EduCon Energy was established in 1996 by Nelson Jessup, an administrator with over 35 years’ experience in public education. As of 2018, EduCon Energy has helped 23 different school districts in North Carolina and Georgia develop and implement energy management and conservation programs. In addition, EduCon has worked with Charlotte-Mecklenburg County and Horry County, SC schools with implementation of the student-based EnergyWise energy conservation program.
Our Team
Nelson Jessup, CEO/Founder, served as a teacher and administrator and then as an associate superintendent for operations and twice as interim superintendent in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. He also served twice as interim superintendent for Stokes County Schools. His knowledge and experience include implementing and managing an energy saving program for WS/FCS (saving $2,741,692 or an average over 15% a year from 1992 to 1996) and, since forming EduCon, numerous successful projects for other districts. He has also planned and supervised major school construction projects at both the elementary and secondary levels, and managed an overall operations staff of over 70 people.
Andrew LaRowe, President, has significant experience in the development and implementation of energy programs for school districts. Over the past 28 years, he has worked in practically every aspect of planning, designing, constructing, and operating school facilities. He also spent several years with Progress Energy as a facilities administrator. Since joining EduCon, Andrew has led development of a “Student-Centered Energy Conservation Program” for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Horry County Schools. This innovative approach is based on his previous experience with Guilford County Schools as Chief Operations Officer where he implemented a similar program called EnergyWise. Andrew is often a presenter on school facilities topics at conferences across the country and also co-authors feature articles for School Planning and Management magazine.
Greg Jessup, Vice President, oversees financial and accounting functions for EduCon. Greg has been involved with the company since it began in 1996. He has extensive experience in the construction industry that serves as a foundation for successfully managing EduCon’s business operations.
Thomas J. (Pete) Morgan Jr., retired from RJ Reynolds Tobacco with over 30 years of financial experience. He served as manager of systems development and financial controls for the customer financial services area, manager of the accounts receivable department and was responsible for capital budgeting preparation. Pete manages the Energy Master Pro utility tracking system and works closely with energy managers with bill entry and reporting.
David Barnes is a Certified Energy Manager with over 20 years in facility and energy management, primarily with educational facilities. David specializes in data migration and works on special projects related to Energy Master Pro.
Consultants: EduCon utilizes consultants across the state that range in experience from eight to twenty years in energy management. Six of our consultants have completed the Energy Management Diploma Program at NC State University. They offer a wide range of experience including:
- DDC controls strategies (Johnson Controls, Trend Novar, Allerton, ALS, Schneider)
- HVAC systems operation (boiler, chiller, air handler, heat pump, cooling tower, variable refrigerant flow, ice and geo-thermal systems)
- Communication training, lighting controls, electrical billing rate evaluation.