Barbara Mullally Pauly

Barbara Mullally Pauly

First Woman Inducted into EnerQuality Hall of Fame

A committed environmentalist

Barbara Mullally Pauly was energy-minded before the issue came into public consciousness.

"I've always been a committed environmentalist," Barbara says. For 10 years she lived on a farm, with just a windmill to provide energy. "We used power very selectively, only running appliances and using lighting when we really needed them."

Barbara's current role as the Senior Chief of Housing Programs for the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is tailor-made to her lifelong dedication to efficient energy use.

Set no boundaries

Originally trained as an artist and a jeweller, Barbara has set her mind to be successful in all tasks. "I've never set boundaries on what I can do. If I had, I never would have made my way to NRCan." Constantly striving to encourage government funding for energy-efficiency programs, Barbara's "no-boundaries" mindset is evident in her work. In 2002, Barbara was the first woman and the first non-builder inducted into the EnerQuality Hall of Fame, a prestigious honour awarded by the Ontario Home Builders Association and the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance.

The art of education

As a young adult, Barbara attended the École des beaux-arts de Québec, a professional arts school in Québec. After earning a four-year fine arts diploma, she went on to work in some very diverse fields — first as a truck driver and then as a social worker.

Leading change

Barbara's varied experience and her bilingualism paved her way into Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, now known as NRCan. In 1976, she began to work with one of the government's first energy conservation programs, EnerAction, writing documents for the public. From 1982 to 1992, Barbara took on lead roles in several energy efficiency areas, from managing the telephone information line for the Canadian Home Insulation Program, to managing publications for home energy programs, to leading the marketing activities of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Branch.

Of her various roles at NRCan, Barbara is most proud of being involved in developing EnerGuide for Houses (EGH), a program that encourages Canadian homeowners to be energy-efficient in their home renovations. EGH provides evaluations by certified energy advisors to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their houses. The program also provides grants based on the amount of energy saved as a result of retrofits. "It has been very rewarding to be involved in designing a program where I could apply lessons learned from less successful projects to create something that works really well," she says.

Barbara has worked hard to introduce new energy-efficiency strategies to the public, and believes that small actions can accomplish great things. "I've always believed in what I call the lowest-common-denominators of social change. There are always small actions that lead to larger actions."

Although she has led many NRCan initiatives, Barbara credits her teams with being the main force behind her accomplishments. "The one thing I've learned is that you never do anything yourself. One person cannot push a boulder uphill, but 100 people will." To Barbara, motivation is also key to getting to the top of the hill. "Like my team, I really care about the issues that we face at NRCan. I'm proud to be with the OEE; I think we are doing the right things to help the environment."

"I have always wanted to do things that have meaning for society. Through my work at NRCan I have been able to do this by working on environmental issues and trying to minimize damage on the environment," she says. Most importantly, Barbara views her work as vital to future generations. "I want my granddaughter to live in a decent environment. I want to pass on a world that she and her peers can live in and enjoy."

Life achievements

  • 1969 — Completed fine arts diploma.
  • 1976 — Began work with EnerAction at Energy, Mines and Resources.
  • 1980 — Manager of Heatline at Energy, Mines and Resources
  • 1988 — Head of Publications for Home Energy Programs
  • 1990 — Persian Gulf Crisis Award
  • 1992 — Chief of Marketing and Administration of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Branch
  • 1993–1997 — Jewelry and Silversmithing Program, Algonquin College
  • 1994 — Chief of Existing Housing Program, Efficiency and Alternative Energy Branch
  • 1997 — Chief of Housing Programs, Efficiency and Alternative Energy Branch
  • 1997 — Exceptional Distinguished Contribution to the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Public Service Award
  • 1998 — Completed Executive Program at Queen's University.
  • 2000 — Senior Chief of Housing Programs, OEE
  • 2002 — Inducted into the EnerQuality Hall of Fame and given the R-2000 Excellence Award by the Ontario Home Builders Association.

More Trailblazers