Our team at NC3 has some impressive team members in our ranks and this Staff Spotlight series aims to highlight the incredibly talented individuals who work with us. We’ll be featuring a new interview in our monthly newsletters, here on our website, and on our social media pages each month.

Chris Harris

This month’s Staff Spotlight features Chris Harris. Chris is NC3’s Program Manager for Copeland, which is one of our newest certification programs. It was recently unveiled to instructors at Train the Trainer 48 at Gateway Community College in Kenosha, WI in July of 2022!

During this month’s staff spotlight interview with Chris, he was excited to share that Copeland’s compressors have been installed in over 200 million refrigeration units to date and their next generation scroll compressors set the standard in the world of commercial and residential HVAC/R. This, among many other things, is one of the reasons he feels inspired by the work he’s able to do with his world-class industry partner and their partnership with NC3.

Check out our Q&A session below to learn more about Chris, what he likes most about his job, what motivates him to wake up and go to work, and more! 

What job(s) did you do before you started working with NC3? 

I’ve spent the majority of my career working with nonprofits ranging from children’s advocacy groups like CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), political subdivisions of government and animal rescue. Prior to joining NC3, I was the executive director of a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter.

What has been your favorite project while working at NC3?

My favorite project has also been my first project: working with our industry partner, subject matter experts and instructors to develop a comprehensive approach to HVAC/R and the technological world in which it lives. Having been my first experience, it has been educational and informative while also being a great example of what can happen when you get like-minded people working on the same project with similar goals. It has been nothing short of exceptional.

What is your proudest moment at NC3?

My proudest moment, hands down, has been the opportunity to see the result of our hard work presented to instructors at our Train the Trainer event at Gateway Community College in Kenosha, WI. It was also extremely satisfying to see the classroom and refrigeration lab with Copeland equipment and their one-of-a-kind training simulators. Being able to physically see the combination of curriculum and the application of knowledge in the same space really puts into perspective how hard everyone worked to make it happen.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Just one? That’s difficult. If I had to narrow it down to just one, it would be more of a distillation of an idea: the idea of compassion. Put simply, the one concept that really carries me through life, both personally and professionally is, “Compassion for all others above oneself.”  It’s just a really simple way to convey the importance of empathy in our world, both individually and collectively. It’s a reminder that we’re not alone in all of our experiences, both good and bad.

What do you like to do on your days off?

On my days off, you can find me in random record stores tracking down whatever happens to be my musical obsession at that time. I love tracking down old blues records and first edition imports of some of my favorite bands and artists. It’s like hunting for buried treasure and when you find that one certain thing, it’s cause for serious celebration. If I’m not hunting records, you can find me at just about any live music event or, more importantly, hanging out with my dog, Utley.

Where is your hometown?

That’s always an interesting question. I was born in Frankfurt, Germany, but I’ve moved around A LOT. Coming from a military family, I moved just about every two years like clockwork. I went to a boarding school just outside of London and have lived all over Europe and the Middle East.  When it comes to the U.S., Maine is the only state I haven’t visited. It’s definitely on the list, though and I’ll get there at some point. 

What are some fun elements of working with NC3 that you only learned about after you started working here? 

Having worked for/with non-profits for so long, I’d forgotten what it was like to have any real support. NC3 has made it clear that a work/life balance is very important. Having that kind of support from every member of the organization instills an inherent value to each member of the organization, and that’s just the beginning. At every turn, everyone has been extremely positive no matter what sort of interaction it may be. It’s just all smiles, all the time and that kind of work environment just makes every day so much easier.

What does true leadership mean to you? 

To me, true leadership means leading from out front. It’s literally in the word: LEAD. You can’t lead from behind a desk. You lead from out front. No matter the situation, you can be a leader or a manager. You manage THINGS. You lead PEOPLE.

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Want to learn more about upcoming Train-the-Trainer events, or about NC3’s certifications through Copeland? Click here to contact Chris today.