President's Message

Welcome to the 2026–2027 Society Year

Celebrating 115 Years of Service, Friendship, and Progress

Lukasz A. Semla
President, Society Year 2026-2027
ASHRAE New York City

Dear ASHRAE New York City members, volunteers, partners, students, friends, and fellow citizens,

It is a tremendous honor to welcome you to the 2026–2027 Society Year as we celebrate the 115th anniversary of the ASHRAE New York City Chapter.

For more than a century, our Chapter has brought together people who believe that knowledge, collaboration, and service can improve the buildings we live and work in, strengthen our communities, and help protect the environment. Together, we have built a supportive professional community committed to improving how energy is used and managed, not only for the benefit of New York City today, but to help preserve the beauty, health, and resilience of our planet for generations to come.

Let's be honest, 115 years is truly remarkable, and this legacy was created by people like you and me.

It was created by countless volunteers who offered their time, shared their expertise, organized programs, welcomed new members, mentored students, supported colleagues, and transformed good ideas into meaningful action. Every Board meeting, technical seminar, chapter dinner, student program, community initiative, networking event, and celebration, including the many we will have this year, is possible because someone chose to step forward and contribute.

On behalf of our officers, directors, Board of Governors, committee chairs, and volunteers, it is our great pleasure to serve the New York City community during this historic year. And what an amazing year lies ahead.

We will begin our monthly Board of Governors meetings at one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks, the Empire State Building. Our monthly Chapter dinner meetings will bring members and guests together at Club 101 in Midtown Manhattan for technical education, professional exchange, and meaningful conversation.

Throughout the year, we will offer a full calendar of educational programs, networking opportunities, student and young-professional activities, technical seminars, community initiatives, and social events. We look forward to gathering for our 115th Anniversary Gala, continuing our annual Earth Day Seminar at Fordham University, and creating many additional opportunities for our members to learn, contribute, connect, and enjoy being part of this extraordinary community.

This year, we will celebrate more than our history. We will celebrate the friendships that have made that history possible.

ASHRAE New York City is a place where colleagues become collaborators, mentors become lifelong friends, and people from different disciplines, backgrounds, and career stages come together around a shared purpose. It is this welcoming and unifying environment that has sustained our Chapter and contributed so greatly to its success.

Years from now, whether in ten, twenty, or thirty years, I hope we will look back on this period and remember not only what we accomplished, but also the experiences we shared, our friendships and the moments we spent together. We will remember the conversations, the laughter, the challenges we overcame, the friendships we formed, and the many small steps that collectively created lasting improvement.

No single person can transform a city or protect a planet alone. Meaningful progress is created through thousands of individual decisions: one building improved, one idea shared, one student encouraged, one volunteer welcomed, and one professional inspired to take action. Together, those steps matter, so let's take action together.

New York City is experienced every year by millions of residents, workers, and visitors. The work performed by our members influences the buildings, systems, and environments that shape their daily lives. Through energy efficiency, building performance, electrification, decarbonization, resilience, and responsible innovation, our community has the opportunity, and the responsibility, to help create a healthier and more sustainable future.

As we honor 115 years of achievement, we must also prepare for the next 115 years.

During the 2026–2027 Society Year, we will remain committed to honoring our legacy, supporting our volunteers, strengthening professional and personal connections, expanding educational opportunities, welcoming new voices, and continuously improving the value we provide to our members and our city.

To our past presidents, officers, Board members, committee leaders, volunteers, sponsors, speakers, students, members, and industry partners: thank you! Your dedication has carried this Chapter forward and made this anniversary possible.

To those who are newly joining us: welcome! There is a place for you in this community, and your ideas, enthusiasm, and participation can help shape what comes next.

I invite every member to take part in this special year. Attend a meeting. Join a committee. Mentor a student or young professional. Share your knowledge. Introduce yourself to someone new. Celebrate the achievements of your fellow members. Help us continue building a Chapter in which people feel welcomed, valued, inspired, and connected.

Let us celebrate 115 years of service.

Let us celebrate the volunteers who made it possible.

Let us celebrate the friendships that unite us.

Most importantly, let us continue working together to improve our city, care for our communities, and preserve our planet, not only for our children and grandchildren, but for generations to come.

Welcome to the 2026–2027 Society Year. What an extraordinary year we have ahead of us.

With gratitude and excitement,

Lukasz A. Semla

President, Society Year 2026-2027

ASHRAE New York City

ASHRAE Mission:

To serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and their allied fields.

ASHRAE Vision:

A healthy and sustainable built environment for all.

ASHRAE Organizational Values:

Collaboration, Commitment, Diversity, Excellence, Integrity, Volunteerism

Society Presidential Theme, President Sarah Maston:

Changing the Game: Retrofitting for Resilience

New York City Chapter Presidential Theme, President Lukasz A. Semla:

ASHRAE New York City - Celebrating 115 Years of Service, Friendship and Progress