An Interview with Jody Good

Your humble editor sat down with a slimmer Jody Good, III, L.C., FIES, IALD, LEED-AP ™, Principal of Spectrum Engineers, Salt Lake City, Past President of IESNA and Past President of NCQLP.

Ed: First thing, is how did you lose all of the weight?

Jody: A medically supervised diet, no surgery! And I have done it over a period of five months.

Ed: Jody, you have a reputation in the market for writing specs that stick. How does a specifier consistently write specifications that do not get broken?

Jody: Three things are important here. First, careful choices have to be made in the best interests of our client. This ensures that the most appropriate solutions are used for their project. Second, we communicate with our client to make them understand why certain products are chosen, and they understand that we have solved their problems in a manner that is in their interests. Third, and this is important, we have done our homework and make sure we have looked at all potential products that fit the intended solution. There is nothing that will get a specification questioned faster than a rep or contractor who feels they have not been heard. This has the additional benefit of making each job look and feel unique. Obviously certain clients like previous successful solutions and ask us to repeat some design elements.

Ed: When a rep comes to you with an alternative product…

Jody: We consider it. There are considerations that have to be made, such as if the bid has already been awarded. In that case we have to have a financial conversation about exactly whose best interest is being served with the potential change.

Ed: And when you reject a substitution, how do you monitor?

Jody: Our staff is well trained. We visit jobs. We check the submittal and installation. I can’t tell you how many reps have had to change ballasts. For example, typically we specify a Program Rapid Start ballast. Someone decides that Instant Start should be fine and installs fixtures with these in them. We catch this at inspection, and don’t agree. When we see it—and we do see it—the rep learns an expensive lesson by changing out the ballasts.

Ed: You are based in Salt Lake, but much of your business is national in scope. How does that work?

Jody: Many of our jobs are out of town. We have relationships with the Salt Lake reps and let them know what we are doing. We understand the concept of spec credit. This way they have a role in our out of town projects, and can help us watch them. It does not cost us anything. We also promote relationships directly with the manufacturers. This can prove invaluable for many reasons. In fact, this alone is a good reason to go to Lightfair each year.

Ed: But don’t reps compete to some extent with Lighting Designers?

Jody: Yes it is an occasional problem. They may do some layouts and give some engineers or contractors a layout. But they do not do the entire job. For example, they do not provide energy code calculations, and they cannot create a competitively biddable document. They don’t provide any “deliverable” documents. Most reps that I talk with wish they didn’t have to do calculations or layouts. Certainly for our firm, the sales reps do not provide any layouts or calculations.

If there is a tragedy in our industry, it is that manufacturer reps are expected to sell lighting at 3% commission. That is why so many of them have to play games with overage—which I won’t allow. If the reps could make, say 8% or so, then they would not have to play the overage games and buy-sell games to keep their doors open. I won’t let them do those things on my jobs, and take certain procedural steps to protect our clients from this.

As I said, I never ask reps to prepare layouts—that is our job, someone is paying us to do that. I am not happy when I hear that a sales rep is doing work for my competitors and may think twice of giving them discretionary business if they are competing against me by aiding my competitor in an unethical manner. Let me make this quite clear. There is a role for a rep and a role for the lighting designer, and they are separate roles. Reps have to do calculations for the design-build contractors, OK. But when someone is being paid a design fee, it is a tragedy that the work is pushed to the rep do it for free and the specifier still bills client. Again, most reps I know, and I know many of them, would rather not do calculations under these conditions.

Ed: What kind of trends to you see with regard to the value of your profession?

Jody: It’s getting better. We are involved in projects which we would not normally have been involved with say ten years ago. We are looking out for more items today. Emergency and exiting lighting, energy codes compliance, building and safety code compliance. This is “public welfare” concerns. In the engineering profession, this is the basis of licensing. This is the single most substantial reason for licensing Lighting Designers.

Ed: Any EPACT jobs?

Jody: I looked at this for last year. We had had several that already finished and were perfect, except for the timing. Still there are possibilities, but we haven’t filed anything yet, but we do have clients that are going to file. We did have to convince a contractor not to claim EPACT. He was a bit ambitious. It expires in 2008, so we are going to have to act fast.

Ed: Describe your role at Spectrum.

Jody: As a principal, my personal responsibility consists of three roles: 1) Establish and maintain lighting standards for the firm. 2) I act as project manager for my own projects, designing lighting and theatrical equipment, conducting energy audit, specs and drawings and, if it is out of town, interface with the local engineer. I personally manage about 50 projects each year. 3) Provide support for other electrical engineers or project managers in the firm, up to 1000 projects per year. For example, if someone is doing a hotel, I won’t get involved too much in the rooms if there is an interior designer. Instead, I will work with corridors, lobby’s restaurants, and site. I will be the senior lighting guy and support all questions and challenges in our firm.

Training and knowledge are vital at Spectrum. We work very hard to understand available products in the market and we push the reps and salespeople to understand all aspects of their products. This information goes in our internal data base, used by our project managers. It has been very successful thing, saves project mgrs considerable time. Also I conduct basic and advanced lighting training for our employees.

Ed: What are some of the trends are you see in our industry?

Jody: In December of 2005, we had 18 principals to sit for the LEED exam—the toughest exam I ever took. Only 5 of the 73 questions had anything to do with areas which I work. Presently, I am working on two LEED platinum projects. One of which is an Architects’ own offices here in Salt Lake.

Ed: How did they decide they wanted LEED platinum instead of gold?

Jody: They are committed to sustainability and willing to pay for it. The additional cost from gold to platinum was only about $3 per square foot—and the client believes it is worth it for that sustainability example and experience. I worked on the very first two LEED projects in Utah. One of these was for the Speed Skating Oval for the 2002 Olympics.

Ed: You have won several awards for your designs, any favorites?

Jody: How do you choose a favorite? One that comes to mind is the St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Draper, UT which I won the 2003 GE Edison Award as well as their sustainability award, and an IIDA Guth Award of Excellence from the IESNA.

Other favorite projects? Projects where the client wanted creativity in design, innovation in energy, and perhaps some special controls. Those types are very exciting, particularly if the budget is there. With the St. John the Baptist, we achieved all three.

Ed: You’ve been a leader in many organizations; President of IESNA, President of NCQLP to name a few. How well are the associations serving the industry?

Jody: IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers) is one which I am a professional member. I am an advocate for what they stand for—Lighting design as a profession. It needs to be recognized. IALD may, or may not, be successful in advancing the occupation to profession, although many dedicated members and officers are trying. It is a daunting task. It may require a bigger reach than the IALD (or any single organization) can have.

IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) has certainly changed their role and leadership to respond to the times. I see a certain vibrancy in the Society which I haven’t seen in a while. They are increasing focus on pertinent research and documentation.

IDA (International Dark Sky Association) has grown from a narrow promoter of dark skies to a responsible advocate of environmental lighting control. The working relationship with IESNA has been both painful and beneficial. The average person, who may not really be aware of lighting, will be better off because of the work being done. The planet will be better, too.

Ed: Speaking of IESNA and IDA, I have to ask about MLO (Model Lighting Ordinance)

Jody: The presentation which Cheryl English made in January at the IESNA Annual Conference was a good summary of what has been a difficult process. Reclassification of exterior luminaires into three separate specifications will really help all stakeholders in our industry. It will eliminate a lot of confusion. Hopefully the amount of outdoor lighting will continue to be reduced especially given the research of mesopic vision. It will have a huge environmental effect. What if we can replace 100 HPS with 50 watt CMH and actually see better? That is 50 watts in the bank, and a better use of light.

Ed: Have the Lighting Zones helped?

Jody: They have. A lot of this work came out of Nancy Clanton’s committee on zones and curfews. A fifth zone has been added, LZO. Further explanation into zones and curfews is continuing and it’s only good. Think about this: a snow covers a portion of the continent several months each year. Perhaps a LZ for snow covered areas. Let’s keep looking at different metrics, and get communities to recognize the benefit of lighting curfews- which will allow light at night when it is needed, and keep the light on the property and keep the skies dark.

Recently I designed lighting for a parking lot along a river in California that had a requirement for the outdoor lighting to be controllable with an occupancy sensor. Control based solely on time can be environmentally unfriendly. Control based on need is the way to go. If you have ever seen the march of the sea turtles on the beach you have to recognize light has an impact on all creatures. Strangely, we have not researched this very well—yet, well at least beyond the turtles.

Ed: How did you decide on lighting as a career?

Jody: I flipped a coin—literally. In 1969, I was deciding between going into lighting through theatre from North Carolina School of Arts or entering lighting thru architecture at North Carolina State. Literally, I flipped a coin and have no regrets. Lighting was it. Every paycheck I have received my adult life has come from lighting or lighting controls in some way.

I started in Theatre and TV lighting, worked concerts for a short time. In 1976, I joined a dimming service firm that became Vara-Light outside Chicago. In 1979 I moved to Salt Lake with Control Devices, which was sold to Electro Controls, which was sold to Strand Lighting in 1986. I felt like I helped a lot of people make a lot of money! When Strand closed in Salt Lake, I joined Spectrum as a partner in 1991. We had 17 employees then and have about 90 now.

Ed: What direction do you see the industry taking?

Jody: The single largest improvement has been the focus on energy. There now are energy codes and there better lamps, better tungsten halogen, much better fluorescent. I remember in 1982 seeing my first CFL lamp, it was a 9 watt PL and a big deal—and a tiny lamp. LED is important but they are not the Holy Grail yet. They have the possibility of being a major alternative in the future. Improvements to CFL may hold just as much promise.

Ed: Because of high lpw or smaller footprint?

Jody. Both. And lower cost. Think lpw and market penetration because of lower cost or more practical lumen packages. GE is saying they can double efficiency and maybe go 4x efficiency on incandescent. I don’t know how, but I would not want to bet against it. Philips is pushing the CFL and that is good too. I don’t see how CFL can totally replace incandescent, maybe LED won’t either. Every week I have a client disparage fluorescent- which leads me to a story and a demonstration I have in my office for this purpose.

Metal Halide is getting there. I love the 20 watt CMH lamp but the ballast industry needs to get their footprint down. The small ballast is important for decorative fixtures. I bet all technologies can co-exist: Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent, LED, and Metal Halide. Hopefully TH or improved incandescent will solve the niche applications and CFL and LED will overcome their shortcomings and become more widely accepted.

I have a sample downlight in my office. The manufacturer took a $100 CF downlight and made it into a $400 LED downlight—with half the light. It’s current commercial use is beyond me. You certainly will not see it on many projects until performance improves and costs go lower- except for demonstration projects.

These market changes will come. They have been spurred on by utility rebates, federal laws and LEED. They can only survive when their adoption is natural and justified. Meanwhile we will benefit to a smaller extent by the market manipulation of governmental programs. One terrific exception is the initiative by Wal-Mart and the response by other mass merchandisers. This will get CF adapters to homeowners. But they will only stay there if the quality of the light is there. As you might expect, I accept it, even, endorse it, but the more normal consumer has to see it to believe it.

Ed: What about NCQLP (National Council for the Qualifications of the Lighting Professions), I know you were President for 2 years.

Jody: Our industry is not known as a separate industry, and certainly Lighting Design is not identified as a “profession” by many people- including some of our clients. As I said before, we are expected to comply with energy codes, lighting codes, building codes, and look out for the “public welfare”. If this is not the requirements of a licensed professional, then I don’t know what is.

In Spectrum’s case, we do so much lighting we can support specialists, who keep abreast of technology, applications, and yes, codes. I don’t know how a generalist keeps up. (This does explain some elements of the sales reps role in engineering, but as I said, it has grown beyond the duties of this relationship). This is another reason to go to LightFair.

Now, for the persons that have dedicated their life to lighting, there needs to be some way to measure and proclaim their knowledge. At this point it is NCQLP. This organization has managed to take the best thinking of the industry- designers, manufacturers, consumers, government representatives, and educators, and created a test to verify an individual’s knowledge in the basics of lighting.

Since there are no rules for calling oneself a “Lighting Designer”, “Lighting Auditor”, or even a “Sales Rep” we have many folks that got where they are by simply printing a business card.

Acme Lighting (fictitious I hope) can train a new sales rep how to correctly specify a type III “full cutoff” light on a pole. This is not too difficult, but (and this has happened) this “trained” sales person won’t know the difference between a lumen and a lollypop without further education. They will not last long with this level of knowledge, but it shows the potential lack of qualifications to get a job in lighting. Many of my comrades in the IALD are indignant that persons that achieve the LC are able to market themselves as “Lighting Designers”. Well, since there are no other rules in place today- at least an LC would not try to suck on a lumen!

And if I see LC on a salesperson’s business card, I know I will not have to worry too much about their basic knowledge, their use (or abuse) of terms, and their dedication to lighting knowledge.

If the NCQLP was able to complete their mission they, or others, would follow the basic LC exam with further credentials, by exam or other recognized means. For instance the training and exams by NALMCO certify knowledge in lighting retrofits and energy, and the IALD membership process is a stiff peer review of a person’s design work. These are bona-fide specialist credentials, building on the basic LC.

Licensing is a whole lot more difficult, since it is done on a state by state basis. I am confident it will come, but will be a while. Public safety and energy awareness will be the cause of this being done.

Ed: Why did you get involved in these Industry Organizations?

Jody: My time with the IESNA board and as President was very fulfilling. I met many very dedicated lighting folks, from all roles in lighting. This is one of the marvelous strengths of the IES, it is all inclusive—they have something for all interests. Anyway I continue serving the IES on several committees. This is where the real work is done, researching applications, writing recommendations for others to follow, and in some cases- codes, such as the 90.1 energy codes.

I have often challenged people that come up to me complaining about this or that, to join the committee and get involved, they can have an influence. It is too bad that the employers in our industry don’t encourage or even allow their employees to participate in Society work. These employers are missing out in a high return investment opportunity, think influencing recommendations, advance knowledge of changes, and professional growth.

Ed. We always think we know people in our industry, but we really only know them professionally. Outside of the lighting industry, what are some of your hobbies that your colleagues may not be aware of?

Jody: I really enjoy singing in the church choir and do solo work and ensemble singing as well.

Ed: You have said a lot today, any parting thoughts?

Jody: I think lighting is an interesting field, employing artistic creativity in fixture design and of course applications, specific calculations and analytical thinking in many situations, and very human interaction and satisfaction in the process. I would like lighting to be known as a desirable career for young people.

We have several Centers of Lighting Education, and more dedicated educators in many other schools. Yet students graduate from Architectural and Interior Design programs with three or fewer hours in classes that even discuss lighting. I would challenge the entire industry to find a way to reach these students. There are many organizations with educational programs or initiatives. How about contacting the closest college and offering to conduct a seminar on lighting? It won’t be a semester long class, but it will be exposure that they would never otherwise receive. In other words, get involved.

Ed: Thanks for your time and comments

Jody: Any Time