EP151 Emerging Leaders, Real Talk: The Future of HERS® Starts Here (March 2026)

About this episode

Bill Spohn interviews Emerging Leader Fellows Courtney Holland and Hayden Cantoni about their experiences in the HERS® and building performance industry.

QUOTES from the episode: "You can't fix what you didn't catch early. Thoroughness upfront saves everything downstream." "It's a young industry. That's what makes it exciting, we're still shaping what it becomes." "If you don't have a reason for being in this work, it's going to be hard to stay in it." In this episode of RESTalk, Bill sits down with 2026 Emerging Leader Fellows Courtney Holland and Hayden Cantoni fresh off their experience at the RESNET® Conference. Both guests share how they found their way into the HERS® and building performance industry, often unexpectedly, and what has kept them engaged ever since. From fieldwork to modeling, their stories highlight a career path that blends purpose, technical skill, and variety. Courtney and Hayden reflect on what accelerates learning in the field, the importance of mentorship, and the real-world challenges of tasks such as ventilation verification and HVAC grading. They also offer honest insights into early mistakes, emphasizing the importance of thorough inspections, documentation, and speaking up when something is off. Their perspectives reveal a maturing industry that still has room to improve in training pathways and…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Spohn

Guests: Courtney Holland, Hayden Cantoni

Topics covered

• emerging leaders
• HERS ratings
• building performance
• mentorship
• industry challenges
• sustainability

Keywords

• HERS ratings
• building performance
• mentorship
• sustainability
• HVAC grading
• ventilation verification
• career path

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RESNET®, HERS®

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