Interview with Daniel Fleischmann of the Geothermal Young Professionals
GRC Annual Meeting 2013, Opening Session (source: flickr/ Geothermal Resources Council, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
3 Sep 2015
With a new generation of "geothermalists" starting their careers in the industry, the Geothermal Young Professionals group founded by Daniel Fleischmann has provided a great forum for an ambitious group joining the ranks of our industry.
Having known Daniel Fleischmann for many years, I have appreciated his enthusiasm for geothermal and the industry and last but not least his efforts to give a platform for the young professionals. With an ageing work force in geothermal, there is a new generation coming in that will soon put its mark on the industry.
At the GRC Annual Meeting and the GEA Geothermal Expo in Reno, Nevada, Daniel has again organized the Geothermal Young Professional Dinner, so I thought it would be a good idea to briefly here from him on the event and the group.
Daniel, you are now organising again the Geothermal Young Professional Dinner. It is the 5th time the dinner takes place. Can you give us a little background on what this event is all about?
I began the event in 2011 because I wanted to connect students and young professionals together. I noticed there was a lot of effort by universities to bring new students into the geothermal industry, but many of these students didn’t know one another or have much contact with industry. The geothermal industry has grown in waves, and the new wave of development (from 2005-2015) was achieved mostly with people who participated in the projects of the 1980s as leaders. Many of those people are going to retire in the next several years. That leaves a huge gap. We need to create a community within the new generation of young professionals. Many of these young professionals will have careers other than geothermal, but retain an interest in geothermal. Some will remain in the geothermal industry, but will go overseas to work on geothermal. I want to create and maintain a professional network, where people can share information, job postings, events, etc. While this started in the U.S., we now have people from all over the world that are members of the Geothermal Young Professionals group on Facebook.
What is the idea behind the Geothermal Young Professionals group?
As noted before, it is a group where people from around the world who are working in the geothermal industry or interested in the geothermal industry can connect and network. During the 1970s and 1980s, this opportunity wasn’t available. People working in the industry in one part of the world couldn’t connect with people working on another part of the world. We are using social media to make important connections that will keep our industry engaged as a new generation enters the workforce and the previous generation retires.
There is a new generation joining the geothermal industry, but they often don´t find the opportunities. What could the industry do to create opportunities for the younger generation?
Companies don’t create opportunities, people do. People connect with each other and share experiences of research or work they are doing on one corner of the globe to another corner of the globe. Groups like these empower people to make connections and those people will lead the industry to create opportunities.
You can find the Geothermal Young Professionals Group on Facebook (I understand though that you will have to ask to get granted access due to some spamming issues).
The Fifth Annual Geothermal Young Professionals Dinner will be held at La Cucina Italian Deli & Restaurant at 3600 Lakeside Dr, Reno, Nevada 89509 starting at 6:45pm. It is a 10 minute walk from the Peppermill Resort and Casino where the GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo will be held. Not sponsored by any specific company, the event brings together young professionals in the geothermal industry to network and build relationships for the future. Last year’s dinner in Portland, Oregon was the most well-attended ever with more than 50 young professionals in attendance.
To RSVP or for any questions please contact Daniel Fleischmann of Enel Green Power at daniel.fleischmann@enel.com
You can also RSVP on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/403257439874491/
