ASHRAE Insights

ASHRAE members will vote on the nominees for the 2008 – 09 Board of Directors to be installed at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

Nominations for officers and directors are made by the Nominating Committee from a list recommended by individual members and from the Chapters Regional Conference meetings. Additionally, any voting member of the Society may write in the name of an individual for any office.

Ballots  will be mailed May 2 for 2008-09 officers and directors. The ballots must be returned to ASHRAE Headquarters by Friday, June 6. After that date, members can mail their ballots to (hotel guest) Jeff Littleton, secretary, Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, 75 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101. Also, members with valid e-mail addresses on the ASHRAE database can vote online.  These members will the link to the online ballot by email on May 2. Members may also cast their ballots in person at the Annual Meeting from June 20 – 22, during registration hours in the ASHRAE registration area at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

The president, president-elect and treasurer will be selected, as well as  four vice presidents, five director and regional chairs and three directors-at-large are on the ballot.

President: Bill Harrison is president of Trane Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.

Current service: Society president-elect; chair of Members Council, the Advocacy Committee and the Headquarters Building Renovation Committee.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE is unique in that our mission requires us to serve humanity. This noble purpose inspires our members to work collectively to advance the technology that allows them to better serve the public and their customers. We assemble teams of subject matter experts who develop work products that are available to all. Our committees really do advance the arts and sciences of HVAC&R to promote a sustainable world!

President-Elect: Gordon Holness, P.E., Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE, is a consulting engineer and chairman emeritus, Albert Kahn Associates Inc., Detroit.

Current service: Society treasurer; chair of the Finance Committee and the Steering Committee on Building Information Modeling and Interoperability; vice chair of Members Council, the President Elect Advisory Committee and of the Advocacy Committee; member of the Headquarters Building Renovation Committee, and the Planning Committee. He is also the Society representative on the building SMART Alliance and the Advanced Energy Design Guide Steering Committee.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE is truly a unique technical organization in the breadth and depth of technical information and research that is generated to serve the HVAC&R industry. We are fortunate to have a tremendous cadre of volunteers who, with great staff support, develop all of our Handbooks, guidelines, standards, design guides, etc., to help fulfill our mission. Funding raised by our members through our Research Promotion Committee lets us develop research programs that help keep us on the leading edge of new technologies. The technical programs put on at our meetings, together with the significant educational programs developed through the ASHRAE Learning Institute, help spread thesenew technologies to the industry. Our support of student activities and student grant-in-Aid programs also encourages new engineering talent to join the industry. Put all together with the training and peer interaction provided by participation in our standing committees, technical committees and councils, and you have a world of opportunity available in and through the Society.

Treasurer: Lynn Bellenger, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, is a partner with Pathfinder Engineers, Rochester, N.Y.

Current service : Vice president; chair of Technology Council; a member of the Greening ASHRAE Meetings and Exposition ad hoc committee, the Indoor Air Quality Design Guide Steering Committee, the Finance Committee, the Joint Expo Policy Committee, and technical committee 4.1, Load Calculation Data and Procedures.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE is recognized throughout the industry for high quality, authoritative technical material in our Handbooks, standards, guidelines, design guides, and educational courses. The design community is relying on ASHRAE’s leadership in sustainable design and responding to guidance on integrated building design for significant advancements in energy efficiency. ASHRAE promotes professional growth through volunteer service, educational products and research. For the volunteer, ASHRAE provides an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. For the practitioner, the design guides, professional development courses, and other products offer practical solutions to today’s design challenges. For the researcher, ASHRAE supports fundamental research in HVAC&R to develop more elegant solutions for the future. There’s never been a better time to be an ASHRAE member!

Vice President: Andy Persily, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE, is group leader, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.

Current service: Chair of the Planning Committee, the Building Safety and Security Special Committee and the Advanced Indoor Air Quality Design Guide Steering Committee; vice chair of Technology Council; and a member of GPC 29P, Guideline for Risk Management of Public Health and Safety in Buildings.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE bring three important things to the HVAC&R industry: technology, objectivity and people. Through its programs in the areas of research, publications, education and conferences, ASHRAE brings the latest technology to the industry in support of advancing practice. Based on its role as a professional society and its procedures for ensuring careful technical review, ASHRAE also brings a high level of objectivity and legitimacy to the information it does produce. Finally, through its educational, networking and mentoring programs, both formal and informal, at the chapter and Society levels, ASHRAE helps people develop their technical and professional skills.

Vice President: Vincent Tse, Fellow ASHRAE, is managing director, Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia), Hong Kong.

Current service: Vice chair of Publishing and Education Council; member of the Globalization Roadmap Ad Hoc Committee, the Hong Kong Chapter Board of Governors and ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer.

Vice President: Tom Watson, P.E., is chief engineer, McQuay International, Staunton, Va.

Current service: Chair of the Globalization Roadmap Ad Hoc Committee.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: From my perspective as a manufacturer, ASHRAE offers a great opportunity to be involved with the technical aspects of our industry. You can participate in the development of research, education, design guidance, codes and standards. ASHRAE provides a forum for users, designers, contractors and suppliers who work together to allow truly integrated designs. At the same time by being involved with the process, one can gain a deeper understanding of the issues from many different viewpoints and technical aspects. Also of equal importance are the personal relationships developed during the interactions.

Vice President: Jim Fields is vice president, Superior Mechanical Services, Greensboro, N.C.

Current service: Society director-at-large; chair of Task Group 3, HVAC Contractors and Design-Build Firms; member of Members Council.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE’s greatest value is our ability to lead. ASHRAE sets the standards for design excellence in our industry with a vision for the future. By taking the lead and setting these standards, the design engineers, equipment manufacturers, facility engineers, contractors, and others that participate as ASHRAE volunteers guide our industry. Doing this proactively reduces the influence that the politicians, lawyers, and insurance companies have in directing us as to how we are to do our jobs. ASHRAE’s unique ability to get all of these groups to work together ensures a sustainable future for our industry.

Region VII Director and Regional Chair:Pat Kempf is retired from Gulf Power Co., most recently having served as governmental account manager.

Current service: Chair of the Historical Committee; Region 7 assistant regional chair; Board of Governors, Northwest Florida Chapter.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE has positioned itself to be the preeminent technical society representing the engineers practicing in the fields of HVAC and refrigeration.  Along with accepting that position comes the responsibility to achieve global leadership in these areas, not just in the United States.  Being a resource for all world countries in effectively utilizing our nonrenewable resources wisely is a primary goal and contribution.

Region VIII Director and Regional Chair:Kenneth M. Fulk, P.E., is a partner, Reed, Wells, Benson and Co. Consulting Engineers, Dallas.

Current service: Chair of the Professional Development Committee; Region 8 assistant regional chair and corresponding member of TC 6.9, Thermal Storage, and 7.9, Building Commissioning.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: I believe that ASHRAE is the central repository for all knowledge, research, education and design guidance in the HVAC&R industry. These all are excellent resources from which our industry can draw from, both here in the U.S. and worldwide. ASHRAE is a great steward of this information and is constantly looking for ways to improve and update this knowledge base for the benefit of its members. How we communicate and make this information available, as well as practical, to our members determines its value to them.

Region IX Director and Regional Chair:Rich Rose is owner/general manager, Mechanical Technology Inc., Billings, Mont.

Current service: Region 9 assistant regional chair and Nominating Committee alternate; member TC 7.7, Testing and Balancing; Board member of the Big Sky Chapter and Region 9 newsletter editor.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the Industry: As I sit in my warm toasty office staring out the window at the subzero Montana winter, ASHRAE’s value to our industry seems obvious. However, there is an entirely different side of ASHRAE that is not so obvious. Through ASHRAE’s volunteer structure, we produce the four volumes of Handbooks, research projects, guidelines, standards, professional development seminars, distinguished lecturers and a monthly magazine all with the sole purpose of enhancing the arts and sciences of the HVAC industry. ASHRAE is one of the driving forces in code changes. To top it off, ASHRAE has made a goal to reduce energy cost by 30% and a commitment for net-zero-energy use buildings by 2030. ASHRAE has satisfied our industry’s needs for the past 113 years and it just keeps getting better.

Region X Director and Regional Chair:Jack Zarour is lead mechanical engineer, Genentech, San Francisco.

Current service: Region X alternate regional chair.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry?: ASHRAE provides the forum for the exchange of engineering ideas and information vital to the development of HVAC&R resources. Through its innovative standards and guidelines, certification and professional development opportunities, and various publications and chapter activities, ASHRAE offers engineering professionals the chance to network, exchange information and expertise, and the opportunity to remain abreast of industry advancements.

Region-at-Large Director and Regional Chair:Walid Chakroun, Ph.D., is chairman, Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, Kuwait.

Current service: Chair, Research Promotion Committee, Kuwait Chapter.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: In order for the HVAC&R industries to stay competitive, they must rely on the exchange of information and technological advancements. This increased reliance on technology in an industry can lead to greater competition where small industries cannot sustain this level of technological competitiveness unless they get involved in ASHRAE. ASHRAE can also help the industry by advertising their products in ASHRAE Journal. Through ASHRAE Journal, the HVAC&R industries can promote their products to the most influential readers in the market. Standards and codes developed by ASHRAE are key for development to the industries. ASHRAE standards help in promoting globally different design, testing and rating methods for HVAC&R equipment and in regulating different practices globally. So ASHRAE research, standards and publications can transfer current technology and accepted practice to the worldwide HVAC&R industry.

Director-at-Large:Wayne Reedy, Fellow ASHRAE, is a recently retired engineering manager, Carrier Corp., Indianapolis, Ind.

Current service: Member of the Technical Activities Committee, Professional Development Committee, the Research Advisory Panel and Standing Standards Project Committee 90.2, Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry : ASHRAE provides the industry with technical data and information, standards and design recommendations, and research in support of industry needs. ASHRAE also provides its members with professional growth and learning experiences when they participate in local and national meetings. Members participating in the national meetings gain the opportunity to network on a wide level, and gain a broader, more international perspective.

Director-at-Large:Kay Thrasher is vice president, Townsend Engineering, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Current service: Member, Program Committee and TC 6.8, Geothermal Energy Utilization; treasurer, Region VII; Board of Governors, Tennessee Valley Chapter

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: ASHRAE has long been recognized as a leader in HVAC&R issues. By publishing standards, guidelines and other technical documents and educational activities we provide guidance to a worldwide population so they might have a comfortable living and working environment.  Our investment in research puts us at the leading edge of new and existing technologies, theories and processes to continue to disseminate needed information to the industry.

Director-at-Large:Tim Dwyer is principal lecturer, London South Bank University, London.

Current service: Member, Professional Development Committee; consultant, Admissions and Advancement Committee; international member, TC 1.5, Computer Applications.

What value do you feel ASHRAE brings to the industry: As an increasingly global organization, ASHRAE has an important role in the dissemination of good practices and in the education of engineering communities. As a lobbying force with a network of linked organizations across the world, it is in a unique position to provide leadership and partnership in international standards that support the aims and aspirations of its membership. This ensures that its wide reaching membership is well placed to lead the industry into a more sustainable 21st century. ASHRAE increasingly provides a global focal point for appropriate sustainable HVAC&R practice.