Our Story - Bowerbird Energy

Helping You Soar

We understand that your resources are best spent growing your business. Our team helps you uncover and implement energy efficiencies and create healthier spaces. We’re here to save you money and achieve your environmental goals.

Former Marine and Iraqi War veteran Chris Rawlings founded the company that became Bowerbird Energy Contractors in 2014. His experience in the military and with mission-focused contractors inspired him to find effective ways of leveraging energy efficiencies. The Bowerbird team brings a wealth of knowledge across the sectors of energy, technology, utilities and construction. We take a personal approach with attention to service, flexibility and details. Bowerbird has helped more than 250 clients across the country, including real estate developers, construction firms, property managers, engineers and government agencies.

Our primary focus is reducing operational expenses and environmental impact, by designing and implementing energy management solutions that generate the quickest return on investment for our customers.

Leadership & Advisory Team

Chris Rawlings, CEM, LEED Green Associate
Founder / Chief Energy Officer

Chris Rawlings, CEM, LEED Green Associate Founder / Chief Energy Officer
Chris sets the strategic direction of Bowerbird, runs the day-to-day operations of the business and manages enterprise accounts. He holds a B.S in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, is a Certified Energy Manager with the Association of Energy Engineers, LEED Green Associate with the U.S Green Building Council and recently completed an exclusive cohort with the Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship, housed within the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, where experts from across the country gathered to drive national discussion around energy security, energy resiliency, and drafted policy proposals supporting advanced energy. Chris is also the Host of the widely respected Energy Sense podcast and serves as a speaker at events across the country on such topics as energy engineering, design/build construction and veteran entrepreneurship.

Hometown Richmond, VA

Most Exciting Flight You’ve Taken From Iraq to Rota, Spain

Highest Elevation Point You’ve Been on Land 14,500 feet

Favorite Sports Team Miami Dolphins

A Quote That Motivates You “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.”

rawlings@bowerbirdenergy.com 804-562-8606 www.ChrisRawlings.com
Jessica Rawlings
Principle Consultant

Jessica Rawlings Principle Consultant
Jessica has worked in human resources, talent development and performance management for more than a decade. She’s a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from William James College in Boston. Jessica provides Bowerbird with guidance on teams and maximizing our performance.

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Dream Vacation: Egypt

Highest Elevation Point You’ve Been on Land: 14,196 feet, when hiking Mount Princeton in Colorado. Dead Woman’s Pass along the Inca Trail in Peru seemed way higher, but was only 13,828 feet.

Do You Have a Hero? My Father

Most Exciting Flight You’ve Taken: My first flight to New Zealand. It was my first long flight completely on my own and to a destination that I'd planned for for months.

Favorite Sports Team: Miami Dolphins … fins up!

A Quote That Motivates You: “It’s a long road that has no turning.” — Irish proverb
Tyler Bell
Sr. Project Manager

Tyler Bell Sr. Project Manager Tyler, who studied at Virginia Wesleyan University, sees Bowerbird projects through from conception to successful onsite installation. He enjoys seeing projects brought to reality in the field and ensures that clients are happy with every aspect of their experience with Bowerbird. Tyler grew up in the Richmond area and has known founder Chris Rawlings for three decades.
Hometown: Chesterfield, VA

Dream Vacation: Traveling the country in an RV with my family.

Favorite Sports Team: Washington Commanders

What’s Your Favorite Thing About the Energy Efficiency Industry? I love that our business success depends on how well we save money for customers by implementing different conservation measures.
Don Rawlings
Safety Officer

Don Rawlings Safety Officer
Don is a graduate of the business school at Virginia Commonwealth University who studied natural resources management and policy at West Virginia University’s Chambers College of Business and Economics. He founded the successful truck engine repair company Rebel Diesel Inc., which he ran for nearly 30 years. He’s a former member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and provides support and safety consulting services to Bowerbird.

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

Do You Have a Hero? My Dad, in his own way he demonstrated daily integrity, fairness and honesty.

Highest Elevation Point You’ve Been on Land: Approximately 8,000 feet, on the Cajon Pass.

Dream Vacation: Belgium attending the Formula One at Spa

Favorite Sports Team: Any Underdog

What’s Your Favorite Thing About the Energy Efficiency Industry? The industry is evolving so fast. The influx of new technologies that could one day make each community self-sufficient producing its own energy. Massive improvements in battery technology for storage and use. Nuclear fusion reactors can produce limitless quantities of clean energy and reduce the harmful waste of current fission reactors.
Prince Sebastian
Project Manager - Data

Prince Sebastian Project Manager - Data
Prince has been in the energy sector for several years, and brings experience to Bowerbird in solar energy, lighting retrofits and data analytics. He enjoys research, problem solving and helping manage a variety of projects for our team. Prince is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in data analytics.

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

Most Exciting Flight You’ve Taken: When I immigrated to the United States in 2004.

Dream Vacation: Iceland or some northern country to see the Northern Lights.

Favorite Sports Team: Washington Football Team

What’s Your Favorite Thing About the Energy Efficiency Industry: It’s verifiable. Pre-existing Energy Use - Energy Conservation Measures = Savings.

A Quote That Motivates You: “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Lorimer
Eric Oliver, P.E., CEM
Advisor, ESG Master Planning

Eric Oliver, P.E., CEM Advisor, ESG Master Planning
Eric started his career with the federal government in EPA’s Energy Star Buildings Program in 1994. He founded EMO Energy Solutions in 1998 to address the growing need for energy efficiency services and ran the company for 19 years. Eric was among the earliest practitioners of the LEED program, providing energy modeling, commissioning, and LEED consulting services in addition to energy auditing capabilities. He’s conducted energy-training seminars, created energy awareness campaigns, and presented and moderated at energy conferences.

In 2019 Eric was inducted into the National Energy Managers Hall of Fame by the Association of Energy Engineers for a lifetime of achievement and leadership. Eric is an architecture graduate of MIT, where he earned his master’s degree in building technology. He’s a licensed professional engineer in Virginia and Maryland, president of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), served on the board of directors of the US Green Buildings Council (USGBC-NCR), and is a former board chairman of the Virginia Sustainable Building Network (VSBN). Eric now advises Bowerbird on sustainability and ESG Master Planning.
Mike Scelzi, MBA, CEM
Advisor, Advanced Technology

Mike Scelzi, MBA, CEM Advisor, Advanced Technology
Mike is first and foremost a successful entrepreneur and business developer. He has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, building systems and energy management. After successfully growing, scaling and exiting a commercial HVAC contracting company in 2008, Mike set out on a path to bring advanced technology to building spaces and recreate what it means to account for all energy expenses. Mike holds several patents designed to disrupt the malaise of the current energy markets by using only the energy necessary to accomplish the task. He’s constantly innovating ways to conserve energy by using existing systems. He now advises Bowerbird on the identification and adoption of proven advanced technologies to ensure maximum value with minimized risk.

Hometown: Fort Edward, NY

Do You Have a Hero? John D. Rockefeller

Highest Elevation Point You’ve Been on Land: 14,500 feet

What’s the Most Exciting Flight You’ve Taken? Dubai to Chicago

Best Advice You’ve Been Given? Listen more than you talk.

Helping You Soar

Leadership & Advisory Team

Chris Rawlings, CEM, LEED Green Associate

Jessica Rawlings

Tyler Bell

Don Rawlings

Prince Sebastian

Eric Oliver, P.E., CEM

Mike Scelzi, MBA, CEM

Our Clients Include

partner list