How a middle school science teacher found her way into a career in building commissioning.

An Unconventional Starting Point

The path to a commissioning career is rarely a straight line, and that’s exactly what makes this month’s CxA of the Month story worth telling.

This July, we’re spotlighting Amanda Polematidis, PE, CxA, Hanson Professional Services, a commissioning professional whose path began in a middle school science classroom instead of a mechanical room. After earning degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida, she spent seven years teaching science in Orange County Public Schools before actively looking for a way back into engineering — and the green building world gave her an opening.

The Door That Opened

Amanda’s active involvement with the U.S. Green Building Council opened a door to a commissioning technician role at a firm with a strong green building portfolio. By their own admission, she walked into that interview without fully knowing what commissioning was. But the interviewer saw something more valuable: curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the communication skills that years in a classroom can build.

Why Commissioning Clicked

Those skills turned out to matter just as much as the technical ones. Commissioning is, at its core, a coordination discipline — bringing owners, designers, contractors, and facility staff to the same table, translating complex technical issues into productive conversations, and keeping everyone pointed toward a common goal. For someone who spent years helping students understand difficult concepts, it was a natural fit.

Where She is Today

Today, commissioning makes up a significant portion of Amanda’s professional work, anywhere from 25% to the full scope of their role, depending on the project. The journey from teacher to sustainability professional to energy services engineer and commissioning specialist is proof that the road into this industry doesn’t have to be linear.

Advice for the Next Generation

When asked what advice they’d offer students considering commissioning as a career, the answer was simple:

“Don’t overlook commissioning! As a mentor with the ACE Mentor Program of Northeast Florida, I encourage students every year to consider it as a career path because many have never even heard of it. Commissioning offers opportunities for both degreed and non-degreed professionals to build rewarding careers in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. It’s a field where you gain exposure to every building system while working alongside designers, contractors, owners, and facility operators.

As our buildings become more complex with smarter controls, greater energy demands, increased resilience requirements, and more interaction with the electric grid the need for commissioning will only continue to grow. We need professionals who can verify that these systems perform as intended and help bridge the gap between design, construction, and operations. My advice is to stay curious, ask questions, seek out mentors, and never underestimate the value of strong communication skills. Those qualities opened the door for me, and they continue to be some of the most important skills in my career.”