2020 40 Under 40: James M. Newman, PE, CEM, LEED AP, WELL AP, 34

Newman was recently tasked with his most difficult career challenge to date with opening a new branch engineering office. He is the youngest division manager at RMF Engineering and is positioned in a very challenging office location due to immense MEP competition and geographic size of the New England market. In the first two years, he has grown his staff to a five-person team and established a downtown Boston office location. He has worked to build a new client base with 10 new clients of which many have become strong references and created opportunities for repeat work. He and the team are on track to exceed $1 million in gross revenue this year. He credits his growth and success to his continued focus on expanding skillsets and continuous education, which he feels are very important pieces of being an engineering leader. Since finishing his formal education, Newman has remained very involved with continuing to grow his technical design knowledge with a primary focus within sustainable and high-performance design. He also believes that strong leadership skills have to be the core ingredient for growing, operating and sustaining a successful office. He grew up on a Midwest farm, where he was taught to take ownership of everything he did. In mentoring junior team members, he has found the more this mode of thinking can be instilled into young staff, it enhances their ability to grow and prosper. Leadership is based on effective communication and Newman continuously works to improve his public speaking and communication capabilities. Outside of business, Newman plays golf, renovates his house and travels. He also enjoys traveling and exploring with his wife and young children.

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