Guest Introduction: Hannah Misch of NREL
Episode Description
In this guest introduction episode, we sit down with Hannah Misch, a civil engineer-turned-quality-leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Hannah brings over 14 years of experience across residential, industrial, and commercial construction—starting on job sites with her dad, and now representing owners on some of the nation’s most sustainable builds.
From early exposure to luxury home construction in Indiana to managing quality control at billion-dollar airport expansions, Hannah shares how her passion for processes, documentation, and doing things right the first time shaped her career. We explore her mentors, her love of structured workflows, and her approach to coaching the next generation.
This episode tees up our next conversation: how emotional “vibes” and mental health directly impact safety, productivity, and risk on the job site.
Key Takeaways
- Quality roots run deep: Hannah’s journey started in childhood, working alongside her dad on luxury residential builds.
- Process = peace: From document control to LEED tracking, her love for structure and detail emerged as a superpower.
- Mentorship matters: Hannah highlights the power of being mentored—and now mentoring others—with openness and humility.
- Humanizing the jobsite: From video games to vegetable gardens, Hannah reminds us that personal balance plays into professional performance.
- Prepping for “vibes”: We set the stage for a powerful conversation on how psychological safety and culture affect project outcomes.
