Christopher Davis

CCP, CBCP, LEED AP

Senior Associate | Manager, Commissioning Group Leader

At SMMA

  • Chris joined the company in 1999 as an HVAC and mechanical engineer, and later started the firm’s Commissioning Group in 2009
  • Harnesses custom proprietary commissioning database solutions to manage design review and system performance testing
  • Led SMMA to be chosen as one of a select group of firms to provide commissioning services to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and was integral in the firm securing the "house doctor" commissioning contract for the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance
  • Advises clients on energy efficiency, reliability, and systems effectiveness 

High-Impact Improvements

Chris led SMMA's retro-commissioning efforts for the Millennium Bostonian Hotel’s smoke control system. This was a challenging task: the hotel possessed a limited design history to draw from, and this life-safety initiative needed to be completed on a fast-track schedule. 

“When we received approval from City of Boston fire officials, the client and I were thrilled,” Chris explains. “They were thrilled because life safety measures in the hotel were verified. I was thrilled because we achieved their goal—and because they enjoyed working with our team at SMMA.”

Focus on Communication  

“The Commissioning Group is entirely hands-on and communications-based,” says Chris. “This process can be difficult—and clients sometimes dread it. To balance this out, we make the effort to always be there—to be responsive, to communicate effectively. We’re constantly listening, asking questions, and talking to our clients, as well as with all the SMMA teams we collaborate with.”

Family Business

For years, Chris's grandfather owned and operated a gas service business in Brooklyn, New York. His uncle and cousins followed the plumbing path. So you could say that a passion for HVAC is in Chris's DNA.

"I worked as an apprentice for my uncle's plumbing company throughout high school and college, which was my first real exposure to the world of professional engineering,” Chris says. “The hands-on work I did gave me an invaluable knowledge of practical heating and cooling fundamentals, and it was that experience that set me on the career path that ultimately led to SMMA."