Stars of Our Community: Cassie Waddell
Posted by jteo on Apr. 1, 2026 / Member Spotlight / Subscribe 0
Meet our featured member, Cassie Waddell, P.E., whom oversees facility operations, engineering, and instrumentation services for Genentech's South San Francisco campus. In this leadership role, she sets the strategic direction for maintenance and equipment life cycle programs, leverages data and analytics for informed decision-making, and collaborates closely with stakeholders to guarantee infrastructure reliability and uptime. With a passion for high-performance building design and innovative solutions within the built environment, Cassie previously worked as a mechanical engineer for WSP, Arup, and Alfa Tech before joining Genentech in 2015. She holds degrees in Architectural Engineering and Architecture from the University of Kansas and is currently pursuing an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Her family, including her two children (5 and 9) and her partner Gabe currently reside in San Francisco.
How long have you been involved with ASHRAE in years? Describe the roles or capacities in which you are involved with ASHRAE.
My involvement with ASHRAE dates back to my college days. I was honored to receive an ASHRAE scholarship in 2006, for which I remain deeply appreciative. Since then, I have done my best to maintain engagement with my local chapter.
Curiosity, humility, and community.
What has been your favorite ASHRAE memory, event, or experience, and why?
My favorite memories are from YEA events (especially the Giants games) in the early 2010’s. YEA was just getting off the ground and there was a ton of great energy, knowledge and networking going on in that group.
How has your involvement with ASHRAE influenced your career and personal growth?
My involvement with the organization has enhanced my career in numerous ways, but especially through the incredible community of industry experts who are generally happy to share their knowledge and lessons learned.
Where do you see the industry heading in the next 5-10 years, and what developments are you most excited about?
I’m most excited to see how AI can help shape the future of design and operation of building systems. I see so many opportunities to explore from digital twin to Fault Detection Diagnostics and Real-Time system optimization.
What is one key piece of advice you would offer to young professionals entering this field?
Take the time early on to build a strong technical foundation. For me this looked like spending my first few years deep in modeling and analysis which gave me a strong understanding of how buildings operate. Project management and leadership opportunities will come with time and a strong technical foundation can be a great springboard into other areas and industries. Also - get in the field!
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