Patti Wilson Leadership Program

The Patti Wilson Leadership Program

The Patti Wilson Leadership Program was established in 2024 to honor the legacy of former International District Energy Association (IDEA) Chair and longtime Board Member, Patti Wilson.

The program’s primary mission is to inspire and support the participation of promising young women in district energy and to nurture emerging leaders who will carry forward IDEA’s global mission.

Patti embodied the spirit of IDEA through her passion for connecting people, her commitment to lifelong learning, and her generous spirit of collegiality. Winners are encouraged not only to forge their own path within the district energy industry, but also to leave a lasting, positive impact on it—advancing innovation, collaboration, and leadership in Patti’s name.

Each year, the Patti Wilson Scholarships will be presented at the annual IDEA Campus Energy Conference—an event where Patti’s professionalism and leadership left a lasting mark and helped advance the district energy industry.

The deadline to submit your application is Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

The online application will be available soon; in the meantime, you can review the application below and get ready to submit.

View Patti Wilson Leadership Program Application


  

The program is made possible in part through the generous support of her longtime employer, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), together with IDEA. Together, we will ensure Patti's legacy lives on through the amazing efforts of our Patti Wilson Leadership Program award winners, past, present and future.

Eligibility

Program funds are restricted to female applicants pursuing an enhancement of knowledge of district energy, sustainability, urban planning or energy efficiency.

Applicants should be newly employed in the district energy industry (3 years or less) or currently enrolled in an undergraduate, masters or PhD program at an accredited college, university, community college or technical institute with a focus toward a degree in marketing, management, engineering, finance, energy, environmental studies or another relevant field.   

Honoring Our Inaugural Award Winners

 
On February 4, 2025, at CampusEnergy2025 in Boston, we proudly hosted an inspirational inaugural Patti Wilson Leadership Awards ceremony, honoring seven award recipients in person (and one virtually). Each awardee embodied Patti’s spirit, passion, and dedication to the profession—demonstrating her legacy through both words and actions.
 

Receiving the awards are (in alphabetical order):

·        Megan Campbell, Mechanical Engineer, the Smith Group

·        Madeline “Mary” Cotter, undergraduate student, University of Virginia

·        Paige Davis, Product Development Coordinator, Austin Energy

·        Rebecca Grekin, Ph.D. candidate, Stanford University

·        Emma Luis, Project Manager & Mechanical Engineer, Circadia Group

·        Grace Mwangi, Project Coordinator, Corix

·        Anna Schappert, Mechanical Systems Professional, Efficiency Manitoba

·        Sandra Turner, undergraduate student, University of Minnesota

Read About the 2025 Patti Wilson Leadership Program Award Winners

About Patti Wilson

Patti Wilson, IDEA Chair from 2014 to 2015 and a past board member and executive committee member.

Wilson was director of business development at Affiliated Engineers for 26 years. She held a bachelor’s degree from Towson State University and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland.

"Patti was a fixture at the IDEA Campus Energy Conference for many, many years, where her brilliant smile and warm heart welcomed all," said Rob Thornton, IDEA president and CEO. "She had a genuine, easy laugh, always looked you in the eye, and made time to listen, in the truest sense. Patti made it her mission to connect with people, especially those attending IDEA for the first time."

"She was always prepared, paid attention to detail and was simply a step ahead. I recall a time when IDEA was hosting a large delegation from Japan, and Patti arranged for the IDEA delegates to have our business cards two-sided printed in Japanese for proper presentation to our guests. She even coached us on how to present a card two-handed, facing the person with an appropriate depth of bow."