Phil Montuori

When Phil Montuori was a senior in high school, his father took him to fill out an application for apprenticeship at the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers Local 28 in New York — a trade his uncle enjoyed and one his father thought would be a good fit for his son. As an apprentice and then a journeyperson, Montuori worked in the shop fabricating duct and then in the field installing it, which gave him a keen knowledge of HVAC systems. During this time, he contributed his skills to many buildings at the World Trade Center site, including the 9/11 Memorial Museum. In 2009, he began his career in testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB), and he worked as a TAB technician in the field for 14 years, performing everything from basic balancing on small constant volume and variable air systems to complex air and water HVAC systems in hospitals, labs and clean rooms. In 2023, his alma mater at Local 28 hired him as a full-time instructor, a position he enjoyed and held until 2025, when he joined the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), the air balancing and energy management arm of the unionized sheet metal industry. Montuori brings numerous certifications, extensive knowledge and more than 21 years of experience in water and air systems, fire life safety, smoke control systems and indoor air quality surveys and services to this position. He now uses that expertise to support local unions and contractors with certifications, training programs and code compliance in addition to spreading program awareness and promoting industry standards.