Left to right: Kevin Mitchell, CIBSE President; George Adams CEng FCIBSE; and David Hughes CEng FCIBSE
George Adams CEng FCIBSE received a Gold Medal. David Hughes delivered George’s citation. George’s career started in the building services division of Matthew Hall in 1973 as an apprentice, where he still works today as Director of Energy and Engineering. He joined CIBSE in 1981, becoming a Fellow in 2012 and CIBSE President in 2013. George is chair of the Cities and Climate Change Group and was fundamental in the formation of what is now the Inclusivity and Diversity Panel. He currently chairs the CIC Green Construction Panel. He has also been involved in the post-Grenfell Tower work around engineering competence, and chairs Working Group One which focuses on the competence of engineers.
I’ve known and worked with George for what is now approaching 50 years.
He commenced work in the Building Services division of Matthew Hall in 1973, as one of my Apprentices.
Some 49 years later we now find George, with the same employer, his current position being of Director of Energy and Engineering.
George joined CIBSE in 1981 becoming a Fellow in 2012 and President and Chair of the Board in May 2013.
He has always been active in our organisation becoming Chair of the Special Interest Group, Cities and Climate Change.
George was fundamental in the formation of what is now the Inclusivity and Diversity Panel.
He has been active in promoting the work and influence of CIBSE becoming our representative Board Member on the Engineering Council in 2015.
He has been our sponsor for Specialist Research with the Royal Academy of Engineering on Diversity linked to sustainable solutions in the Built Environment.
Such has been his range of interests he has also been a BSRIA Council Member and a technical committee member of HVCA.
George chairs the CIC Green Construction Panel the essence of which is the encouragement of the need to develop a sustainable society through energy and water, addressing the urgent need to learn how to improve our existing urban environments.
More recently George has been actively involved in the post Grenfell Tower work on engineering competence, in particular...
He chairs Working Group One which is focussed on the competence of engineers and recommended changes for the future.
He has been actively engaged in the discussions about the new contextualised registers of engineering competence in relation to working on higher risk buildings.
His contributions are mentioned in the Competence Steering Group’s publication ‘Raising the Bar’ published in August 2019 and also the final publication ‘Setting the Bar’ published in October 2020.
George has also been a key participant in the group of senior CIBSE members who have developed the competence criteria for building services for the new contextualised register.
George has been a credit to his employer, to society and especially to CIBSE.
It has been my very great pleasure to nominate George for a Gold Medal.
George Adams
CEng FCIBSE
GOLD MEDAL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
I am honoured and delighted to receive this CIBSE Gold award from our institute.
Over my long service involved in many aspects of CIBSE, I have been privileged to serve on the Board, in committees and focus groups along with presidential matters and setting up the Resilient Cities group and serving 6 years for CIBSE on the Engineering Council. Also, the development of representing the engineering industry with CIBSE and the Engineering Council to the Industry Competency Group responding to Dame Judith Hackett’s report following the Tragic Grenfell Tower Incident. That work was and is particularly challenging and very time consuming in shaping and working with government and regulatory bodies.
Volunteering enabled work with the Engineering Council to establish the new codes of ethics for the engineering industry. As Chairman of the Resilient Cities Group for several years, now being led by a core team of highly motivated women, we established a forward thinking and intelligent movement seeking out leading edge knowledge and informing our members, we have developed a recognised body within the Built Environment industry.
In effect my work was a parallel career which I have enjoyed and was made possible with the full support of the company from the CEO and all the functional heads, CIBSE is important to us. I was pleased to lead us into achieving the CIBSE registration scheme with a strong growing body of candidates.
CIBSE has and is always there, a caring and intelligently based PEI, where people matter.
I must say thanks to so many people in particular my wife and daughters for their support over the years, to David Hughes back in the early days for his vision and confidence to push me on and to Howell Davies for his constant support to so many people. My thanks to you all.
I have and still enjoy my CIBSE involvement and feel privileged to have been part of and contributed to this brilliant organisation.
Thankyou
Left to right: Kevin Mitchell, CIBSE President; Anne Peck, Liz Peck's mother; David Peck, Liz Peck's brother
Liz Peck MSc FSLL was posthumously awarded a Gold Medal. Her citation was read by Mike Simpson. Liz started her career on the sales desk at Concord, joining the lighting design team at Marlin following a merger, with no previous experience. After a move to Philips, Liz studied for a Masters in Architecture Light and Lighting at UCL. She set up her own design practice and was SLL secretary for four years, becoming SLL President in 2015. Liz’s presidential year coincided with the UNESCO International Year of Light when SLL organised the Night of Heritage Light – lighting some of Britain’s most iconic locations. For her efforts Liz won a lighting award and was named Lux Person of the Year 2015. In 2020, Liz was writing the SLL Guide to protecting the night-time environment, bringing it close to completion. It was a subject that Liz was passionate about, both in her work protecting bats and in her architectural lighting design.
Liz started her lighting career on the Sales Desk at Concord and following the merger with Marlin joined the lighting design team with no previous background. Both the potential commute between Brighton and Feltham, plus the lack of any experience in lighting design would suggest that this was not a good match, but Liz convinced me otherwise. She had a good product knowledge and a drive not to let things stand in her way. She was not backward in coming forward if there was something she needed to know, and quickly grasped the aspects of lighting design that would take her forward.
Her introduction to the Society of Light and Lighting was with their Ready Steady Light event, persuading other manufacturers to part with products for the event. At its peak we had 19 teams and Liz managed to scrounge over 150 pieces of kit on loan. As those who knew her will verify, when Liz made a request you didn’t say no.
After a move to Philips Liz studied for her Master’s Degree in Architecture Light & Lighting at UCL and her career took off. Alongside setting up her own design practice she became the SLL secretary for 4 years before becoming president in 2015. That year was UNESCO International Year of Light and she took on the even greater challenge of organising the Night of Heritage Lighting. On October 1st , for one night only, she got teams to light some of Britain’s most iconic locations;
The Tower of London,
Blenheim Palace,
Edinburgh Old and New Towns,
Fountains Abbey,
The Giants Causeway,
The Ironbridge Gorge,
Liverpool Maritime Dock
and Durdle Door in Dorset.
Word of the event leaked out and among the other logistical challenges was having to deal with members of the public that had turned out to see the event and blocked roads with their cars. For her efforts Liz won a lighting ward and became Lux Person of the Year in 2015.
She was soon working on many and varied projects but the one we talked about most was Ironbridge. I remember one day we were discussing the colour or rust! This was a project of tears and fears when she thought she couldn’t do it, and we didn’t realise how unwell she was at the time.
In the last months of 2020, Liz was writing the excellent SLL Guide to Protecting the Night-time Environment, bringing it close to completion. It was a subject that Liz was passionate about, both in her work protecting bats from the negative effects of light and in her architectural lighting design. It now carries an image of her Ironbridge on the front cover.
On a personal note I do remember at the end of a company business day a football match being arranged before dinner. Liz was a keen Rugby follower but she was just as passionate at football. As I watched from a distance Liz could be seen charging onto the pitch in full kit challenging anyone in her way. Returning back to her Yorkshire roots she continued her love of sport and Leeds United Football Club. And she never forgot to send me a text on my birthday. She was a unique person and is much missed by all.
Left to right: Kevin Mitchell, CIBSE President; Tim Dwyer CEng FCIBSE; Terry Giles CEng Hon. FCIBSE
The third Gold Medal was awarded to Tim Dwyer CEng FCIBSE, with a citation read by Terry Giles. For over 20 years Tim has led the CIBSE ASHRAE Group to foster greater information exchange between the two organisations. He has been involved in the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year since it launched 26 years ago. For the past five years, Tim has been managing editor of Building Services Engineering Research and Technology Journal (BSER&T) and is technical editor for the CIBSE Journal, where he also produces the Journal CPD modules each month. Tim has chaired the CIBSE Technical Symposium for 10 years, establishing it as the leading technical event in CIBSE’s calendar. His lecturing and mentoring whilst at LSBU and more recently at UCL have been an inspiration to generations of engineers.
I first met Tim when we were working for SE Thames Regional Health Authority in late 1970's. We were both studying for a BSc, Tim on a sandwich degree and I on the first part time day & and evening degree at the then Polytechnic of the South Bank. Two young men seeking education to further their engineering careers. Tim went on to a career in academia helping many others achieve their aspirations.
A few days ago, some of you were at the CIBSE/ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Awards. For over twenty years Tim has led the CIBSE ASHRAE Group to foster greater exchange of information between the two organisations. He has been the key figure in the CIBSE ASHRAE relationship, and for the past three years, he has convened the regular meetings between CIBSE and ASHRAE senior members.
Tim has worked tirelessly for our Institution. You will all be aware of the monthly CPD Programme in our Journal where he is also the Technical Editor.
For the past five years Tim has been Managing Editor of Building Services Engineering, Research and Technology. During that period, he has overseen a significant increase in the Impact Factor, the recognised benchmark for the quality of the Journal content, as well as the introduction of digital systems for managing paper submissions and reviews.
For ten years he has chaired the CIBSE Technical Symposium, establishing it as the leading technical event in the Institution’s calendar.
Tim and I have carried out professional review interviews together for CIBSE and IMechE. When I was tasked to form the Education. Training & Membership Committee Tim was one of the Panel Chairmen, we worked closely together. His mentoring skills ensured inclusion of all and moderated my management style.
The only time we were on different sides of a table was when I led an Accreditation Team to LSBU and Tim was on the staff. His knowledge of what was required, made it a very easy task to undertake.
His lecturing and mentoring whilst at LSBU and more recently at UCL have been an inspiration to younger engineers joining our industry. Our paths have converged any times.
When I stood down as a Trustee of the Manly Trust, I was pleased that Tim agreed to be my replacement. Their strapline of Youth, Education and Engineering sums up Tim’s career and involvement with those three key inputs. They are the cornerstones on which our Institution has been built.
For Tim’s significant input to our industry and Institution, tonight’s award of the Institution’s Gold Medal is a very appropriate accolade.
A fortuitous read of an advert during my sixth form years led to study at South Bank Poly sponsored by South East Thames Regional Health Authority. The serendipity of a TV programme on humidity provided a perfect discussion point at my interview. Summers were then spent gleaning knowledge and experience from the always wise clerk of works, and from sites and design offices including that of the veritable AG Manly and his dashing young blade son Graham.
Around that time Hywel and Stephen welcomed me across their Bailey bridge to Balham to develop projects including BSER&T and firmly establish the glorious Technical Symposium – delivered with Nyree, Pom, Lucy, and the CIBSE Team – a wonderful experience.
Thank you, to the many who are here tonight and the thousands who are not. As new vistas appear, your friendship, fellowship and leadership continue to enthuse me, and will undoubtedly inspire the next generation.