Front lines to refrigerant lines –
career transition highlights
November 2019 • 4 min read
Integrity, respect, excellence. These are the core values that Lennox expects from ourselves and that we look for in our partners and associates. From executives and senior leadership such as Todd Bluedorn and Quan Nguyen, through every area of the company, you will find veterans, spouses, guardsmen and reservists working toward the futures they want for themselves and their families.
This Veterans Day, we want to say, “Thank you,” and highlight the career paths and achievements of a few of our current and former colleagues who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Daniel Kim
Army
Director of Prognostics & Diagnostics at Lennox Industries Inc.
When Daniel was five, his family emigrated from Korea. Growing up in a low-income environment, “…he saw how the government was able to help my parents and my family thrive in the community…” and asked himself, “How can I give back to the country that has helped me?” Daniel felt there was no better way to “give back” than to serve in the U.S. military. His family had also invested in his academic talents, which made West Point a good avenue to pursue both higher education and military service. He stayed in the Army for six years after graduation, including a year deployed to Iraq and completing his Army career as a Company Commander.
Daniel’s time in the military helped him to build valuable qualitative skills; leadership, coaching and mentoring, building effective teams, managing conflict and overcoming challenging situations. About transitioning to civilian life, he said, “Reach out to people who have made that transition. Learn about the challenges they faced… don’t be afraid to reach out to a broader veteran network; there’s a lot of them out there.” Noting that it can be tough for active duty personnel and veterans to reach out for help, he said, “That would be my advice. Reach out.”
David Sewell
Marine Corps
HVAC Technical Consultant
David enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969 and was a Radio Operator in Vietnam. After returning stateside, he married and started a family. After a while, he was ordered to Drill Instructor School. “16 weeks of training that makes bootcamp look like a cake walk…that was the best, hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life…”
In 1977, eight years and six months after joining up, David’s enlistment ended. “Civilian readjustment was probably the second toughest thing in my life after Drill Instructor school.” Fortunately, his father was a Lennox dealer, and wanted David to work for him. David didn’t know the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) trade, but his dad said, “You can learn.”
From apprentice to journeyman to instructor, David worked hard and forged a career. As an instructor he told his students, “If…HVAC is going to be your career, then make it your career…it’s worthy of every bit of effort that you can put into it…” In 1987, he went to work for Lennox as a Field Technical Consultant (FTC). 27 years later, he retired. Sort of. David now contracts with Lennox as an Inside Technical Consultant.
Angela Camacho
Marine Corps
Marketing Project Manager at Lennox
With five other siblings, Angela knew early on that she’d need to pay for higher education or career training on her own. She planned to join the Army, but after speaking to a Marine Corps recruiter she reconsidered, and after someone told her she’d never make it through Marine Corps bootcamp her decision was made. Accepting the challenge, she joined the Delayed Entry Program while in high school.
Eleven months later, she shipped out to boot camp. She wanted to be an attorney and was slated to serve as a legal aid. While at Military Combat Training (MCT) she’d learned her training school wasn’t ready, so she was reassigned to logistics. But due to injuries, Angela was honorably discharged prior to attending Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training.
Realizing that her desire to have a family was not, for her, compatible with pursuing a career in law, Angela adjusted her plans. In the 18 years since she started working at Lennox, Angela has taken every opportunity to pursue higher education and professional training. She is currently working on her PMP (Project Management Professional) certification through the Project Management Institute. About the adjustment to the civilian work force, Angela said, “…we are taught to adapt. Carry that over…” into the rest of your career.
Robert George
Army
HVAC Consultant
Rob “…was willing and able and considered it my privilege and obligation to serve the Republic and its citizens in the military.” He also wanted a college education and to serve as an officer. While he was earning his college degree and his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) commission in the Army, he worked at a heating and air conditioning business. His degree and Army commission took five years, during which time Rob had also learned a valuable trade.
After three years of active duty service, Rob transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserve and went back to the HVAC shop where he’d worked before. The G.I. Bill he’d earned through his Army service paid for “Additional technical schooling,” that, along with on the job training, “improved my proficiency and usefulness to the company…the character qualities that were necessary for a soldier such as integrity, dedication, professionalism, communication skills and leadership served me well in the civilian world.”
“Technical competence” and leadership skills led to Rob landing a Service Manager position for a major HVAC company. Later, he “became a full-time HVAC Technical Trainer for Lennox Industries.” Currently, Rob George is an HVAC Technical Consultant for an international consulting firm.
“For the last 22 years of my 57-year HVAC career, I have been traveling the U.S. and sharing what I have learned with others in the industry.” Rob has found HVAC to be
“…a very satisfying and rewarding career” that has allowed him to positively impact
“…thousands of customers” and to help his peers in the HVAC industry by serving as an instructor and consultant.
A world of opportunity
Whether you are transitioning from military service to the civilian sector, just starting your career journey, or somewhere well along the path of your working life, the HVAC industry offers a multitude of opportunities to serve others, work toward goals that matter to you, and build a rewarding career.
To learn more about veteran job opportunities at Lennox,
and access a list of veteran employment groups, click here.
Did you know that Lennox Learning Solutions offers training to help our partners succeed in their HVAC careers? Click here to learn more about our technical, sales and business training.