New Knowledge, Fresh Motivation, and a Renewed Sense of Pride in the Work We Do by Eric Lichneckert

New Knowledge, Fresh Motivation, and a Renewed Sense of Pride in the Work We Do

Written by Eric Lichneckert, Unico Properties, BOMA Engineer Scholarship Recipient

This year, I had the opportunity to attend the BOMA 2025 International Conference in Boston, thanks to an Engineering scholarship from BOMA Greater Seattle. I’m incredibly grateful to have been selected. As an Assistant Chief Engineer at Unico, most of my time is spent making sure buildings run smoothly behind the scenes, so getting to step out of the day-to-day and being surrounded by my peers, business leaders, and innovators in our industry was a valuable and much appreciated change of pace.

One of the highlights for me was the first keynote speaker, Brad Meltzer. He shared personal stories, not just about his professional success, but about the people who helped him get there. It was a good reminder of how important community is, both in life and in our field. His message in the keynote was simple: the work we do matters, and the way we treat people matters just as much.

Another big highlight was touring the Winthrop Center. Seeing a new, modern large-scale building was very impressive. Seeing all the behind-the-scenes things that usually only engineers care about was an awesome experience. It was cool seeing all sorts of new technologies integrated into the building systems and how they were all working together. It’s one thing to read about these ideas in articles; it’s another to walk through a building that’s doing it. It made me think differently about what’s possible in the spaces we manage.

Beyond the sessions and tours, the best part of this conference was connecting and networking with others in the industry—engineers, managers, vendors, and leaders from across the country. Getting to explore Boston and all of its history with some of my peers was an awesome and unforgettable experience.

I’m thankful to BOMA Greater Seattle for the opportunity to attend, and I encourage anyone who's on the fence about applying for a scholarship like this to go for it. It was a great experience—one that left me with new knowledge, fresh motivation, and a renewed sense of pride in the work we do every day.