2025’s 30 Under 30 EC&M Electrical All Stars: Danny DeGennaro

Danny DeGennaro

Job Title: Electrical Engineer

Company: CDM Smith, Inc.

Location: Latham, NY

Age: 26

Years on the Job: 4

Interests: Spending time outdoors with his wife and dog, especially in the Adirondacks

Danny DeGennaro’s responsibilities have shifted from supporting tasks in other designs to leading large designs himself, and he enjoys working on different projects and training new hires on standard design practices.

With a mom as a teacher and a dad as a structural engineer, Danny DeGennaro was encouraged from a young age to ask technical questions and seek out explanations for how things work. When he was in high school, his dad introduced him to the software and tools commonly used by consulting engineers, and he developed a strong interest in physics.

Born and raised in upstate New York, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stony Brook University, where he played rugby and served as a lead tutor at the university’s tutoring center. As an undergraduate, he conducted research at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials, exploring graphene-based solar panels and researching energy systems.

Throughout college, he interned at CHA Consulting and at GlobalFoundries. After completing his master’s degree, he began working at CDM Smith.“I was trained on the job and quickly pulled into a variety of projects all over the country,” said DeGennaro, who recently passed the PE electrical power exam.

His company is designing microgrid systems, piloting utility thermal energy networks, leading fleet vehicle and building electrification initiatives, and designing municipal water/wastewater upgrades nationwide. While most of his projects are in the Northeast, he’s had opportunities to work on projects across the country and even internationally.“I am excited to be involved in so many projects that are reshaping communities through improved water and energy infrastructure,” he said. “The variety keeps my day-to-day exciting and pushes me to constantly learn and sharpen my skill set as an engineer.”

As an electrical engineer in the infrastructure services group at CDM Smith, he conducts site visits, oversees the design process, reviews submittals, and responds to RFIs. In the future, he’d like to lead innovative power systems projects and continue to navigate the rapidly changing world of energy technologies.

“I aspire to one day be a team leader who is actively involved in hands-on design, while also mentoring others and driving strategic initiatives,” he said.