Decker Selected For Energy Efficiency Forum Hall of Fame.

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Doug Decker

Pawleys Island resident Douglas A. Decker, P.E. has been selected for induction in the inaugural class of 22 members to the Energy Efficiency Forum Hall of Fame.The induction ceremonies will be held in Washington, D.C. June 15, prior to the start of the 20th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum held at the National Press Club.
“Looking back over two decades we have seen many promises, policies, and strategies in dealing with our energy challenges,” Barry K. Worthington, USEA executive director and forum co-chair, said. “We believe it’s appropriate to honor those who make energy efficiency their personal and professional passion.”
After graduating from the University of Denver with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration and engineering, Decker started a 43 year career with Johnson Controls, a Fortune 100 company, rising to the position of Vice President, Government Business, before retiring in 2001.
Twenty years ago, Decker conceived the necessity of an annual forum on energy efficiency in which national and international leaders in government and business would come together to share ideas on energy efficient concepts and their implementation.
This was the beginning of the annual Energy Efficiency Forum, co-sponsored by Johnson Controls and the U.S. Energy Association. Decker served as chairman of the forum for its first 12 years until his retirement.
“The Energy Efficiency Forum has continued to advance the national dialog on the future of energy, climate change and economic benefits.” said Decker.
Decker was actively involved with energy issues throughout his career at Johnson Controls. He participated in a number of congressional hearings, contributed to government studies, and spearheaded legislative and executive initiatives to promote energy efficiency worldwide.
Through the years Decker has sent his energy efficiency message worldwide through frequent interviews with the media. He has authored more than 200 articles on energy efficiency issues and is the co-author of the book Policy Evolution: Energy Conservation to Energy Efficiency, The Fairmont Press Inc., 1997.
A registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin and California and a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Decker has received a number of awards for his leadership in promoting energy efficiency.
Included among those awards are the Association of Energy Engineers Special Recognition award and the Instrument Society of America Distinguished Service Award.
Decker was inducted into the Association of Energy Engineers Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Energy Efficiency Forum has established the Douglas Decker Lifetime Achievement Award in his honor.
“It is an honor to be recognized for work that I enjoyed and the Forum’s success is based on the contribution of many individuals who understand the importance energy efficiency has to our nation,” said Decker. “This has been a team effort and I am pleased to be selected as one of the honorees.”
The full list of inductees into the inaugural class of the Energy Efficiency Forum Hall of Fame includes a number of national government and business leaders. They are: Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Secretary of Energy; Kateri Callahan, president, Alliance to Save Energy; Eileen Claussen, president, Pew Center on Global Climate Change and Strategies for the Global Environment; Douglas Decker, founder, Energy Efficiency Forum; Byron Dorgan, U.S. Senator, North Dakota; Christine Ervin, former president, U.S. Green Buildings Council; David Garman, former Under Secretary of Energy; John Gibbons, first director, U.S. Office of Energy Conservation; Mark Ginsberg, former director, Federal Energy Management Program; Kathleen Hogan, director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Alexander “Andy” Karsner, former Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Thomas Kuhn, president, Edison Electric Institute; Tom Leppert, former CEO of Turner Construction; mayor of Dallas; Greg Nichols, mayor of Seattle; Hazel O’Leary, former U.S. Secretary of Energy; president, Fisk University; Dan Reicher, former Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable energy; director, Climate Change and Energy Initiatives; James Rogers, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Duke Energy; Philip Sharp, former U.S. Congressman, Indiana; president, Resources for the Future; Branko Terzic, former Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner; regulatory policy leader energy & resources, Deloitte Services LP; Christine Whitman, former Governor of New Jersey, former EPA Administrator; Timothy E. Wirth, former U.S. Senator, Colorado; president, United Nations Foundation.
In addition to Decker’s work in the energy efficiency field, he is a commercial rated pilot with extensive experience in the aviation field.
He was appointed by former Utah Gov. Calvin Rampton to serve as a commissioner on the Utah State Aeronautics Commission.
In this position, Decker led a task force that was responsible for re-opening the former Wendover (Utah) Air Force Base as a state owned public facility after the base had been closed for 15 years.
For this accomplishment, the new facility was named Decker Field.
Decker also served on the Wisconsin State Airport System Planning Board, having been appointed to that position by former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
With his service on the two state agencies, Decker has been involved in the planning and facilities maintenance and upgrading for a total of 72 airports, both commercial and general aviation.
When Horry County was involved in its attempt to build a new passenger terminal on the west side of the runway at Myrtle Beach International Airport, Decker, based on his experience, believed the plan to be too expensive with too much information being held from the public.
He made presentations about his conclusions to various private and public groups throughout Horry County, but was never allowed to address Horry County Council.
Instead, Decker was subjected to a combination of ridicule and personal slander by various individuals who were pushing for the west side terminal project to go forward regardless of its cost and other shortcomings.
After hearing a presentation by Decker to one of the local groups, that noted airport expert Horry County Attorney John Weaver called Decker “loony tunes.”
Quickly following Weaver’s lead, WRNN talk show host Steve Porter jumped on the discredit Decker bandwagon.
In a letter from Decker’s attorney Nate Fata to Jeff Dinetz, President of NextMedia, the broadcasting group that owns WRNN and Barry Brown, General Manager of WRNN, Fata said, “Steve Porter, aired a series of false statements regarding Mr. Decker. Among the statements that have been broadcasted are the following:
1.  Mr. Decker has engaged in conduct similar to that of a notorious Myrtle Beach area embezzler and convicted felon, a Mr. Barry Landreth, who scammed investors out of millions of dollars in bogus real estate projects.
2.  Mr. Decker is a “liar,” despite the fact that Steve Porter was given information from a co-employee that contradicted directly his charge.
3. Mr. Decker was unprofessional, incompetent and/or unqualified to participate in any issues relating to the construction of a new terminal building for the Myrtle Beach International Airport.
These and other remarks expressly, and by implication, called into question Mr. Decker’s integrity, honesty, and professional competence. Because he had an impeccable reputation in the community, this conduct has caused him significant personal and professional damage.”
Why were these statements made? Weaver put a wall of silence around county employees regarding statements about the west side terminal in a press release to the media.
At approximately the same time, County Council Chairman Liz Gilland designated Porter as the person to get the county’s message out to the public. This Porter did without checking any of the information he was presented by the county.
The county’s propaganda effort didn’t work as the west side terminal failed on its merits, or lack of same.
But, we see here the way in which this county government works. If you criticize the statements and conclusions of county staff or elected officials, for potentially wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, their ingrained response is discredit the messenger.
Decker was not seeking public office, not seeking a job, in fact, was acting out of a sense of public spiritedness in attempting to keep the county from going down a potentially ruinous path on the west side terminal project.
Rather than listening to the comments and criticisms of a man with considerable experience in just this type of project, the “wannabes” in county government moved to discredit him.
Porter, in his best imitation Rush Limbaugh buffoonery, fell right into line with the ‘good ole boys and girls.’
To those in the county who took part in this disgusting spectacle of stupidity, all we can say is you blew it again.
Decker is being inducted into a national Hall of Fame along with former governors, senators, cabinet officials and professional leaders from throughout the country.
The ‘good ole boys and girls’ are still “wannabes” attempting to get someone to take them as seriously as they take themselves.