Leadership

Charles C. Copeland, PE, LEED AP

President/CEO

One of New York City’s preeminent experts in innovative engineering, Charlie Copeland has created an extraordinary legacy of engineering many of the most iconic structures in Greater New York for leading commercial and institutional real estate owners. He has earned industry-wide recognition for his expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering and plumbing/fire protection (MEP/FP) and energy consulting, distinguishing himself in the management of large, technically complex, and high-profile engineering projects.

Among many recognitions, Charlie was honored in 2020 with City College of New York’s Townsend Harris Medal and ASHRAE’s Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award. In 2019 he received Engineering News-Record’s New York Legacy Award, and in 2018 he was recognized by the New York Energy Consumers Council for extraordinary energy leadership. He received ASHRAE NYC’s Distinguished Service Award in 2013, and he was named AEE Energy Engineer of the Year in 2006.

His pioneering innovations have occurred throughout his career. Most recently, in 2018, his team won the ACEC NY Platinum Award (Environmental Category) for a Geothermal Screening Tool, an online tool enabling users to simply assess the feasibility of geothermal heating and cooling for every lot in New York City (almost one million lots). In 2015, he was awarded a patent for a control sequence to reduce peak utility steam demand in New York City buildings—a solution now used in most commercial office buildings from the 1960s and 1970s.

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Education
  • MS – Mechanical Engineering, City College of New York
  • BS – Mechanical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania
  • LEED AP
Awards and Recognitions
  • City College of New York Townsend Harris Medal (2020)
  • ASHRAE Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award (2020)
  • Engineering News-Record’s New York Legacy Award (2019)
  • ASHRAE Distinguished 50-Year Member Award (2019)
  • ACEC New York Platinum Award for the Penn South Central Plant Infrastructure Upgrade (2019)
  • NYECC Energy New York Award (2018)
  • ACEC New York Platinum Award for a geothermal screening tool for every lot in New York City (2018)
  • Patent for a control sequence to reduce peak utility steam demand in New York City buildings (2015)
  • ASHRAE NYC Chapter Distinguished Service Award (2013)
  • AEE Energy Engineer of the Year (2006)
  • ASHRAE Fellow (1991)
Memberships and Affiliations
  • ASHRAE
  • Association of Energy Engineers
  • Building Owners and Managers Association
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Academy of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineers
  • Pi Tau Sigma
Featured Articles
Published Commentaries
Career highlights

Charlie Copeland has helped preserve and maintain some of New York City’s most iconic buildings, among other historic structures, and has developed innovative energy-conservation initiatives. He has overseen the firm’s work on such New York City landmarks as Carnegie Hall, Columbia University, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, National Museum of the American Indian, New York Botanical Garden, New York University, and numerous Broadway theaters. He has engineered many office buildings in the tristate area. Under his leadership, the firm has won numerous awards, including honors from the New York Landmarks Conservancy for its work on both the Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal.

Among other career highlights, Charlie led a team that developed in 2018 a Geothermal Ground Source Screening Tool for the City of New York. The online tool was developed for the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the Department of Design and Construction. It enables users to simply assess the feasibility of ground source heating and cooling for every lot in all five boroughs – almost 900,000 lots. In 2006, Charlie engineered the first site-specific materials and equipment acceptance (MEA) for a New York City microturbine installation (at 1350 Avenue of the Americas), which was later used to develop New York City’s standard on microturbines. In 2004, he designed the first New York City office building with a complete underfloor air system – the new Scholastic Headquarters at 557 Broadway. The following year, he designed an underfloor air conditioning system using existing pew foot rests in the sanctuary at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, thereby preserving the building’s historic interior architecture. In 1999, he oversaw the rehabilitation of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House and designed MEP systems for the installation of the National Museum of the American Indian in that historic structure. In 1988, he managed the engineering for the New York City Energy Conservation Capital Program, the largest municipal energy conservation program of its kind in the United States. That same year, he also began overseeing a 15-year engineering program to upgrade the mechanical/electrical systems in Grand Central Terminal. In 1983, he designed the first series/parallel chilled water system for NYU Medical Center. In 1976, he prepared a major energy study for the Veterans Administration System for Manhattan Hospital, establishing a format that became standard for VA hospitals.

Charlie began addressing energy needs in 1974, designing an early, influential, solar collector thermal installation for a homesteading group resurrecting an abandoned building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.Based on the success of the solar panels, the building installed a windmill on the roof. The wind energy system occasionally created an excess of electric power, which led to a dispute with Con Edison, which at that time prohibited any connection to their electrical grid. The dispute rose to New York State’s Public Service Commission, where the homesteaders – represented pro bonoby former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark – prevailed. The ruling was a crucial forerunner of federal enactment in 1978 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, which was key to enabling safe connections to the electrical grid.

Jonah Allaben, PE, LEED AP

Principal, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Program Manager

Jonah Allaben is an expert at delivering energy-efficient engineering designs. He works closely with Goldman Copeland’s Energy Services Department to convert the findings of energy studies into energy-saving mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) solutions. He thereby leads projects through design and implementation of multi-million-dollar, capital improvement initiatives, generating both energy and financial savings for some of the largest property owners in the tri-state area.

With more than 15 years of experience in managing and designing complex MEP projects, Jonah acts as lead mechanical engineer and manages HVAC equipment and control upgrades, electrical infrastructure improvements, and other energy-saving design projects from inception to completion. His experience has focused on work for healthcare institutions, universities, transit facilities, and other commercial and institutional projects. His expertise includes the implementation of utility incentive programs for such settings.

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Education
  • BS – Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University
  • MEng – Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer
  • Certified Energy Manager
  • Designated Design-Build Professional
  • LEED Accredited Professional
Awards and Certifications
  • 2023 “Engineer of the Year” of the Long Island Chapter of ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers)
Memberships and Affiliations
  • ASHRAE
Featured Articles
Published Commentaries
Career Highlights

Jonah Allaben has led multiple designs for healthcare, transit, and higher education institutions in the tri-state region with a specialty in upgrading existing mechanical systems. He has experience with numerous project delivery methods, including design-build and state-funded energy performance contracting programs. Jonah is accustomed to the role of prime consultant and is traditionally a project lead for multidisciplinary design efforts. His background in energy modeling and sustainable design provides a basis for applying energy-efficient design principles throughout the project cycle.

Jonah serves as Goldman Copeland’s Program Manager for both PSE&G’s Engineered Solutions Program and New Jersey Natural Gas’s Engineered Solutions Program. The multi-year initiatives fund the installation of energy efficiency measures for healthcare campuses, higher education institutions, municipalities, and other facility types in New Jersey. In that context, Goldman Copeland provides investment-grade energy audits, engineering designs, and construction-phase services under Jonah’s leadership to implement projects over the full project cycle. Jonah also provides design project management and senior mechanical design and quality control. Institutions for which he has delivered lighting, chiller plant, heating plant, and/or AHU upgrade projects under the PSE&G and NJNG programs include Hackensack Meridian Health, RWJBarnabas Health, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Seton Hall University.

Daniel Colombini, PE, LEED AP

Principal, Multidisciplinary Design Lead, Program Manager including Design-Build, Director of Plumbing & Fire Protection

Dan Colombini is an expert at leading multidisciplinary design initiatives, involving engineering and architecture, among other disciplines. Those initiatives—for commercial and institutional clients—often consist of large-scale programs of multiple projects. For government agencies, they frequently involve the Design-Build approach to project delivery.

Dan has extensive experience working with many of the largest commercial and institutional clients in the Greater New York City area. He manages all mechanical engineering upgrades for Empire State Properties (five million square feet in all) and has been Project Manager for MEP engineering services in numerous historic buildings and cultural institutions. For the MTA, he has designed and implemented projects for the agency itself, including consulting on capital planning, as well as for its subsidiaries, including the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and New York City Transit.

Dan’s experience grows out of his earlier focus on plumbing and fire protection engineering. For that, he received national recognition as a member of Building Design + Construction’s 2020 Class of 40 Under 40 and as Plumbing Engineer’s Engineer of the Year in 2018.

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Education
  • BS – Mechanical Engineering, University of Vermont
  • MS – Fire Protection Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer
  • LEED AP
Awards and Recognitions
  • Building Design + Construction’s 2020 Class of 40 Under 40
  • Plumbing Engineer’s Engineer of the Year in 2018
Memberships and Affiliations
  • American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Fire Protection Code Committee
  • ACEC, Plumbing Code Committee
  • Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Committee on Outreach and Advocacy
  • American Society of Plumbing Engineers
  • National Fire Protection Association
Featured Articles
Published Commentaries
Career Highlights

​Among other renowned institutions for which Dan has provided engineering services are Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building, Hospital for Special Surgery, Morgan Library & Museum, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, NYU College of Arts and Science, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Scholastic Inc., the Hudson Theatre (Broadway’s oldest), and the St. James Theatre (long the home to Disney’s blockbuster “Frozen”).

Dan managed Scholastic’s upgrading of its SoHo headquarters buildings (one landmarked; the other by architect Aldo Rossi), and he oversaw the complex fire protection modeling for Audible’s Innovation Cathedral in Newark. For New York-Presbyterian Hospital, he designed plumbing and fire protection for a radiation oncology expansion, a gamma knife and nuclear accelerator, medical gas systems for cardiac catheterization, fit-out of a microbiology lab and a genetics lab, and upgrades for eight pharmacy labs and six radiology rooms.

Dan initiated performance-based design at Goldman Copeland and created the firm’s first in-house fire modeling. He has developed creative fire protection and sustainable design solutions for major New York City properties – and some of the city’s most iconic buildings – across a diverse portfolio of projects including new construction, additions, and renovations of office buildings, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, laboratories, performing arts centers, and historic structures.

He uses performance-based design and computer-based fire modeling to prove the suitability of innovative designs to preserve and sustain historic properties. Performance-based – rather than regulation-based – design is typically allowed by building codes but often overlooked. Computer-based fire modeling enables specific fire scenarios to be anticipated and addressed, giving all stakeholders a better understanding of possibilities to be prevented. Together these approaches represent a major advance in fire protection engineering, addressing both “passive” fire protection (how a building is constructed) and “active” protection (systems that respond to fire). The two approaches have special importance to historic buildings, whose key aesthetic features may only be saved by such innovative approaches.

Dan has championed and advanced energy sustainability in his home county of Westchester, NY. He is a member of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson’s Sustainability Committee, which was chartered to help reduce the climate impacts of the Village’s municipal operations. Croton-on-Hudson was recently named one of the 10 greenest, eco-friendly towns and cities in New York, and cited for leading in green energy initiatives. Dan was recently recognized by the local State Senator and State Representative for his leadership on these initiatives.

Dan has also just overseen the design and construction of his family’s new home, the first LEED Platinum “Passive House” in New York State. The single-family three-bedroom house in Ossining, NY, is also “Zero Energy” – as certified by the US Department of Energy – and is both net zero and carbon neutral, including the home’s energy consumption and electric vehicle charging. The house offers a new model for sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective residences.

Daniel Galarza

Principal, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Executive Account Manager

Dan Galarza is an expert at delivering superior HVAC design solutions to commercial and institutional facilities. Adept at navigating the intricacies of New York City’s building landscape, he is able to analyze complex HVAC challenges and devise innovative cost-effective solutions that adhere to local codes and regulations while prioritizing client objectives. He has successfully designed HVAC systems for millions of square feet of commercial and retail space, while maintaining a dedication to incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly strategies and occupant comfort.

With over 15 years of expertise, Dan has worked with many of the largest commercial property owners in the tri-state area, including Empire State Realty Trust, Vornado Realty Trust, L&L Holdings, and Tishman Speyer. While having the proven ability to thrive in the demanding environment of New York City and exceed client expectations, he has served as the lead engineer for projects ranging from large office complexes to luxury retail and restaurants.

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Education
  • BS – Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University
Memberships and Affiliations
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • ASHRAE – NYC Chapter
Featured Articles
Published Commentaries
Career Highlights

Dan has spearheaded numerous design projects for commercial, retail, and higher education institutions within the region, demonstrating a particular expertise in efficiently integrating large-scale systems into compact spaces.

He held the position of Senior Mechanical Engineer responsible for overseeing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design and renovation services at the iconic Empire State Building. His responsibilities included the coordination of MEP design for multiple tenant floor fit-outs, the establishment of a fitness center on the concourse level, various infrastructure upgrades and the MEP design associated with the retail lobby level.

He was Project Manager and Engineer for the re-design of many New York City high-rise building lobbies and facades including 112 West 34th Street, 250 West 57th Street, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 251 Park Avenue South, and 1700 Broadway in Manhattan. The projects’ various scopes included replacement of existing distribution panels, preparation of power plans, new fire alarm devices, reconfigured security desks, sprinkler design, mechanical design and specification of new HVAC systems, as well as lobby façade work, including a new canopy, exterior lighting, and louvers integral to the façade.

For One Grand Central Place (60 East 42nd Street) in Manhattan, he was the Senior Mechanical Engineer challenged with retrofitting packaged air-cooled units into the building’s tight constraints for numerous tenant suites. This landmarked building, formerly known as the Lincoln Building, dates from 1930 and has been undergoing renovation since 2005. Goldman Copeland has worked with building management on the MEP upgrades and fit-outs in more than 500,000 square feet of tenant space to date.

He was Project Manager and Engineer for the design of many New York City restaurants and eateries including STATE Grille and Bar at the Empire State Building and Benjamin’s Prime Steakhouse. The project scopes included design of type-1 commercial kitchen grease hoods, associated exhaust ductwork, odor mitigation systems, calculations for exhaust and ventilation rates, fire suppression systems, and ensuring compliance with strict New York City commercial kitchen codes.

Eric Mitchell, PE

Principal, Director of Mechanical Engineering

Eric Mitchell is an expert in mechanical engineering, with more than 30 years’ experience. His expertise includes HVAC system analysis and design, life-cycle cost analysis, and energy utilization studies. He specializes in design leadership, project management, and quality control.

Eric designs and implements systems for new construction projects, renovations, and commercial interiors. He has designed high-level infrastructure for millions of square feet of commercial properties, and cutting-edge infrastructure for laboratories, hospitals, and other science and technology facilities.

One example is converting an abandoned, unventilated, historic church into a cutting-edge office space for a prominent tech company. In doing so, the project team breathed new life into a structure that had not served its original purpose in more than 20 years and turned it into a focal point of a growing tech community.

For science and technology facilities, he has created mechanical systems for various laboratories and clean rooms. For healthcare institutions, he has designed and implementing mechanical systems for hospitals, pharmacies, and related facilities.

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Education
  • BS – Mechanical Engineering, Syracuse University
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer: New York and Maryland
Awards and Recognitions
  • Design Award, U.S. Government Services Administration
Memberships and Affiliations
  • ASHRAE
  • National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
Published Commentaries
Career Highlights

Eric Mitchell has designed high-level infrastructure for millions of square feet of commercial properties. He has also conducted numerous peer reviews, property assessments, and energy studies; provided quality assurance, and advised on many lease negotiations.

He has designed cutting-edge infrastructure for hundreds of laboratory facilities for science and technology organizations, including government research facilities, pharmaceutical companies, and universities. Those facilities include state-of-the-art clean rooms, high-hazard spaces, and other sophisticated research settings, as well as MDF rooms and other mission-critical data centers.

He has also engineered a broad range of medical and healthcare facilities for the Veterans Administration and numerous private healthcare providers. Those facilities include operating rooms, emergency departments, and laboratories. The work provided includes infrastructure upgrades and condition assessments.

Vinod Palal, PE

Principal, Director of Electrical Engineering

Vinod Palal is an expert in electrical engineering, with over 22 years of experience in electrical systems design. He manages multi-disciplinary design projects throughout the Greater New York City tri-state area. Since joining Goldman Copeland in 2016, he has been responsible for electrical and fire alarm design as well as management of projects in commercial, institutional, and cultural facilities. He has extensive experience in new construction and rehabilitation projects.

His notable projects and clients included Audible, City of New York, Empire State Building, Hudson Theatre, The Morgan Library & Museum, National Grid, and Ziegfeld Ballroom. For the City of New York, Vinod has worked with such agencies as the Administration for Children’s Services, Department of Design and Construction, and Department of Sanitation to implement system and building upgrades in existing properties and new construction.

Vinod currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the NYC Department of Design and Construction Committee of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York.

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Education
  • BS – Electrical Engineering, University of Hartford
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer
Memberships and Affiliations
  • Vice-Chair of ACEC New York’s NYC Department of Design and Construction Committee
Career Highlights

For the world-renowned Empire State Building, Vinod serves as senior electrical engineer for MEP design and renovation services. He has designed systems as part of the strategy to comply with local codes and regulations. Additional work includes fit-out for numerous floors of tenant space throughout the building and a restaurant and fitness center on the concourse level, as well as MEP design for the restoration of the landmarked lobby and various infrastructure upgrades.

For Audible’s “Innovation Cathedral” – the renowned conversion of an abandoned historic church into the company’s innovative headquarters in downtown Newark, NJ – Vinod created the electrical design for new fire alarm systems, the floor fit-out designs, and the electrical service upgrades for the kitchen, cafeteria, gym, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Vinod has also created electrical system designs for numerous prominent cultural institutions. For The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, Vinod served as project manager for electrical infrastructure and Local Law 191 compliance. For Broadway’s landmarked Hudson Theatre in New York City, he created the electrical design for the theatre’s restoration and renovation, including new fire alarm systems, lighting controls, and modifications to the existing electrical systems to accommodate the new HVAC, lighting, and second-floor lounge.

For the City of New York’s Department of Sanitation, Vinod has at various facilities managed the electrical work in connection with the evaluation, inspection, and compilation of studies and existing conditions assessment reports. The reports address the buildings’ electrical, mechanical, fire protection and life safety systems, as well as architectural and structural design, and include recommendations for repair or replacement of these systems to make them fully functioning and code compliant. Vinod also served as the project manager for the MEP design of the new Brooklyn District 3 Garage.

 

Featured Articles
Published Commentaries

Tristan Schwartzman, PE, CEM, EBCP, LEED AP BD+C

Principal, Director of Energy Services

Tristan Schwartzman is a major innovative presence in energy efficiency in Greater New York. He and his team have completed energy audits and retro-commissioning projects for more than 30 million square feet of commercial properties. He has helped lead those buildings through the design and implementation of annual multi-million-dollar capital improvement projects based on the findings of those reports, generating energy savings and financial savings for property owners. In the process, he and his team have created award-winning innovations, advancing the field.

Under Tristan’s leadership, Goldman Copeland has pioneered the use of steam optimization panels to maximize the efficiency of aging steam-based cooling plants in large commercial buildings in New York City. He has expanded the use of those panels to incorporate control of auxiliary equipment to optimize the plant holistically.

Tristan has worked with the City of New York and PSE&G to implement programs to reduce energy consumption. He also worked with NYSERDA to pilot a statewide energy-saving initiative. He serves on the ACEC Energy Committee and advises NYECC on energy and sustainability issues.

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Education
  • Bachelor’s Degree: NYU (in English Literature)
  • Bachelor’s Degree: City College of New York (in Engineering)
  • Master’s Degree: Pace University (in Math Education)
Licenses and Certifications
  • Professional Engineer
  • Certified Energy Manager
  • Existing Building Commissioning Professional
  • LEED AP BD+C
Awards and Recognitions
  • ACEC New York Platinum Award (Energy Category) for the Penn South Central Plant Infrastructure Upgrade (2019)
  • ACEC New York Platinum Award (Environmental Category) for a Geothermal Screening Tool (2018)
Memberships and Affiliations
  • Tristan is a member of ACEC NY’s Energy Committee and a member of ASHRAE.
  • He advises the New York Energy Consumer Council on energy and sustainability issues.
  • He serves as a judge for BOMA NY’s Pinnacle Award for Energy Sustainability, which recognizes building owners and operators for energy efficiency.
  • He has presented on retro-commissioning practices at ASHRAE, ASHRAE NY, and Buildings NY.
  • He has volunteered with Engineers Without Borders, leading a group that designed, fundraised, and built a now fully functioning water distribution system in a small town in Honduras.
Featured Articles
Published Commentaries
Career Highlights

With Tristan Schwartzman as Director of Energy Services, Goldman Copeland has completed energy audits and retro-commissioning projects for more than 30 million square feet of commercial properties. He has also led those buildings through the design and implementation of annual, multi-million-dollar, capital improvement projects based on the findings of those reports, generating energy savings and financial savings for property owners. In addition, he has worked with the City of New York and PSE&G to implement programs to reduce energy consumption. He has also worked with NYSERDA to pilot a statewide energy-saving initiative.

Under Tristan’s leadership, Goldman Copeland has pioneered the use of steam optimization panels to maximize the efficiency of aging steam-based cooling plants in large commercial buildings in New York City. He has expanded the use of those panels to incorporate control of auxiliary equipment to optimize the plant holistically rather than focus solely on the chiller. In doing so, he worked with Con Edison to establish that the system qualifies for rebates under their demand-management program.

With Tristan’s leadership of Energy Services, Goldman Copeland has been recognized with multiple ACEC New York Platinum Awards. The 2018 Platinum Award in the Environmental Category recognized the firm’s creation of a digital Geothermal Screening Tool that can be used by any building in New York City to determine if geothermal energy is geologically suitable and economically feasible. The 2019 Platinum Award in the Energy Category recognizes the firm’s work in upgrading the Penn South Central Plant Infrastructure. Penn South, a cooperative housing community with 10 residential towers, is one of the largest energy islands in New York City – and entirely co-generated. Through major energy efficiency upgrades over five years, Goldman Copeland has delivered a 30% reduction in energy usage.

Tristan Schwartzman, who began his career as a public-school math teacher before turning to engineering, has emerged as a major and innovative presence in energy efficiency in Greater New York. His commitment and innovations are helping to transform the region.

In Memoriam

Howard Holowitz,
Senior Vice President

August 21, 2018

 Obituary

Please consider making a donation in Howard’s name to Temple Shalom in Aberdeen, NJ, or to the Leukemia Research Foundation.