Meet Jenny Conrardy – Instructor Spotlight

Meet Jenny Conrardy, the new Lead Instructor for HeatSpring CORE. Jenny’s path into the trades grew organically from years of farm work, food systems advocacy, and a deep belief that good work and good values go hand in hand. Six and a half years into her career as a solar installer, electrician, and now educator, she brings a perspective that’s both practical and philosophical. We asked her a few questions to help you get to know her.

Say hello to Jenny! 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

Your experiences in life are cumulative, and don’t be afraid if they don’t seem to correlate. Some things that you do in life might seem like they are not pertinent to the “big picture” that you have outlined in your mind, but if you stay open to new paths on the journey, those experiences can end up resurfacing as forms of expertise later on.  If you keep your perspective open, you can be led to places that you hadn’t originally thought of in your landscape of goals, but that actually end up feeling like really valuable extensions to your plans.

What was your first job in the industry?

It was as a DC Solar Installer with Arch Solar in Plymouth, WI (where I currently live). I knew nothing about the trades or the solar industry, but I had worked for over 10 years on Springdale Farm, an organic veggie farm in the area, and I felt like the philosophies behind renewable energy mirrored that of sustainable agriculture. The owner of the company knew the farmer that I worked for, and so he recognized that my farmer kept hard workers and creative problem solvers (farms need that clear work ethic and constant ingenuity!) I was hired, and within the year was invited into the apprenticeship program. 

How many years have you been in the industry?

6.5 years

What are your hobbies?

I love cooking and eating- I worked in the natural food industry for a long time alongside agriculture, and both of those experiences gave me a huge appreciation for fresh, quality ingredients and exposure to lots of cool food preparation methods. I also love spending time outside- I live on a four acre property in the middle of a state forest. There are lots of beautiful hiking trails and natural springs around. 

What’s a fun fact about you that your students don’t know?

I co-founded a food co-op, Goodside Grocery, about 15 years ago in my hometown of Sheboygan, WI. I had lived in Madison, WI for several years, and their attitude towards food systems was very progressive at the time, so I learned a lot about nutrition, food systems, and equitable food access.  I spent time working at a food co-op while in Madison, and when I returned to Sheboygan to work at an art museum there, I felt adrift in terms of food access- even though I knew there were a ton of great producers in the area!  I decided that I wanted to create a space to host all of the amazing products that were being made locally in order to consolidate the consumer’s experience in acquiring them.  I wanted to make it easy, equitable, and accessible.  I wanted to provide exposure to the community for products that they already loved but had to go out of their way to get to or maybe had never heard of and now had a chance to try or learn about.  I also wanted to invite them to look at a business model that was different from how a typical corporation is structured- one that was centered on community involvement, community needs, and shared profit.  I got a core group of people together, and we opened the doors of a small corner store in about a year with tons of support from producers and residents!

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Wow, that’s a big ask… Darn, there’s so much food in this world!!  Ummmm…..  I guess I am thinking back to when I worked on the veggie farm.  We would eat veggies straight out of the field all day as we harvested.  The scents, the textures, the flavors were unparalleled… there is nothing like biting into a sun-warmed tomato, for instance.  Does it count to say that my one meal would be grazing a 40-acre veggie farm all day?!  It’s kind of a stripped-down, minimalist approach, but it gets to the heart of what I love- fresh ingredients grown in good stewardship of the earth.

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About HeatSpring CORE

HeatSpring CORE is a 144-hour first-year curriculum designed to prepare entry-level workers for careers in electrical, HVACR, carpentry, heavy equipment operations, and pipefitting. It’s built around a strong safety foundation, with certifications like OSHA 10/30, NFPA 70E, forklift, and fall protection baked into the program. What sets it apart from traditional programs is its clean energy lens and flexibility for employer customization. Whether you’re training new hires from scratch or building out a workforce pipeline, CORE gives everyone a common language from day one. Learn more here.