| Ronnie Isaac ’97 and ‘99 has more than 15 years experience in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design. On Feb. 19, his engineering firm Isaac Engineering, in Bowie, Maryland, will celebrate 10 years of successful business and expertise in nearly every sector, including the highly specialized areas of critical facility hospitals and data centers. His credentials include certifications from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) /MBE and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and Professional Engineer Licenses in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia. However, this entrepreneur's achievements may have never been realized without the perseverance to continue striving even through adversity and denials.
From all the years he spent working with his father in his construction business, Isaac told himself,“I can do this,” he said. “I understand how this works and the science behind it and always liked to draw, so I put them together.” He thought architectural engineering would be the perfect marriage of the two things he knew and loved, but it wasn’t as simple as he reasoned.
“I didn’t get selected for architectural engineering, so I had to come in undecided, because my SAT scores were too low. I had to raise my GPA,” Isaac said. “I had a 3.0 my first semester and was admitted to architectural engineering the second semester of my freshman year. I graduated magna cum laude during my undergrad. I never got any C’s or D’s; all A’s and B’s.” And he joked he’s been proving people wrong ever since.
Certainly Isaac’s resolve to do what was required to get what he wanted was a testament to his own sheer determination, but he admits that much of his business savvy and ability was keenly developed while working with his father, particularly developing the mentality of an entrepreneur.
Although rare for the 1970s in New York, Isaac’s father developed a congenial rapport and business relationship with people of various cultures and ethnicities, something that Isaac says he never forgot.
“I’ve had to deal with people from every walk of life. I saw how my father dealt with business people and noticed there is a certain mentality and way to carry yourself when you are a business owner,” he said. “Being a leader and having to make critical decisions – I grew up with that type of training.”
No matter the job, large or small, and admittedly, Isaac says there have been many that were small - he has always aspired to produce high-quality results through standards of excellence. His consistent devotion to his craft and commitment to technique is what has propelled his business in such a relatively short time.
Isaac uses state-of-the-art building performance-analysis tools and sophisticated technology to deliver a wealth of knowledge to any design team worldwide. Through the use of a building's location, orientation, shading and structural form, the goal is to develop sustainable solutions and to drive down the need for mechanical installations.
He has designed and offered complete and various engineering systems for small restaurants to commercial buildings to government facilities to entire school systems, including current projects with the Prince George’s County School System. He has recently become invested in and sought after for more significantly intricate and sensitive projects, which is what he says he is trying to narrow his focus on.
“I’m just getting into this part of the industry and I’m rebranding my company to let people know that this is what we have always done and this is what we will continue to do,” he said. When the time comes, which Isaac believes will be sooner than later, business expansion is definitely in order.
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