In his free time, NFRC’s board treasurer Greg McKenna sails, water skis, and paddle boards on the lake near his home in Georgia.  When not out enjoying the water, McKenna is the Director, Field Engineering and Customer Training for Kawneer, Inc., which manufactures curtain wall, storefront, and other architectural fenestration systems for commercial buildings. He has been involved with NFRC since 1992 when NFRC began developing its commercial rating program. He first joined the NFRC board in 2016 and before then was involved in task groups and committees focused on the commercial rating system.

In his third year on the Executive Committee and first year as treasurer, McKenna says he hopes to help improve the commercial rating program to become a user-friendly tool for architects and glazing contractors. McKenna wants it to be a source of information for design-build professionals to use to make informed choices on fenestration products for their buildings and to create a label certificate when required to show compliance to the energy code of the particular community.

In this profile interview, we ask McKenna how his membership and involvement with NFRC has helped him professionally and he shared some insights into the growth and evolution of the organization over his more than 28 years of involvement.

What do you see as some of the biggest changes with NFRC?

There have been several positive changes within NFRC in the last few years. The Board of Directors is now more diverse than in years past. We are trying to recruit new board members who can fill gaps in experience or knowledge. Having differing perspectives on an issue will ultimately lead to better decisions.

I have had the opportunity to meet many very talented and dedicated individuals who have a passion for the work of NFRC. NFRC is a great venue to network and develop many long-lasting business relationships. 

How has the industry evolved in that same time?

Awareness of the benefits of thermal performance, especially in commercial construction, has accelerated over the last couple of decades. Originally, thermal performance was only about what you could see. If you did not have condensation on your windows, the fenestration product was doing its job. More recently, it is all about what you don’t see, such as, “how much energy savings will I see if I improve the U factor or SHGC?” Codes have also moved the industry to improve the thermal performance of fenestration products. Now above code programs, such as LEED V4 for commercial or ENERGY STAR® for residential, push the performance even further. 

What lessons have you learned from being involved in NFRC that you would share with young professionals just getting started in the fenestration industry?

Get involved. Participate in task groups that interest you. You can learn a lot from the individuals who have been in the business a long time. Sometimes the veterans don’t always see the need for change or improvement. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo and speak up if you have a better idea.   

How would you describe NFRC to someone who doesn’t know about the organization?

I would say NFRC’s main function has been to rate the energy-related characteristics of fenestration products (such as windows) in a fair, accurate, and credible manner so the consumer of these products can select the proper product for the application. NFRC’s rating system can answer questions like, “what is the thermal transmission, the solar heat gain, and the visible light transmission through a window?”

Where do you think the fenestration industry will be in 10 years? 20 years?

The commercial fenestration industry continues to evolve with 3D modeling of buildings is becoming more widely used. These models contain bills of material and fabrication details of the fenestration. Updates will be handled parametrically and checks for interference with other trades can be performed. Ultimately this will lead to more collaborative design and advanced manufacturing systems.

Where will NFRC be during that same time?

NFRC will need to keep pace with the technology. Thermal performance will someday be determined on exactly what is being built and not just on a standardized size used for product comparison. Designers and engineers want to know how their building is going to perform in real world conditions in real time using actual models of the fenestration system. They also may want to look at several different design scenarios. NFRC will need to adapt to the new technology in the future to ensure that NFRC remains relevant for years to come  

If you could do anything now (outside your current profession or role), what would you do?

I have about 20 years of home improvement projects waiting for me in my spare time and several old cars, including a ’57 Chevy, that I need to restore.