Our IIAR Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego is finally here! The conference team has prepared a tremendous program for those of you attending this year, and while this is the last annual meeting during my term as Chairman, this year’s conference represents just the beginning of many exciting developments for IIAR and its members.

We met many important goals in 2014, and we will now build on those achievements in the year ahead and beyond.

The pending completion and release of the IIAR-2/ ANSI Standard and ongoing standards work such as the recent approval of the IIAR-4 and IIAR-8 standards, as well as relationship building efforts with government representatives, set a solid foundation for a number of new objectives as we look to the future.

The IIAR continues to build a strong international association profile and credibility that enables us to extend our global reach.

I am extremely happy to announce that our very first International Chapter was recently founded in Costa Rica with support of new local members and government. The Chapter will represent IIAR in the Central America and Caribbean. We are also in advanced negotiations with representatives in Peru and Ecuador to start chapters in those countries as well.

Our International committee with tremendous support from IIAR’s Staff is doing incredible work, including within several regions in India, with the aim of continued international advocacy, government relations and membership growth.

In addition to International chapter development we are also working with local organizations in Colombia in May 2015 and Mexico in October 2015 to host regional seminars in those nations. These seminars are part of our continued support to international alliances with other important organizations that support natural refrigerants.

These joint ventures will enable us to share information and best practices as we also learn from our colleagues in these countries.

These programs are made possible by the hard work of our Committees that are supporting these efforts. We truly are encouraged by these developments that will help us take our membership-building efforts to the next level as we move forward.

IIAR continues to focus on providing our members with the safety standards, regulatory support, industry technology trends and other member services that are necessary to operate an ammonia system in today’s environment.

Each opportunity for sharing knowledge and information, such as our upcoming conference, and international seminars, is a chance for us to build and strengthen the resources we have available for our members.

Through our vast library of IIAR Technical Bulletins, IIAR Ammonia Data Book, the recent introduction of Technical Paper compendiums and of course our IIAR Standards, we are developing the world’s largest and best information resource for our membership and the industry in general.

One of the best parts of being IIAR’s Chairman over the past year has been the opportunity to be part of the great work of our Committees.

The IIAR-2 standard is now working its way through the public review process and will become an ANSI certified document.

This process, along with the recent approval of the IIAR-4 and IIAR-8 standards is a testament to the hard work, knowledge and professionalism of our industry volunteers.

If you have volunteered on any one of our member committees, please accept my warmest and sincere thank you!

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank each one of our Board of Directors and Executive Committee for your valuable insight of the organization, collaboration and dynamic participation throughout the year, while giving us your time and expertise so generously.

Without our volunteers we wouldn’t be where we are today, ready for the future as the most progressive, globally recognized and leading advocate for the safe, reliable and efficient use of ammonia and other natural refrigerants.

I would also like to encourage you to join in this excellent work as both a member and committee volunteer.

To all of our members, friends and colleagues, it has truly been an honor to serve as your Chairman.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the conference. And beyond that, I’m looking forward to seeing where the achievements of the past few years take us as we move towards the future of our industry.