Glenn Garland Obituary

Glenn Alan Garland
December 1956 - February 2017
AUSTIN, TX - Glenn Alan Garland, a pioneer and executive in the energy efficiency industry, died unexpectedly on February 21, 2017, while on a golfing vacation and trip of a lifetime in Melbourne, Australia. He was 60 years old.
Glenn was born in Wilmington, North Carolina to parents Billy Garland and Frances Edens Garland. In high school, Glenn excelled at football, basketball, and American Legion baseball. When he was not on the field or court, Glenn would challenge others to a friendly game of pool at the local pool hall to earn a little extra spending money. After graduating in 1975 from Langley-Bath-Clearwater High School, he went on to play basketball at the University of South Carolina in Aiken. Glenn was never one to shy away from competition. In the summer of 1982, Glenn challenged the star of UNC's national championship basketball team to a game of 'one-on-one.' Although he lost that game, he continued to insist that he should have won that game. Whether in athletics, business, or in life, Glenn always wanted to compete with the best and to challenge himself to rise up to the highest level.
In 1984, he graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a degree in Marketing Management. Recently, he was proud to see his Fighting Tigers win their second National Football Championship title.
Glenn was an accomplished golfer, winning many of the competitions in which he participated. However, his favorite competitions were the ones where he won money off his regular golfing buddies. He also enjoyed downhill skiing and hiking in Colorado.
Glenn was best known for his visionary leadership in the energy efficiency industry. His goal was to change the world with innovative energy saving strategies. In 2003, at his kitchen table in Austin, Texas, Glenn co-founded CLEAResult, an energy efficiency consulting firm. CLEAResult grew from a very small startup with fewer than six staff members to become the largest energy efficiency-consulting firm in North America, which now employs several thousand employees. In addition to the numerous professional awards he received through out his career, in 2013 Glenn and CLEAResult earned the prestigious Central Texas Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Glenn served as President and CEO of CLEAResult until his retirement in August 2015. His retirement in 2015 capped a distinguished 25-year career in energy efficiency. Throughout his career, his leadership and passion for the work translated into advancing the careers of thousands of passionate environmental advocates. These amazing people continue to work every day to bring Glenn's vision to fruition.
Despite Glenn's busy schedule, his role as a father to Matt and Austin was a high priority. He shared his interests with his sons and he supported their interests by exhibiting kindness, love, support, compassion, advice, and honesty.
Glenn not only generously supported family members and friends, he supported numerous organizations including: Folds of Honor; veterans and firefighters organizations; Caritas of Austin and local food banks; various scholarship funds; Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM); Lake Dillon Theatre Company, and Hearts with Haiti, supporting their orphanage. Giving back to the community and doing the right thing for those in need was very important to Glenn.
Glenn is survived by his beloved wife Laurie Garland of Austin, Texas; son Matt Garland, his wife Tomi; son Austin Garland; step-son Brett Bergner and his wife Jessica; step-son Jeffrey Bergner; father Billy Garland, his wife Ann; brother B. Gene Garland, his wife Fran; brother David W. Garland; nephews Billy Garland III, Nathan Garland, and Brandon Garland; and niece, Megan Garland. Glenn was preceded in death by his mother, Frances Edens Garland; maternal grandparents, LW Edens and Agnes Edens of Wilmington, North Carolina; and paternal grandparents, Bill and Gertrude Garland of Bakersville, North Carolina.
Glenn was a smart, confident, intuitive, congenial, generous, and driven man. He will be remembered as an incredible person and missed by family, friends, and colleagues. He challenged all of us to be the best we could be, to believe in ourselves, and to make the world a better place.
Services will be held on Monday, March 13 at 2 p.m. in the Smith Chapel at Riverbend Church, 4214 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, Texas, 78746. In lieu of flowers, Glenn would have wanted his many friends, family, and colleagues to support their favorite charity, or one of those he actively supported.