Congratulations to Dallas SWE’s December Member of the Month: Pam Duffy!
Pam earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. She is a full-time entrepreneur and operates several businesses. In 2019 she founded Spark One Solutions, a B2B business and marketing consulting firm for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Pam is also a professional speaker and offers 1:1 career coaching for engineers and other professionals.
Pam always wanted to grow up to be an Imagineer. After several years of engineering coursework and an internship at a theme park, this once dream career no longer seemed like a good fit. Not long after, a local professional introduced her to a different industry entirely: building design and construction, where mechanical engineers are responsible for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) design.
For over ten years, Pam worked in the HVAC industry. She has worked as a mechanical designer, a product applications engineer, and as a product manager. In product management, Pam collaborated with engineers in all areas of the industry – including building design engineers, product design engineers, manufacturing engineers, and sales engineers. Her role also included business management work to ensure product success, such as marketing, sales, advertising, finance, supply chain, training, warranty, and customer service. She was responsible for monitoring market trends and competitors, as well as leading launch efforts for new products.
Her involvement in SWE played a key role in Pam’s career. Pam joined SWE as a collegiate member in 2004, where she volunteered to co-chair the 2006 Region D Conference. Pulling the conference together was a massive multi-year effort, and it is where she first cut her teeth on project management and leadership skills. After the conference, Pam continued volunteering for SWE within Region D and at the Society level, including as the Region D Collegiate Representative, Region D Treasurer, and the Society Membership Committee. When her first job opportunity had her relocating from Orlando to Atlanta, Pam already felt “at home” with SWE because of the friendships that had been built within Region D. Pam became a Life Member of SWE in 2009. Today, Pam is actively involved in SWE’s Entrepreneur Affinity Group.
“What I love most about SWE is that it has always been a safe place to cultivate my professional skills outside of the workplace. Because of the opportunities available to me in SWE, I have become a skilled public speaker, sharpened invaluable soft skills, and zero-ed in on my own brand of people-management. I got real, hands-on experience using these skills much earlier than I would have in the workplace. I have SWE to thank for my quick advancement, my self-confidence, and much of my career success.”
Pam Duffy
Pam is also an active member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). She is a Past President of the Atlanta Chapter (2013-2014) and serves as the Honors & Awards Chair and Finance Committee Chair of the Dallas Chapter. Pam is the Region VIII Vice Chair for Student Activities. At the Society level, Pam serves as Chair of the Communications Committee and non-voting member of Member’s Council. She is Vice-Chair of Technical Committee 1.7 – Business, Management & General Legal Education. In 2017, Pam was named an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, and now travels around the globe speaking to ASHRAE members on relevant topics. Pam was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 2019 for her outstanding dedication to volunteer efforts.
Pam lives in Dallas, TX with her husband Ted and Australian Shepherd Dixie. She is a foodie and loves a multi-course chef’s tasting menu. Pam enjoys sampling craft beer, especially from local breweries when she travels. She is a self-proclaimed productivity nerd and loves to organize anything. Pam has fun connecting with people on social media. She loves to travel to new places, but during the pandemic she especially misses cruising!
