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Nick Martocci
Nick Martocci learned many things in the course of his 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Army National Guard.
Among the most important lessons: Never be afraid to ask hard questions before a mission. That curiosity and humility has carried through to his civilian career in renewable energy. Martocci, Project Vanguard’s Nevada Community Leader, is founder and CEO of Tower Training Academy, which trains wind turbine technicians.
“Veterans understand that it’s what you don't know that can get you in a bad situation,” Martocci says. “We’re not afraid to say, ‘Hold up. I don't know this piece.’ That’s invaluable in the field in the wind industry, where you’re not in an office, but instead you’re working with your hands and your body as part of a small team.”
Martocci joined the Marine Corps in 1999, after graduating high school. After September 11, 2001, he requested a transfer into an FMF (Fleet Marine Force) unit.
He joined the Army National Guard in 2006, and deployed overseas numerous times.
He discovered that the Guard was looking for pilots, and applied and was selected to attend flight school, graduating as a CH-47 pilot.
When he sought a civilian job after his military retirement as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in 2019, he landed in the clean energy industry as a wind technician.
“When I found the wind industry, it immediately felt like home,” he says. “It reminded me of the military—working in small teams, being away from where the main office is, working outdoors.”
He went on to become a project manager, and in 2022, he started his own wind technician training company in Las Vegas.
Martocci founded the nonprofit Infinite Fidelis Consulting at the same time to support veterans in the renewable energy industry. He says that many aspects of the field provide benefits for veterans, including a stable career path.
“I tell veterans that this is an industry that’s not going to go anywhere,” Martocci says. “Though the technology may change, this is a career that can take care of you for the next 20 or 30 years, no problem.”
He says he expects to see further growth in the industry as renewables become more vital to the country’s energy independence.
“Having more than one source of energy is always going to be good,” Martocci says. “When we rely only on one stream of energy, we cripple our whole system. If we diversify, we become stronger.”