McKinstry’s Laura Malwitz on Zero-Carbon Success

“To me, success is happy customers who are excited to share our projects and partnerships with their community and work together to achieve our zero-carbon future.”

Laura Malwitz is an account executive in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been with McKinstry since 2021. Learn more about Laura’s work and how she furthers our zero-carbon initiatives in addition to creating and maintaining resilient communities.

Learn More About Laura’s Experience

What is your role at McKinstry? What’s been your career journey? What does success look like in your role? What is the most rewarding thing about your work? What do you feel is the best way to encourage environmental responsibility and community engagement? Can you tell us about a time that you were proud of supporting clients in their sustainability goals?

What is your role at McKinstry? What’s been your career journey?

I’m a senior account executive on the Energy Solutions Team in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to joining McKinstry, I was at Siemens, helping build their energy business in Minnesota. And prior to that, I ran a small woman-owned business providing asset and energy management programs for cities, counties, universities and the State of Minnesota. What I love about McKinstry is I can combine my expertise in energy and asset management to deliver comprehensive solutions to our customers. 

What does success look like in your role?

To me, success is happy customers who are excited to share our projects and partnerships with their community and work together to achieve our zero-carbon future. Also, to be entrusted by our customers to do multiple phases of work — each phase advancing climate action and sustainability goals. 

What is the most rewarding thing about your work?

I feel most rewarded by helping our customers achieve award-winning projects that also help our communities realize safe, resilient places. My background is in architecture with a master’s in business (I understand a little about buildings, and a little about business), so being able to implement clean energy projects that also meet our customer’s financial goals is great!

What do you feel is the best way to encourage environmental responsibility and community engagement?

Getting out there — networking with climate advocates, learning from doing, being a steward of clean-energy solutions and being constantly curious with a willingness to learn — all make a difference. I’m a frequent visitor to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota and serve on the Board of the Friends of Lake Gegoka Cross Country Ski Trails. These experiences have instilled in me a fierce love of the outdoors. I find that our work also instills and supports protection of these great outdoor places we all get to experience. I’m additionally lucky to be a part of McKinstry’s collaborative efforts to move our projects/customers/communities towards decarbonization.

Can you tell us about a time that you were proud of supporting clients in their sustainability goals?

I’m really proud of our work in Dakota County, Minnesota! This project includes county-wide lighting, solar (three carports + one ground mount), and retro-commissioning. This will be the largest solar system owned by a Minnesota County in which all solar will be used on site! I’m also very proud of the City of Racine’s solar project — it’s the first in the State of Wisconsin to offset electric transit city buses with renewable energy! We get to do some pretty great stuff here at McKinstry!