! I currently also serve on two non-profit Boards, CarShareVT as well as the BLocal Boston Board which supports BCorps across New England.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? After growing up and finishing my undergrad in Ohio, I lived in Minneapolis and Chicago before heading to Vermont. During my time in those cities I found myself wanting to get deeper and deeper into the world of sustainability and climate change and find a way to make a career out of it. Vermont is a leader and a proving ground for so many sustainable industries and types of forward thinking companies. Being such a beautiful place doesn't hurt either!
Favorite part of your job? A favorite part of my job is seeing such impactful and important efforts become a reality. The industry I am in spends a lot of time initiating, developing and pushing new ideas forward so being able to make that all a reality and actually get the clean energy to the grid is really rewarding.
What is the best career advice you have received? The best career advice I have received was 'just get the piece of paper and then figure out what to do with it.' So many people feel that they need to decide their entire career path when choosing a degree for field of study, the reality is each achievement opens up another world of opportunities, there is no one set path for any of it.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I am a certified FAA Drone Pilot, which unfortunately doesn't help at all in the TSA line at the airport!
Favorite downtime activity: My favorite downtime activity is watching space movies or listening to sci-fi ebooks. I also enjoy pretty much any documentary related to NASA and have a rather unhealthy obsession with LEGO.
Favorite Social Media and why: My favorite social media is Instagram as the world needs more creative and inspiring photos and less arguing, although I do enjoy my share of Twitter as well.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I'd most like to share a Vermont beverage with is the film director Wes Anderson because what a conversation that would be!
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: The cause I would support first is making insulin free for all and the work towards finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I'd also support the World Central Kitchen as Chef Jose Andres is out there saving the world!
What one song is on your playlist that are you embarrassed to tell your best friend: The song on my playlist I would be embarrassed to tell my best friend is 'Fooba Wooba John' by Burl Ives. I know, right?
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? In the next 5-10 years I'd like to both continue seeing real impact from my work and increase my international experiences as I finish an International Masters program in Management and Leadership.
How has your community service changed since the pandemic? Community service in general has changed quite a bit during the pandemic. The groups I am involved with have had to not only make crucial business decisions but also most efforts including events, fundraising etc were or are impacted. It's really pushing through in a whole new world and a lot of these groups need volunteers or financial support more than ever before.
How has your job changed since this pandemic? During the pandemic, my job has changed quite a bit. In addition to the complete shift to working from home, a lot of our physical construction work was impacted in the early months of COVID. As most of our project work takes place outdoors we were able to get things started up again and are busier than ever, but new safety protocols and rules related to COVID are here to stay.