My Story
Chris
Chris Rawlings is the Founder and Chief Energy Officer of Bowerbird Energy, an Energy Services Company providing renewable energy and energy efficiency design/build solutions to C&I and Federal clients nationally. Bowerbird is a Certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and Licensed Class A Commercial Contractor.
Chris holds his B.S in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, is a Certified Energy Manager by the Association of Energy Engineers, a LEED Green Associate by the U.S Green Building Council, host of the Energy Sense Podcast, and a Marine combat veteran.
Chris twice deployed to Iraq in support of OIF between 2004 and 2007. After returning home he sought a change of pace and joined the USMC AIRSPEED Team. This newly adopted team comprised of logisticians, engineers, and supply chain managers were tasked with implementing Lean+/Six Sigma methodologies across aviation work centers in efforts to increase production, lower costs, and improve mission readiness. It was here Chris was first introduced to the overhead costs of utilities and tasked with ways to lower energy usage.
Upon exiting the Marine Corps, Chris went on to serve as a contractor for the Army with Northrop Grumman at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. In this role he supported multiple units with troubleshooting aircraft systems, designing training aids, supporting R&D efforts, and implementing Lean strategies. In 2014 Chris departed Northrop Grumman, attended Florida State University's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities), and launched Veteran LED and then subsequently, Bowerbird Energy.
Apart from managing Bowerbirds day-to-day operations, Chris spends time performing commercial and industrial energy audits, research and development on emerging technologies, and Federal/MUSH market sales and business development. He is a Top40 Under40 Awardee, a Fellow with the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center (VAEP), and an avid Member of the Association of Energy Engineers and Society of American Military Engineers.
On his time off you can find Chris competing in triathlons or mountain biking the many trails around his hometown of Richmond, VA with his wife Jessica, his 2 daughters.
