Hal Smith, President
Hal Smith is the owner and CEO of Halco. He started the business in 1984, and over the 36 years that Halco has existed, Hal has proven to be an innovator and visionary. He has been a constant and primary force in Halco’s development into a leading, award-winning contractor focused on providing full energy solutions for residential and commercial clients. Hal is committed to providing the very best service to his customers with an emphasis on quality and sustainability.
Hal is closely affiliated with many organizations and is deeply involved with the community. In the past, he has served as the President of the Phelps Chamber of Commerce, Chairman for the Wayne, Ontario, Seneca and Yates Counties Work Force Investment Board, President of the Phelps Business Council, and more! Hal is a contributing author for ACCA’s iE3 newsletter and serves as a presenter at the Building Performance Associations yearly Home Performance Conference.
Hal is a BPI Certified Building Analyst, Envelope Professional and Manufactured Housing Specialist, NATE certified and holds numerous industry licenses and certifications.
Paul Mendel, Vice President
Paul Mendel, owner and operator of True Building Performance, is a native resident of Albany NY. Paul attended Hudson Valley for Construction Technology and Management, where he first received his BPI Certifications in 2008. After working for a few years with the area’s largest weatherization contractor at the time, he set off on his own to start a business focused on education instead of sales. Since starting his business, he has also built several energy-efficient homes. He is a proud member of the City of Albany’s Sustainability Energy Sub Committee, and his passion for home energy efficiency drives his work and all of his projects.
Ryan Puckett, Secretary
Ryan Puckett is the Operations Manager and Senior Building Analyst with Wise Home Energy, LLC, a comprehensive home performance contractor in the greater Rochester area. Ryan joined Wise in 2013 after receiving an undergraduate degree with concentrations in Environmental Sciences, Sustainable Building Design, and Business Management. He also holds multiple BPI certifications and other construction-related designations. Ryan’s passion for creating a more sustainable environment through improving our existing buildings keeps him active and engaged with the Environmental Movement and the Building Performance Industry.
Ryan is grateful for the opportunity to join the BPCA board and believes the BPCA is uniquely suited to direct changes and advance the building performance industry in NYS. Having prior experience in the Solar PV industry, Ryan understands the need to create an easily implemented and holistic approach to energy efficiency and beneficial electrification of New York’s existing building stock. He believes that an equitable programmatic landscape is of top priority to achieve the state’s carbon emissions reduction goal as outlined in the state’s Climate Leadership and Protection Act, 2019.
Jonny Norton, Treasurer
Jonny Norton is the founder of Foam It Insulation, a full-service, home performance company in Binghamton NY.
For the last 18+ years, Jonny has dedicated his company to making customers’ homes more comfortable, safer, and more energy efficient. With his 40+ team members, they provides the full range of home energy & safety improvements including weatherization.
Jonny holds several Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certifications (including Building Analyst, Shell Specialist, Heating, and AC/Heat Pump.
Michael Bennett, Board Member
Mike Bennett is the founder and CEO of Energy Saver Consulting and a BPI-certified
professional with more than 14 years of experience in state and utility energyefficiency
programs. His career began alongside cuttingedge research teams at MIT, and since
then he has conducted thousands of home energy assessments across New York State.
Mike’s background spans project management, supplychain coordination, and the
oversight of hundreds of residential energyupgrade installations. This diverse
experience enables him to bring a holistic, systemsbased perspective to every home he
evaluates—ensuring that energy savings, comfort, and longterm performance work
together seamlessly.
Driven by a deep passion for helping homeowners create healthier, more comfortable,
and more efficient living environments, Mike has made it his mission to elevate the
customer experience at every step of the process. He is equally committed to
supporting fellow contractors, helping them navigate the complexities of program
requirements, field operations, and workflow management.
Through Energy Saver Consulting, Mike is actively developing and implementing
streamlined systems and processes designed to make highquality energyefficiency
work easier to deliver—and more impactful for the families and professionals who
depend on it.
Franklyn Cowles, Board Member
Frank Cowles is a seasoned building performance professional and a board member of the Building Performance Contractors Association of New York State (BPCA). He is the owner and principal of Energy Saving Solutions LLC, a Western New York–based energy services and home performance company focused on helping homeowners improve comfort, reduce energy waste, and lower utility costs.
Under Frank’s leadership, Energy Saving Solutions LLC provides comprehensive certified energy audits and building performance services, including HVAC testing, insulation inspection, building and duct leakage diagnostics, and full-service installation of energy-saving measures such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and air sealing improvements. The company uses state-approved energy modeling tools to identify where energy is being lost and offers tailored recommendations that help homeowners invest their dollars where they deliver the greatest long-term benefit.
Seth Plyter, Board Member
Seth is the President and owner of Buffalo Energy Inc. and Hughesco of Rochester. He began his career in the Home Performance industry in 2007. He holds multiple BPI certifications and other industry-specific designations. For years, insulating homes and installing the most efficient heating & cooling systems have been his top priority. His passion is to help everyone be more safe, comfortable, and energy conscious. He is particularly interested in the educational part of the job – helping customers understand how homes work as a system and presenting the newest energy-efficient technologies. Aligning customers with grants and incentives to help reduce the costs of energy improvements is where he and his team excel, as well as adopting the newest technology in the marketplace.
Seth looks forward to continuing his relationship with all of the BPCA members and working closely with the board as well as NYSERDA to “move the needle” in the industry.
Michael Porpora, Board Member
Michael Porpora started his career as a service technician diagnosing system problems and
performing repairs on a variety of heating/cooling equipment. Michael started with Crossfield
Heating & Air Conditioning in 2016 as a Home Energy Auditor and Comfort Consultant working
with residential clients identifying deficiencies and offering solutions for home comfort
improvement. He was promoted in 2021 to Manager of the Insulation and Energy department,
focusing on market growth and continued quality service.
Certifications include BPI Building Analyst Professional and Technician, AC and Heat Pump
Professional, Heating Professional and Healthy Home Evaluator and an EPA universal
certification for refrigerant. Michael strives for opportunities to expand his knowledge base
with the goal of finding new and better ways to improve home performance for his clients.
Joe Sanfilippo, Board Member
Joe is the founder and CEO of Sanfilippo Solutions. With a background in Civil Engineering, Joe Sanfilippo began his career addressing drainage issues around the world, quickly advancing through various levels of management. Over the years, he has led multiple areas of business, including engineering, customer service, production, and value stream management.
However, Joe realized that much of his work was focused on saving pennies at the expense of meaningful impact. Driven by a desire to apply his problem-solving skills to projects that benefit people, conserve energy, and improve efficiency, he left his corporate job in 2014 and invested his 401k into founding Sanfilippo Solutions.
Since then, the company has grown from a one-man operation to a team of 10, working together as a family to support the goals of New York State’s Clean Energy sector. Joe and his team are dedicated to expanding their reach and contributing to a more sustainable future.
Our main goal is to help people. They will save energy and be as comfortable as possible in their homes while reducing their carbon footprint.
I will bring with me the Mission statement and values from Sanfilippo Solutions:
Mission Statement:
Why? Sanfilippo Solutions’ Mission is to help our neighbors be comfortable and safe in their homes.
How? Listening and understanding their situation. Find the best options and assistance possible. Install the improvements.
1. Safety, Ensure Our Team and Customers are Safe #1
2. Reputation Outweighs profit every time
3. Do the right thing, always!
4. Integrity in all we do!
5. Respect our customers and our teammates
6. Help others, selflessly”
Jason Scher, Board Member
Jason Scher is the President of EMS (Energy Management Solutions), serving the downstate, lower Hudson region, as well as New York City. EMS has been a leader in the residential home performance field since 2008. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Ramapo College and holds various Heat Pump Certifications including the EPA 608. EMS is a BPI Goldstar contractor and participates in many of the NYSERDA and local utility programs.
Jason is particularly proud of bringing passionate, committed people into his firm and “providing them with a career path they can learn, grow and excel in for many years to come”. Many of his key staff members have been with the company since its inception, a consistency that Jason sees as key to their growth. Jason is equally gratified by positive customer experiences and testimonials and is encouraged that the BPCA’s mission and vision will elevate the Home Performance industry. He is very interested in working to streamline the process of delivering benefits to the homeowner, and he sees the BPCA as a key factor in providing more education and consistent information to the consumer.
Doug Stewart, Board Member
Doug Stewart is a board member of the Building Performance Contractors Association of New York State (BPCA)and serves as the Electrical Department Manager at John Betlem Heating & Cooling, Inc., a long-standing, family-owned company based in Rochester, New York. He brings hands-on experience in HVAC and electrical systems, whole-home performance, and workforce development, helping represent practical contractor perspectives within BPCA’s leadership and initiatives.