2026 Top Women in HVAC: Romita Verma

This is a profile of Romita Verma, a Lead Instructional Designer at Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, recognized as one of the 2026 Top Women in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration). She entered the industry in 2020 through a learning and development role and later worked with ASHRAE, a professional society for the field, before joining Heatcraft. Her work focuses on making technical training, especially in refrigeration, easier to understand for the many different people who work in the industry, from technicians to counter salespeople.

Verma talks about the challenges women face breaking into HVACR, including assumptions that steered her away from hands-on work, and the isolation of often being one of few women in industry rooms. She says the field has become more welcoming and encourages more women to enter, both in technical and non-technical roles, arguing the industry needs to do a better job showing women the career paths that already exist.

For a homeowner, this piece is not about a specific rebate, program, or technology change. It is a personal profile highlighting the people behind the industry that installs and services home heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment, and reflects broader efforts to bring more women into HVACR careers as demand for heating, cooling, and refrigeration work grows with more extreme temperatures.