Meet the Team

Optimized Systems’ team of experts includes design engineers, but we don’t do design. We also have control specialists and master programmers, but we don’t sell controls. And we have former facilities managers, so we understand day-to-day operations, because we’ve lived it. We all work together to deliver a level of knowledge and understanding of building systems you simply can’t find elsewhere.

Rick Kmiecik

Rick is President and Founder of Optimized Systems. He’s known as a creative, forward-thinking problem solver who is passionate about energy. You’ll find his enthusiasm contagious and his wit quick.

Donny Zimmerman

As the company’s optimization czar, Donny focuses on developing and implementing HVAC energy-saving strategies. But he seems to have the most fun measuring the millions of dollars we are saving our clients in energy costs!

Rick Harris

Rick leads Optimized Systems’ commissioning and building advocation services. Along with commissioning, his primary focus is helping clients keep their buildings maintained and operating well. Rick’s secondary focus is getting “advocation” added to the dictionary.

Chad Smith

Chad joined our team as a Systems Specialist. While Chad does many things, his primary role is helping to grow, manage and support our booming optimization and controls integration services sectors. So, that's what a System Specialist does!

Scott Erlenbusch

Scott is an Energy Project Technician, but given everything he does, he’s more like a human Swiss army knife.

Chad Doane

Chad is a licensed Professional Engineer who has more than 35 years of diverse energy engineering and mechanical systems know-how. As a seasoned, insightful and client-focused professional, Chad brings some high-octane skills to the team.

Nick Combs

Nick is a hands-on technical advisor for the company. He is a seasoned achiever with an insatiable curiosity. When it comes to facility operations, he may know more than Google.

Tyler Mueller

Tyler is an Energy Systems Engineer. He is also an engineer by education, a programmer by training and an energy buff by passion. Tyler's other passions include anything with a throttle!

Nick Terhall

Nick is a licensed Professional Engineer. Highly proficient in all aspects of mechanical systems design and project management, Nick joined Optimized Systems to lead its new Des Moines office. Nick's contribution to any team is best summarized as, “Relax. Nick is on it.”

Melanie Stewart

Melanie is Optimized Systems’ Sustainability Manager. She has a passion for reducing energy and emissions and knows that true sustainability doesn’t just help the environment, it saves money and improves human health too.

Josh McIlwain

Josh is our fearless business development leader, working from our Colorado “base camp.” Josh is excited, dedicated, and passionate about taking your energy conservation efforts and related cost savings to new heights in the Mile High City.

Kelsey Ritchie Business Development

Kelsey is Optimized Systems’ Business Development Leader. She is highly driven and very sociable, so establishing connections is her forte. Please don’t ask Kelsey to build anything but relationships!

Dakota Zimmerman

Dakota is a Project Technician who focuses on all things data and technology. Some savants started playing the piano at an early age – Dakota, the keyboard.

Herman Moheng

Herman is Optimized Systems’ chief controls guru. If it’s electronic, he can build it, fix it, program it and integrate it...and probably has. We haven't found anything he can't do, but we're trying.

Ryan Hansen

Ryan came to Optimized Systems as an accomplished electronics and automation whiz that has done it all. And we’re still learning what “all” is.

Marcus Houser

If it’s a piece of HVAC equipment, Marcus has probably fixed it. His extensive hands-on experience makes him a great team asset for testing and commissioning and we “plug him in” on any project we can.

John Smay

John took his natural intuition and passion for energy and spent years specializing in HVAC equipment and the controls to run them. If you have questions, John has answers!

Art Malenfant

Art is an Energy Project Specialist with diverse skills. Now that he has been on the team for a while, we're convinced that his mind is stuck in “occupied mode,” because he’s always thinking and always doing.

Justen Wilcox

Justen is a Programmer and Integrator for Optimized Systems. Years of hands-on experience with electrical and HVAC systems, along with his programming skills, make him a controls system sage.

Mike Taylor

Mike handles Optimized Systems’ business management and marketing communications functions. Coming from the environmental industry, he’s excited to be representing a service that customers want!