July 2020

Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., HBDP, LEED AP, Fellow ASHRAE, is ASHRAE’s newly appointed President for the 2020-21 term. Gulledge previously served on the ASHRAE Board of Directors as president-elect, treasurer, vice president and director-at-large.

Gulledge is employed by Environmental Air Systems, High Point, North Carolina as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. From North Carolina, Charles is a 1983 graduate of North Carolina State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

In addition to his time served on the Board of Directors, Gulledge has served as chair of the Members Council and the President-Elect Advisory Committee, chair of the Finance Committee, chair of the Standards Membership Ad Hoc Committee, chair of the Development Committee for Fundraising, and as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer. He has held ASHRAE Society-level leadership roles on many standing committees, technical committees and presidential ad hoc committees.

For his time and dedication to ASHRAE and the industry, he is the recipient of numerous awards including the Exceptional Service Award, Distinguished Service Award, Chapter Service Award, Regional Award of Merit, two ASHRAE Technology Awards and the Dan Mills Technology Award.

His theme for the 2020-21 ASHRAE Society Year is “The ASHRAE Digital Lighthouse and Industry 4.0.”

“Why should we engage in digital transformation? To gain a competitive advantage amongst our peers, position ourselves as the go-to resource for clients, improve margins, provide greater value, and attract and retain a digitally skilled workforce.”

“Digital transformation is not simply associated with adopting new technical solutions. Knowledge needs to be captured and linked in such a way that ALL relevant stakeholders’ benefit. Doing so requires understanding of how to collect, store, and analyze data; so that it is insightful and actionable.”

In addition to his contributions to ASHRAE, Gulledge’s career in HVAC spans over 36 years. He entered the industry as an engineer-in-training with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, working on transit system infrastructure, vehicular tunnels and moveable swing-span bridges. Over his career, he has served the built world in the roles of a consulting engineer, municipal owner and design-build contractor. Gulledge is currently a Senior Mechanical Engineer with Environmental Air Systems, LLC.  He is registered as a professional engineer in the states of North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia.

Environmental Air Systems is a premiere design build mechanical contractor, a national manufacturer of custom-built HVAC solutions and a building automation controls and HVAC service provider.  In conjunction with their custom HVAC offering, they also specialize in highly engineered modular off-site construction (OSC) applications for a variety of mission critical customers.