Leadership Spotlight: 10 Questions for Kent Peterson

1. Looking back on your 35 years leading P2S, what is one leadership lesson that has shaped how you guide the company today?

Leadership is inspiring others to believe and enabling that belief to become reality. It's an awesome responsibility. The challenges are many, but the rewards are immense. Leadership is an incredible privilege, one that comes with the ultimate reward: soulful fulfillment. Knowing you have made a lasting impact on those you've led.

2. When you think back to the early days of P2S, what core vision or philosophy guided you and your brother, Kevin Peterson, as you launched the firm?

Kevin and I were both chief engineers at another consulting firm – he on the electrical side, me on the mechanical – when we decided to strike out on our own in early 1991. We were 27. We saw an opportunity as many large-facility clients were downsizing and eliminating their internal engineering departments. They needed a partner who could deliver infrastructure engineering expertise directly, with a service-oriented mindset. From day one, we built P2S around three founding principles that still guide us today: a commitment to our employees' growth and dignity, consistently delivering value and quality to our clients, and recognizing our responsibility to give back to our community and profession. Those principles weren't just words on paper; they've shaped every major decision we've made over the past 35 years.

3. You have worn several hats at P2S: co-founder, COO, CTO, and Chief Engineer. How do you balance strategic leadership with staying deeply connected to the technical side of the work?

As P2S grew, I deliberately focused on helping our technical staff deliver successful designs because my passion has always been on the technical side of our business. I was fortunate that my brother Kevin was willing to take on the administrative side of running the company. That partnership allowed each of us to play to our strengths. Over my 40-plus years in this industry, I've had the privilege of mentoring many generations of engineers, and that's always been the most rewarding part of my work. My recent transition from COO to CTO allows me to focus exclusively on working with our technical leadership team and engineering staff as we continue to innovate for our clients. I still love rolling up my sleeves. Recently, I've been conducting extensive research into what's required for air-source water heat pump applications to succeed. Staying close to the technical work keeps me sharp and connected to what our teams are solving every day.

4. You've held many roles within ASHRAE, including being the youngest Society President in its 130-year history. How has that platform allowed you to influence the future of engineering and the built environment?

My presidential theme in 2007-2008 was "Greater Efficiency Today, Blue Skies Tomorrow: Innovation for a Sustainable Built Environment." Even then, I was calling on our industry to treat energy as a valuable, limited resource and pursue elegant solutions for high-performance buildings. Over the course of my volunteer years, I've been privileged to chair more than 20 committees and councils in ASHRAE. I chaired Standing Standard Project Committee (SSPC) 189.1 when ASHRAE, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) published their first American National Standards Institute (ANSI) green building standard, which is now the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). I've since chaired the ASHRAE Task Force on Building Decarbonization for two years. It transitioned into a standing committee – the Center of Excellence for Building Decarbonization – which I chaired in its first year.

But the real value of ASHRAE isn't in the titles; it's in the people. I've learned to never underestimate the value of knowledge, whether others' or my own. This organization lets us seek out those who've been there, ask what they've learned, listen, distill their wisdom, and help advance our industry. I still relish the chance to seek perspective and learn. My legacy won't be measured by my award-winning projects or industry awards, but by the people I've positively influenced throughout my career. I enjoy getting others to dream of what's possible and then to collectively achieve those dreams.

5. You were previously appointed by Congress to the Federal High-Performance Green Buildings Advisory Committee. What has been the most meaningful part of shaping federal sustainability standards?

I was appointed in 2011 as a non-governmental engineering member of the Green Building Advisory Committee and served for 11 years. The committee was established under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to provide independent advice and expertise to General Services Administration (GSA)'s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings. Serving on the committee gave me deep insight into how federal agencies expand and manage their building stock. We collaborated on groundbreaking work on net-zero and high-performance buildings, indoor environmental quality, embodied carbon, and building decarbonization. I was proud to co-chair the Federal Building Decarbonization Task Group, which developed recommendations to help GSA prioritize and implement decarbonization strategies across its portfolio of more than 1,600 federally owned buildings. The most meaningful part has been seeing how our recommendations can influence real decisions at scale.

6. The built environment is evolving quickly, from new technologies to shifting client expectations. What emerging trends or innovations across the engineering profession excite you most for the decade ahead?

Technology continues to evolve, providing us with exciting tools to expand our engineering solutions. I'm particularly excited about integrating AI-powered predictive analytics and IoT-enabled systems into MEP engineering. Clients always seek more for less, and that is the essence of sustainable, elegant design. The next generation of engineers will work with collaborative AI, tackling complex infrastructure challenges with the wisdom of vast datasets and accelerating innovation cycles from months to days. I'm excited about the future.

7. What's the advice you most hope early-career engineering professionals carry with them?

Your engineering degree teaches you the fundamentals and how to learn, research, and solve problems. You will face many engineering challenges in your career that you can solve with these basic skills, critical thinking, and appropriate research. Seek to understand what you do not understand. Dream of possibilities, innovate, and never underestimate the value of knowledge. When it comes to character, traits like unwavering integrity, relentless curiosity, and empathetic collaboration are essential. Work ethic shines through consistent follow-through and delivering on promises amid tight deadlines. Respect diverse perspectives to create more holistic designs. Character is the foundation that makes technical solutions enduring and impactful.

8. What's the funniest or most surprisingly complementary part of working so closely with your twin brother?

We started P2S with Kevin as Chief Electrical Engineer and me as Chief Mechanical Engineer, so the "electrical vs. mechanical" debate was built into the company from day one. Roughly 20 years ago, when our CEO, John Sosoka, retired, Kevin chose to assume those responsibilities, which let us play to our different strengths. Here's something most people don't know: we're mirror-image identical twins. In our early years in the business, we could substitute for each other in meetings when we were double-booked. And yes, we can finish each other's sentences, which either makes meetings more efficient or drives everyone else crazy. I feel blessed to have worked with my brother to build a successful business over these 35 years.

9. Everyone has that one odd travel must-have. What's one comfort item, guilty pleasure, or quirky little thing you never leave behind when you travel?

I've flown over four million miles in the past 30 years, and almost all of those miles were with only a carry-on suitcase – I've learned to pack light. My comfort item is my noise-cancelling AirPods. They're essential for working on the plane, working out in the hotel, and for all those calls in between.

10. What's one thing on your bucket list that you've yet to cross off?

I have two, actually. I'd love to learn to play the guitar, but I haven't had the time with my busy work schedule. Despite flying over four million miles, I've never made it to New Zealand. It's one of the few places I haven't visited, and it's definitely on the list.