We congratulate all six of our 2023 summer interns and wish them great success in the school year ahead.

Elara is pleased to offer internships for aspiring engineers each summer with additional opportunities to engage students throughout the year. Resumes for internship consideration can be submitted to employment@elaraeng.com.

Elara’s internship program not only offered me a chance to learn from HVAC professionals and their work, but it also gave me the chance to contribute on various projects while expanding my skillset. I appreciate the opportunities presented by Elara this summer and the foundation they gave me for a career in HVAC.

~Ethan L., Cedarville University, Mechanical Engineering Major 

My summer interning at Elara was filled with immense learning. I had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of things from sizing equipment, drafting in AutoCAD, and even performing system calculations. My favorite experience this summer was going on-site because it allowed me to see our design really come to life.  

~Sheel P., High School Student, Aspiring Mechanical Engineer

Interning at Elara introduced me to a whole industry I knew little about. This internship has furthered my understanding of programs like Excel and AutoCAD, and our site visits offered a first-hand look at the projects we planned and discussed which, in turn, made them very real and tangible. Overall, this internship has been a very important part of my consideration of future career paths.

~Owen P., Marquette University

“We are committed to providing customized, sustainable, and innovative solutions that leave a lasting personal and global legacy. Let’s design today for a better tomorrow.”

Guided by the compass that our logo represents, the above statement is the culmination of Elara Engineering’s company-wide endeavor to create a common vision along with a representative vision statement.

We invite you to view the attached video to experience how we came together to define our company’s future. It was an energizing, exciting, collaborative process.

Elara Engineering is fortunate and honored to have so many smart, dedicated, and passionate employees committed “to providing customized, sustainable, and innovative solutions” to our clients for a better tomorrow.

With the holidays just around the corner, Elara Engineering’s Principals send you their first-ever season’s greeting video, including outtakes for your viewing entertainment.  Enjoy!

 

What Does Adam Do? 

Mr. Sanders is a 19-year industry veteran and a Project Engineer for a wide variety of multi-disciplinary, specialized projects.  Working with a team of engineers, designers, and support staff, he often serves as the Lead Engineer and Primary Contact for Elara’s clients in the commercial office and multi-family markets.

With a strong reputation for successfully completing highly complex projects in occupied buildings, he is passionate and committed to delivering sustainable solutions that improve building operations, enhance occupant comfort, reduce energy costs, and increase asset value.  Over his career at Elara, he has gained significant expertise related to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection solutions including riser replacements in occupied, high-rise buildings, boiler and chiller replacements, air handling unit replacements, domestic booster pump and hot water heater replacements, de-watering strategies, renovations, and new construction.  He also has extensive experience in the design, troubleshooting, functional testing, commissioning of building systems such as boilers, chillers, AHUs, domestic water systems, waste and vent piping systems, and controls.

Through his years of experience in high rise condominium buildings, Mr. Sanders has become an experienced technical resource for reserve studies and estimating project costs while providing guidance to property managers and boards of directors.

His Areas of Expertise. 

• Technical Knowledge
• Industry Experience
• Sustainable Design
• Innovation
• Construction Knowledge
• Master Planning
• Cost Estimating
• Controls & Commissioning
• Troubleshooting
• Collaboration
• Project Management
• Experience in Multiple Markets

Mr. Sanders is driven by superior client service, collaboration, innovation (thinking outside the box) and an unyielding passion to successfully complete complex, challenging projects in occupied, high-rise buildings that require extensive planning, effective communication, and close collaboration with all stakeholders involved. These attributes have secured for Elara’s clients a long list of successful projects – including four ASHRAE Illinois Chapter First-Place Awards — while also benefitting those that have worked with Adam as he is eager to transfer his knowledge, lessons learned, and expertise to clients and fellow employees.

Key Project Contributions.

• 33 West Ontario Fan Coil Riser Anchor Upgrades (Lead Engineer)
• 3900 N. Lake Shore Drive Plumbing System Replacement and Conversion to Multiple Pressure Zones (Lead Engineer)
• 1660 N. LaSalle Plumbing System Replacement and Mechanical Upgrades (Lead Engineer)
• LUC Center for Translational Research Education (CTRE) LEED Enhanced Commissioning (Lead Engineer)
• 2950 North Sheridan LEED Fundamental Commissioning (Lead Engineer)
• LUC Mundelein Center Historic Landmark Phased (8-Year) Redevelopment (Lead Engineer)
• 2800 N LSD Domestic Water Riser Replacement (Lead Engineer)
• 3450 N LSD Domestic Water Riser Replacement and Bathroom Renovation (Lead Engineer)
• Newport Condominium Plumbing Piping Replacement (Lead Engineer)
• LUC Cudahy Library MEP Infrastructure Upgrades (Lead Engineer)
• Completion of over 30 riser studies.

Key Industry Contributions.

Adam is an eager and active participant in industry associations, a frequent author and contributor of published articles in various industry journals, and an often-requested panel participant and presenter at association meetings and conferences.

For example, in addition to being quoted in others’ articles in at least a half-dozen instances, some of Mr. Sander’s authored and co-authored articles include the following:

• Co-Author, “Electrical Vehicle Charging Station Retrofits for Existing Buildings,” Chicagoland Buildings + Environment, Spring 2022
• Author, “Common Questions and Answers to High-Rise Condominium Plumbing Riser Replacement Projects,” Chicagoland Buildings + Environment, Spring 2019

Mr. Sanders is a member of the Chicagoland Buildings and Environment Advisory Board and is a regular panel participant at the annual Condo Lifestyles State of the Industry event held in downtown Chicago every winter.

What People Are Saying About Adam.

”Adam is in a leadership position on my team and is a key contributor to the success of our company. While he is our most tenured employee, his passion for engineering and problem solving has only grown as he continually challenges himself to expand his expertise, product offering, and impact to our firm. Not only is Adam a reliable and knowledgeable advisor for our clients, he represents a strong technical resource, and sought after mentor for developing engineers and designers within our company. All of this is accompanied by a fun, outgoing personality and team player, who doesn’t hesitate to jump in when we need him. I am thrilled to be able to work closely with Adam and to celebrate his undeniable success.”  

– Matt Swanson, Principal / Practice Leader – Elara Engineering

Life Before Elara.  

Having grown up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (outside Milwaukee), Adam attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (home of the Pioneers and Pioneer Pete) where he also worked as a Co-Op Intern at Pearson Engineering in Madison, Wisconsin.  Tempted by warmer weather and a job offer upon graduation, Adam headed south to Illinois to take a job with Elara Engineering – and hasn’t looked back since!!

Prior to his current role and responsibilities at Elara Engineering, Adam was a Senior Mechanical Engineer and a Mechanical Engineer at Elara.

 

Life Outside Elara. 

Adam, his wife, and his two sons currently reside in Batavia, Illinois where he is an active BBQer and sometimes woodworker, fisherman, and rock/wall climber when time allows. When pressed about his backyard BBQ acumen, he revealed that his smoked brisket is always a party favorite among his many offerings of smoked turkey, pulled pork, beef ribs, smoked wings, and baby back ribs.

Although typically utilizing indoor vertical climbing walls, Adam – with ten years of climbing experience – has scaled several outdoor faces including Cleopatra’s Needle at Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin.  Adam’s love of fishing – unabated since his childhood – started when he and his father would head out after dinner every night for their own personal fishing derby – with the loser having to scoop ice cream for the winner upon their return.

With a hectic work and personal life where his sons keep him busy and entertained, Adam has had to limit his time and allegiance to only one professional sports team…from one football team: the Green Bay Packers – to another football team: Liverpool FC.

More about Adam’s professional and technical abilities can be found at here.

As in previous years, Elara’s summer interns were once again embedded within market-focused teams working side-by-side with our engineering experts on a wide variety of multidisciplinary projects.

The 6 interns, as active members of Elara’s technical design teams, were tasked with completing field surveys at various sites, utilizing AutoCAD (2D) and REVIT (3D) drafting/modeling software to support the preparation of engineering drawings, executing basic engineering calculations, and completing an end-of-summer tour of a project currently in construction.

With the goal of introducing the interns to a wide variety of topics relevant to our industry, other elements of Elara’s Summer Internship Program included weekly presentations from our Principals, Team Leaders, Project Engineers, and other firm leaders. The variety of topics included “Plumbing Jeopardy”, an “Intern to Full Time Employee” panel discussion, “The Past, Present, and Future of CAD/BIM”, “Insights from the Principals”, and technical presentations for all of Elara’s MEPFP disciplines and markets.

Elara’s 2022 Summer Internship Program culminated in a joint presentation by the interns to Elara leadership (followed by a wonderful lunch celebration) covering a technical topic each student chose to learn about throughout the summer. Specifically, through both independent research and collaboration with our engineers, the interns developed presentations that exhibited what they learned during their internship, took a deeper dive into their chosen topic, and taught our firm’s leadership something new.

My summer internship experience at Elara was amazing. I had an opportunity to work alongside a dedicated team of engineers that helped me grow not only in my drafting and design skills, but also in my communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. My favorite experience was the onsite visits because they allowed me to see – right before me — what I was drawing on CAD.

~Sheel P., High School Student, Aspiring Mechanical Engineer

I know for a fact that the experience I gained from this summer – learning how the engineering side of buildings work — will greatly benefit me as I continue my schooling in architecture.

~Mason M., University of Colorado Denver, Architecture Major

It was great to intern with Elara this summer. I greatly improved my CAD skills, learned how to perform basic calculations, and got to go on site to see our design work come to life. It was great working with the people at Elara!

~Amelia M., Kansas State University, Architectural Engineering Major, Mathematics and Classical Studies Minors

My favorite aspect of the internship was the site visits I got to go on. It was awesome to see the parts of buildings most people don’t get to see. All around though, it was an amazing experience and I’m glad I got the opportunity to intern for Elara.

~Alex B., Purdue Northwest University, Mechanical Engineering Technology Major

My favorite aspect of working at Elara was the mix of things I got to do: from going on site, to working in AutoCAD, to working on benchmarking.  It was also a great introduction to some topics that I have not yet learned in school and it was very helpful to get real world knowledge.

~Luke P., Calvin University, Engineering Major with a Mechanical Concentration, Mathematics Minor

Elara is pleased to offer internships for aspiring engineers each summer with additional opportunities to engage students throughout the year. Resumes for internship consideration can be submitted to employment@elaraeng.com.

What Does Bob Do? 

With a career-long commitment to the successful construction and improvement of commercial buildings including a focus on public facilities, Mr. St. Mary is one of Elara Engineering’s most experienced Project Engineers primarily supporting the firm’s K-12 school and public-bid market. In this role and directly because of the depth and breadth of his accumulated expertise, he has completed a wide variety of Elara’s most complex and demanding school and municipal projects.  Well-known within the industry as a skilled leader, manager, and technical expert, Mr. St. Mary – as Engineer-In-Charge and Primary Contact — leads a variety of engineers and support staff in new construction, renovation, and energy retrofit projects – including multi-million-dollar major capital improvement programs for entire school districts.  Although principally leading municipal and K-12 projects, Mr. St. Mary’s design and construction expertise extends to behavioral healthcare, higher education, recreational, high-rise residential, and commercial buildings.

His Areas of Expertise. 

• Team/Project Management
• Technical Knowledge
• Industry Experience
• Sustainable Design
• Innovation
• Construction Knowledge
• Master Planning
• Cost Estimating
• Controls & Commissioning
• Troubleshooting
• Collaboration
• Experience in Education Markets

Throughout his career, Mr. St. Mary has been driven by excellence, client service, innovation, collaboration, and a passion to build and improve learning environments for current and future school-aged children. These attributes have ensured a long list of successfully completed highly complex design and construction projects and have benefitted all those that have worked with him as part of any project execution team including clients, employees, vendors, suppliers, district officials, and community stakeholders.

Key Project Contributions.

• Lead Engineer (District Projects)
  • DeKalb, IL School District 428
  • Maine Township High School District 207; Park Ridge/Des Plaines, IL
  • Community Unit School District 300; Algonquin, IL
  • Eastland Community Unit School District 308; Lanark, IL
• Township High School District 113 Phased Capital Improvements; Deerfield/Highland Park, IL
• Indian Trails Public Library Addition & Renovation
• Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park
• Numerous behavioral healthcare facility renovations and additions throughout the continental United States.

Key Industry Contributions.

Bob is an active participant in industry associations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illinois Association of School Board Officials (IASBO).

What People Are Saying About Bob.

”Bob is incredibly passionate about what he does and his commitment to the project and the customer is unmatched. He is very hands on, practical and thorough, drawing from his extensive experience in a variety of markets during his tenure. He is an invaluable resource and an asset to any team. He’s also a force to be reckoned with on the golf course and always fun to be around.”  

– Caitlin Levitsky, Principal – Elara Engineering

Life Before Elara.  

Bob is a native of upstate New York and stayed in New England to earn an Architectural Design degree and a Building Construction degree in Boston, MA. With his degrees in hand and not passing up an offer from his brother to join him in Chicago, Bob relocated, put down roots, and has no-doubt completed his transition to a true Midwesterner.

Prior to his current tenure at Elara, Mr. St. Mary was Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Department Manager, and Project Manager at Metro Design Associates in Elgin, Illinois. Early in his career he was a Design Engineer at Brooke & Choporis Consulting Engineers in Lombard, Illinois and a Custom Fan Designer for Champion Blower & Forge in Roselle, Illinois.

Life Outside Elara. 

When not at Elara, Bob – always in motion and always involved in a project – likes to get his hands dirty with home renovation projects, gardening, and meticulous yard maintenance. Rumor has it that his yard is always the envy of his neighbors.

For additional rest and relaxation, you’ll frequently find Bob on the golf course. An avid golfer with a low handicap as proof of his skill, Bob has played rounds at some well-recognized courses that PGA professionals have tackled; including: the Blue Monster at Doral; Harbor Town Golf Links at Hilton Head, SC; Pinehurst #2 and #4; and Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI.

More about Bob’s professional and technical abilities can be found at here.

While still adhering to ongoing social distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing practices, a slowdown in the number of Chicago-area COVID-19 cases during the summer months gave Elara Engineering the opportunity to continue its invaluable 2021 Summer Internship Program and allow for a hybrid format (in-person and virtual).

This year’s three talented summer interns were assigned to market-focused teams and were quickly working alongside Elara engineers on a variety of multidisciplinary projects. As active members of Elara technical design teams, the interns performed field surveys to document existing conditions, utilized AutoCAD (2D) and REVIT (3D) drafting/modeling software to support the preparation of engineering drawings, executed basic engineering calculations, and toured one of Elara Engineering’s active construction sites. Additionally, Elara’s Intern Training Program included weekly presentations conducted by Elara Principals, Team Leaders, and Project Engineers covering a wide variety of topics, including MEPFP technical presentations, HVAC 101, Plumbing Jeopardy, History of Elara, numerous project presentations, and a panel discussion conducted by previous Elara Interns who are now full-time Elara employees.

My experience with the Elara internship program was one of immense learning. Not only was I able to expand my skills in drafting software, but I was also able to create a deeper understanding of my work through several site visits. As the summer went on, I felt a lot of satisfaction in using floor plans that I had drawn to survey job sites – knowing a lot more at that point than I had when the internship began. Every engineer I worked with this summer provided a unique look into the HVAC industry, which helped me to envision future career possibilities.
~Matt L., Loyola University Chicago, Environment Science Major, Political Science Minor

Elara’s summer internship program allowed me to meet people who cared about helping me learn the industry and who made me feel right at home from the very first day. My favorite part of the internship was the site visits, where I was able to see how my work on CAD would impact the overall project. The internship program was an enjoyable and enriching addition to my school studies.
~David S., University of Notre Dame, Mechanical Engineering Major, Engineering  Corporate Practice Minor

I learned so much at Elara this summer and worked with many amazing engineers. Maine East High School was the main project I worked on and my favorite. I was able to go on site and see the things we were working on, as well as what had already been done during the previous summers. It was interesting being able to work on this project alongside some of the smaller projects. My Revit and AutoCAD skills and efficiency improved throughout the summer, working on many different projects in each. Overall I learned a lot of new things and enjoyed my experience at Elara this summer.
~Stephen M., Yale University, Mechanical Engineering Major

Elara is pleased to offer internships for aspiring engineers each summer with additional opportunities to engage students throughout the year. Resumes for internship consideration can be submitted to employment@elaraeng.com.

To accommodate the firm’s growing staff and to ensure that our teams are readily accessible to our many downtown clients, Elara Engineering has opened a new, satellite office in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

213 West Institute Place
Suite 702
Chicago, IL  60610
Near Chicago Avenue and Wells Street

The open concept loft space will support up to 14 employees, has two conference rooms, and a collaboration space.  In addition to providing a workspace for more Elara team members, the new office space accommodates many of those employees that live in Chicago and will reduce commute time as many can now use public transportation to further lower Elara’s carbon footprint.  The new office will also provide flexibility for our employees that typically work out of our Hillside office as they can now use the River North location to meet downtown clients and/or as a short-term base for ongoing downtown projects.

In finding and building-out a new office space, it was critical that we once again created a workspace that gives our talented and dedicated professionals the freedom and flexibility to work individually or in groups to analyze, problem solve, and innovate complex engineering problems.  We are confident that we have achieved this objective as we continue to be guided by our principles of Big Picture Thinking, Practical Approach, and Sustainable Designs.

Needless to say, we are excited to have a new downtown Chicago location and we invite you stop in for a cup of coffee.

What Does Cem Do? 

Mr. Diniz serves two key roles within Elara Engineering.  As Energy Team Manager, Cem leads a team of three to five engineers responsible for the execution of conceptual designs, energy audits, energy modeling, and incentive program management of Elara projects.  As Commissioning Team Manager, Cem directs the completion of commissioning projects for a wide variety of building types and infrastructure systems to facilitate improved environmental and economical outcomes. Cem is also a member of Elara’s Business Development Team serving as the sales lead for Energy and Commissioning Projects.

 

His Areas of Expertise. 

• Project Management
• Technical Knowledge
• Industry Experience
• Construction Knowledge
• Master Planning
• Cost Estimating
• Controls & Commissioning
• Troubleshooting
• Collaboration
• Experience in Diverse Markets

 

Throughout his career, Mr. Diniz has been driven by his unyielding passion to ensure that opportunities for efficient, sustainable designs are identified early in the design process; that opportunities for cost reimbursement are successfully pursued; and that installed designs operate as expected to achieve the planned energy and cost savings while enhancing the environment.

 

Key Project Contributions.

• Q Center Campus COVID-19 Air Quality Assessment
• Fifteen Fifty on The Park New Construction Project
• Loyola University Quinlan Life Sciences Heat Recovery Project
• Loyola University Health Sciences Campus Heating Plant Decentralization Project
• Riverbend Electric to Gas Heating Conversion Project
• Confidential Pharmaceutical Cogeneration Plant Assessment, and Thermal Energy Storage System Conceptual Design (Puerto Rico)
• Confidential Chicago Historic Commercial Property Adaptive Reuse to Multi-Family

 

Key Industry Contributions.

Cem is an active participant in industry associations such as ASHRAE and the U.S. Green Building Council.  He is a sought-after speaker and presenter for associations and client events, having recently delivered the following presentation at a Joint Education event, Improving Building Performance Through Energy Efficient Capital Improvement Projects.

 

What People Are Saying About Cem.

“From the day he joined us, Cem has expressed a high level of passion for Elara’s core values  and has consistently promoted those values through his own advancement and dedication to the development of others.  It is through this passion that Cem leads our Energy and Commissioning Teams; maximizing energy opportunities for our customers and delivering projects that  consistently  attain project goals and adhere to Elara’s core values. Cem is a leader within our firm and his positive impact reaches beyond Elara to our clients and the local community.” – Matt Swanson, Associate Principal

 

Life Before Elara. 

Hailing from Ankara, Turkey, Cem is well travelled and highly educated.  After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Bil kent University in Ankara, Turkey, Cem headed to the United States where he earned his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management with a concentration in Energy Management and Sustainability from Oklahoma State University. Rounding out his academic career, he recently earned his MBA from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Prior to Elara, Mr. Diniz was an Energy Engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) in Stillwater, OK.

 

Life Outside Elara.

Cem`s passion for energy efficiency and sustainability is derived from his family who operates a renewable energy investment company in Turkey. In his spare time, Cem enjoys traveling and participating in winter sports, like snowboarding.

More about Cem’s professional and technical abilities can be found here.

 

Happy Holidays from Elara Engineering!

In a year where much of our operations were conducted virtually, we have continued to persevere, grow and adapt. As we enter 2021, although we remain physically apart, we are very much together and working to serve our customers.

We hope to be able to see you again soon and in the meantime, we wish you and yours a socially distanced, sanitized and masked Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

 

ENVS 273: Energy and the Environment

As part of a Loyola University Chicago Institute of Environmental Sustainability (LUC IES) course that uses campus buildings as a “hands-on” lab to instruct students, Elara Engineering Principal Don McLauchlan was asked to co-teach ENVS 273 with Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Dr. Ping Jing, PhD  about energy efficiency strategies for buildings.

Because Elara has either reviewed or designed the HVAC system for nearly every building on LUC’s Lakeshore Campus; of which 11 have attained LEED certification, Mr. McLauchlan could easily provide a significant number of “real-life” examples to the IES students.  For example, he was able to discuss the use of natural light and natural ventilation built into the campus’ IES, Cuneo Hall, and Information Commons buildings and the types of computerized building management systems that are used in these and other campus facilities.  Building on the engaged learning approach of the course, he led the students in performing an air leakage test.  From Don’s experience, expertise, passion, and career-long commitment to energy efficiency, students became more energy conscious and gained an understanding that from a financial perspective, there is no reason to not be energy efficient when it comes to building design and the operation of their HVAC systems.

Mr. McLauchlan’s teaching role has been highlighted in a LUC IES Annual Report article (Page 14-15. LUC IES Annual Report) He is also an active member of the LUC IES Advisory Board.

ENVS 350b: Solutions to Environmental Problems (STEP): Biogas

Working closely with students to develop a feasibility study to research and analyze the potential to convert campus food waste to biogas – a renewable energy source, Mr. McLauchlan was an Advisor to one of the six student teams established to address a specific challenge that arises from converting campus food waste to campus energy.  Some of challenges addressed included conversion rates and converting biogas to electricity, the logistics of transporting campus food waste, and compliance with LUC and City of Chicago regulations.  The biogas to electricity research team that Don supported had to address a fairly technical topic.  However, despite this, his student group was ultimately able to gain an understanding of the pros and cons regarding electricity generation and anaerobic digester equipment options to convert biomass (e.g., paper towels, food scraps, landscape waste, etc.) to the biogas needed to generate electricity or for space heating. This information was then incorporated in the feasibility study developed by the entire class.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact businesses and personal activities worldwide, Elara Engineering continues to maintain an appropriate balance between responsible steps to protect the health of our employees and our community and the need to manage our business and serve our clients.

The operating infrastructure we established prior to COVID-19 continues to enable our ability to effectively work off-site through secured remote access to Elara’s servers, cloud-based email, office phone voicemail to email, corporate mobile phones, and virtual meeting and collaboration tools.  Of course, we continue to visit local jobs sites where permitted and where COVID-19 safety procedures have been established in accordance with local, state and national guidelines.

We look forward to the time when our operations no longer necessitate a remote workforce. However, until that time, we remain hard at work and committed to our clients’ ongoing success.  Working Together; Apart.

Even with changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Elara Engineering did not miss a beat as it recently concluded its highly sought-after 2020 Summer Internship Program which was conducted in a remote plus work environment.  With a creative mix of virtual learning sessions and presentations, meaningful online production work to move projects forward, and socially distanced, mask-required field work; four future engineers gained valuable insight, knowledge, and experience in numerous aspects of the MEP industry.  As in all of Elara’s previous summer internship programs, this year’s program was developed to ensure that interns become fully immersed in firm projects and engineering activities working alongside Elara’s multidisciplinary engineering design teams from June to August of this year.

During the 2020 summer, Elara’s interns performed field surveys to document existing site conditions, utilized Revit to support the preparation of engineering drawings, executed basic engineering calculations, and worked directly with Elara’s engineers to meet numerous project deadlines.  The Summer Internship Program also included a series of weekly presentations conducted by Elara Principals and managers as part of the Internship Training Program developed to introduce interns to the industry, learn about the company’s history and service offerings, gain insight into the MEPFPIT systems design process and potential career paths, and discuss numerous innovative projects completed by the firm.  Some specific presentation topics included HVAC 101, Elara Business Approach and Company History, Airside Systems, Team Introductions and project presentations by several Elara engineering teams, and a Panel discussion conducted by previous interns who now work at Elara as full time employees.

“Interning at Elara provided me a unique experience characterized by learning, opportunity, and autonomy.  It was great being welcomed by a team that values interdependence, allowing me to immediately become a contributing member to a multi-million-dollar project from my first day onward. The hands-on work that I engaged through 3D modeling and onsite, along with engaging presentations given by different teams of employees, exposed me to an industry that brings to life classroom theory.”

~Robert V., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Electrical Engineering

“This summer, I learned so much about Revit and MEFPIT systems. Despite, working remotely Elara managed to get me onsite for one of their projects a few times. Being onsite was eye-opening in the sense that it gave me a firsthand view on how what I construct in Revit becomes reality. Everyone, from beginning to end was been extremely supportive and great teachers to make sure I got a true understanding of whatever I was accomplishing that day.”

~Teagan J., Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering

“During my summer at Elara I had the opportunity to work on the District 207 project. Elara did a fantastic job of communicating and keeping the intern program alive during these unprecedented times. This summer, the intern team and engineers taught me the ins-and-outs of electrical power distribution and lighting systems, as well as plumbing and drainage systems. Whether it was completing a Revit modeling task, taking notes in an intern presentation or team meeting, or going on site visits, I always had an engaging assignment to complete.”

~Miles V., Olivet Nazarene University, Architectural Engineering

“While interning at Elara over the summer, I was not assigned insignificant tasks and was able to work with the Electrical Team on multiple aspects of multiple projects. These tasks ranged from Revit, AutoCAD, placing light fixtures and fire alarm devices, circuiting, load calculations, and photometric calculations. I learned new aspects of engineering that can be applied to my desired job in the future and picking classes that could help me specialize in the area that I enjoy.”

~Manav T., Illinois Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering

Elara is pleased to offer internships for aspiring engineers each summer with additional opportunities to engage students throughout the year. Resumes for internship consideration can be submitted to employment@elaraeng.com.

Elara Engineering, Inc., is pleased to announce that Mr. Dustin Langille, BEMP, HBDP, LEED AP and Mr. Bhupendra Tailor, PE have been named as Associate Principals of the firm. The Associate Principal role in Elara reflects the commitment, passion, and technical and managerial abilities of these individuals specifically and the organization’s continued growth and need for additional leadership.

Mr. Tailor and Mr. Langille have been key contributors to Elara’s ongoing mission to provide big picture thinking, practical approaches, and sustainable designs to our valued clients and each delivers a different set of technical skills and abilities: Mr. Langille with
expertise in project management, indoor air quality and energy modeling for renewable energy systems, including geothermal, photovoltaic, and solar thermal design and Mr. Tailor with advanced expertise in electrical engineering, including medium voltage system, photovoltaic, and wind energy design. Both are driven by client satisfaction and an uncompromising commitment to understanding client needs, responsive and effective client communications, and detailed and accurate deliverables.
Learn more about each new Associate Principal here.

“Bhupendra and Dustin have both contributed to Elara’s success over the last decade and have consistently demonstrated the values required of future partners, consistently acting passionately in the best interest of our clients. Don [McLauchlan], Jay [Parikh], Brian [Malone], Caitlin [Levitsky], Matt [Swanson], and I are excited to have them as part of our leadership team. Please join me in congratulating Dustin and Bhupendra on their new roles and positions within Elara Engineering.”

~ Steve Maze, Elara President

Over the course of 2019, Elara Engineering volunteers participated in several philanthropic activities to support a variety of organizations and events.  By providing paid time-off to employees and matching individual monetary donations, Elara’s philanthropic program actively supports three key endeavors: to put others’ needs in front of our own, to provide opportunities to give back to our communities, and to build relationships with co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family.

Feed My Starving Children.  On Tuesday, February 26^th, Elara volunteers stepped up to pack meals at Feed My Starving Children’s (FMSC) Schaumburg, Illinois facility.  The group helped produce 28,728 food packs which were packaged in 133 boxes for distribution to Djibouti, Africa; enough to feed 78 children for a year.

FMSC’s mission is accomplished through a simple process.  Donations are provided to fund meal ingredients, volunteers hand-pack the meals, and meals are then donated to FMSC food partners for distribution around the world.

Urban Roots Teen Docent Program.  For the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Urban Roots Teen Docent Program, Elara volunteers sweated it out on a hot Friday afternoon in June to prepare garden plots for use by program participants from nearby Al Raby High School.  Elara’s hard work included; weeding, amending soil, constructing compost bins, removing chicken wire, and other tasks.

The Urban Roots Teen Docent Program enables participating students the opportunity to grow and maintain their own gardens, lead visitors on tours, and engage in STEM lessons and labs related to plant biology and sustainability.

Camp Quality.  Responding to a last-minute need to help out at a no-cost summer camp for children ages 4 to 17 with a current or past cancer diagnosis, Elara volunteers rose to the occasion to run the camp’s ice cream tent for one of the open time slots.  On the evening of Thursday, August 8^th, volunteers passed out ice cream, made milk shakes and sundaes, and encouraged kids to have a great week. 

Mutt Strut. On another sunny day on Saturday, September 7^th, Elara volunteers participated in the Animal Care League’s annual Mutt Strut 5K Walk/Run held in Oak Park’s Maple Park to benefit homeless animals.  In addition to the 5K run and walk, the event included dog massages, pet contests, music, and food.  Elara’s participants either ran the 5K or helped cheer on participants on the racecourse.   In the end, over $10,600 was raised to directly support animals in need.

Operation Christmas Child.  Coming up on Wednesday, November 20^th, for the second consecutive year, Elara volunteers will prepare and pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child to provide children from around the world with gifts during the holiday season.  The event is sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, an organization that helps meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine.  As part of the effort, Elara volunteers form teams to coordinate, buy, and collect gifts based on Operation Christmas Child’s guidelines and then pack their gifts for shipment.  In 2018, Elara volunteers sent 46 boxes to children for the holiday season.

Additional information about the above organizations and programs can be found at the following links:

• Feed My Starving Children: fmsc.org
• Garfield Park Conservatory Urban Roots Teen Docent Program: garfieldconservatory.org/about-us/urban-roots
• Camp Quality: campqualityusa.org/il
• Animal Care League: animalcareleague.org
• Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child: samaritanspurse.org