RICHARD P. FOARD
Tucson,AZ
Summary
Central utility plant and facilities operations professional with 9+ years of HVAC/R, mechanical, electrical, and building systems experience. Provides day-to-day operational responsibility for a complex central utility plant supporting a research facility, with hands-on experience in chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, hydronic systems, reverse osmosis, water treatment, BAS/Metasys controls, troubleshooting, vendor coordination, maintenance planning, and emergency response. Also serves as an adjunct instructor in Building & Construction Technologies, developing and delivering hands-on technical training in HVAC, industrial maintenance, soldering/brazing, and plumbing.
Overview
1
1
Certification
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
HVAC Technician - Central Utility Plant Operations
JLL
08.2025 - Current
- Provide day-to-day operational responsibility for the Central Utility Plant and supporting facility systems, independently monitoring conditions, responding to alarms, making operating decisions, and coordinating corrective action.
- Operate and maintain a plant portfolio including 4 chillers, 5 boilers, 5 cooling towers, 19 pumps, 2 reverse-osmosis systems, process filtration equipment, heat exchangers, hydronic systems, and an LP gas vaporizer.
- Use Johnson Controls Metasys to monitor plant and HVAC systems; investigate alarms, review trends, command equipment, adjust setpoints/schedules, and evaluate system performance and control stability.
- Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, and controls-related failures involving pumps, motors, VFDs, valves, sensors, HVAC equipment, water systems, and associated plant infrastructure.
- Plan and prioritize repairs and preventive maintenance; coordinate vendors and contractors around facility schedules; review scope and quality of work; and provide equipment and repair-status updates to facilities leadership.
- Manage maintenance activity through Corrigo, including PMs, corrective work orders, vendor work, asset tracking, and follow-up; hold repair authorization up to $5,000.
- Develop and maintain plant operating documentation, troubleshooting references, system descriptions, outage/recovery procedures, equipment records, and reliability-focused recommendations.
- Support facility HVAC and specialty cooling equipment including 6 major air-handling units, DX equipment, IT/data-room cooling, and cold-room systems, along with plumbing and water-support systems.
- Maintain additional site infrastructure including well-site pump/filtration and electrical equipment, lined-pond misting/aeration systems, and a 7-vehicle utility fleet.
Adjunct Instructor - Building & Construction Technologies
Pima Community College
08.2025 - Current
- Develop and deliver classroom, hybrid, and hands-on technical instruction in HVAC, industrial maintenance, soldering/brazing, plumbing, and skilled-trades safety.
- Create and revise course modules, lab exercises, assessments, answer keys, troubleshooting scenarios, and competency-based performance tasks using real-world equipment and field practices.
- Teach mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, tool and equipment use, tubing preparation, joining methods, HVAC/R fundamentals, maintenance practices, and safe work procedures including PPE and Lockout/Tagout.
- Use D2L Brightspace to organize course content, assignments, grades, and student resources, and evaluate student competency through written and hands-on performance work.
- Bring current central-plant and facilities experience into instruction to connect theory with equipment operation, diagnosis, maintenance planning, and professional expectations.
- Selected Courses Taught: Industrial Maintenance Mechanic; Soldering & Brazing; HVAC Level V; Residential & Industrial Plumbing Levels VI & VII
Lead Building Engineer III
CBRE
03.2022 - 08.2025
- Operated, inspected, maintained, and repaired commercial HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, and related building systems while ensuring equipment remained within design and environmental requirements.
- Diagnosed mechanical and electrical faults, responded to equipment failures and emergency service needs, and completed preventive and corrective maintenance.
- Coordinated vendors and contractors, including life-safety/fire-alarm testing and maintenance, and prioritized competing facility work to support reliable operations.
- Maintained repair and maintenance records and performed work in accordance with applicable codes, company procedures, OSHA requirements, and Lockout/Tagout practices.
HVAC Service Technician
Green Valley Cooling and Heating
01.2021 - 03.2022
- Diagnosed and repaired residential HVAC systems using electrical, mechanical, refrigeration, airflow, and controls troubleshooting; performed emergency repairs, preventive maintenance, inspections, and customer-facing service documentation.
HVAC Service Technician
Hamstra Heating and Cooling
03.2019 - 01.2021
- Troubleshot and repaired HVAC systems and components, inspected equipment for operational issues, completed preventive maintenance and emergency repairs, and documented service findings and completed work.
HVAC Maintenance Technician
Green Valley Cooling and Heating
05.2017 - 03.2019
- Inspected and tested HVAC/R systems, electrical components, and wiring; performed preventive maintenance; identified developing equipment issues; communicated maintenance recommendations; and maintained service records.
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Electrical
Pima Community College
12-2019
Associate of Applied Science - HVAC
Pima Community College
05-2019
Skills
- Central Plant: chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, chilled/condenser/hydronic water systems, LP gas equipment
- Controls & CMMS: Johnson Controls Metasys, BAS alarms and trends, equipment commands, setpoints/schedules, Corrigo work orders and preventive maintenance
- Mechanical/Electrical: motors, VFDs, valves, sensors, pumps, piping systems, HVAC equipment, electrical and mechanical fault diagnosis
- Water & Process: reverse osmosis, process filtration, water treatment, well systems, fire-water and domestic water infrastructure
- Facility Systems: air-handling units, DX systems, IT/data-room cooling, cold-room cooling, plumbing systems, site utility equipment
Personal Information
Title: CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT OPERATIONS | FACILITIES ENGINEERING | TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION
Certification
NC3 Train-the-Trainer Coursework - Copeland HVACR: HVACR Compressor Operation and Maintenance; HVACR System Troubleshooting; HVACR System Fundamentals, Johnson Controls 4801 - Metasys User Interface Training, NATE - Air to Air Heat Pump Service; Air Conditioning Service; Gas Heating Service; Ready to Work, EPA Section 608 - Type I & Type II Certified, OSHA 10-Hour Training
TECHNICAL SYSTEMS
- Central Plant: chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, chilled/condenser/hydronic water systems, LP gas equipment
- Controls & CMMS: Johnson Controls Metasys, BAS alarms and trends, equipment commands, setpoints/schedules, Corrigo work orders and preventive maintenance
- Mechanical/Electrical: motors, VFDs, valves, sensors, pumps, piping systems, HVAC equipment, electrical and mechanical fault diagnosis
- Water & Process: reverse osmosis, process filtration, water treatment, well systems, fire-water and domestic water infrastructure
- Facility Systems: air-handling units, DX systems, IT/data-room cooling, cold-room cooling, plumbing systems, site utility equipment
MILITARY SERVICE
United States Air Force - More than 3 years of service, honorably discharged.
Timeline
HVAC Technician - Central Utility Plant Operations
JLL
08.2025 - Current
Adjunct Instructor - Building & Construction Technologies
Pima Community College
08.2025 - Current
Lead Building Engineer III
CBRE
03.2022 - 08.2025
HVAC Service Technician
Green Valley Cooling and Heating
01.2021 - 03.2022
HVAC Service Technician
Hamstra Heating and Cooling
03.2019 - 01.2021
HVAC Maintenance Technician
Green Valley Cooling and Heating
05.2017 - 03.2019
Associate of Applied Science - HVAC
Pima Community College
Associate of Applied Science - Electrical
Pima Community College