Lane Community College Alumni from the Energy Management Program
Max Teschner has built a fulfilling career conducting energy audits for an Oregon engineering consulting firm. Through his work, he feels he is making a tangible contribution to combating climate change, as commercial buildings account for 40% of carbon emissions. He attributes his success to the associate degree program in Energy Management at Lane College in Eugene, Oregon.
Not long ago, Max was working at Trader Joe’s. He had just turned 30 when he decided it was time for a career change. He wanted to make a meaningful difference in his community and embrace new challenges. When he saw an advertisement for Lane College’s Energy Management program, he decided to give it a try. The program’s fully online format allowed him to balance a remote job with his coursework. This flexibility also enabled him to accept two paid internships offered through the program, which Max credits as the key to landing his current job.
During his first internship, Max gained valuable experience conducting energy audits, collaborating with a team, and writing technical reports. He worked under the guidance of engineer Susan Marinello, whose mentorship was instrumental in his professional development. Max’s second internship was at Portland Community College (PCC), where he was chosen as a Strategic Energy Management intern. The Strategic Energy Management program is funded by the Energy Trust of Oregon and financed through ratepayers’ utility bills. Max worked under Adam Holzschuh, PCC’s Energy Manager, who provided him with many opportunities to connect classroom learning to hands-on work.
The group work, energy audits, and report writing during his internships were crucial in preparing him for his career, as his job focuses on teamwork, commercial energy audits, and communicating technical information. Currently, he is working on a $2 million project upgrading controls for a skyscraper in downtown Portland, which will save 35% in energy usage once complete.
Max credits the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” with alerting him as a teenager to the problem of global warming. His advice to future students interested in impacting climate change is to gain as much experience as possible while studying for an energy career. Hands-on experience with realistic equipment and energy systems is crucial, whether you aspire to be a technician, engineer, or policymaker.
Max Teschner’s journey is a testament to how determination and the right educational opportunities can lead to a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.
View all Energy Efficiency Program Profiles
Copyright @ 2025 CREATE National Energy Center
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2201631. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National ScienceFoundation.
