By Joe Mandato

Final preparations are being made for the 2013 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition in Colorado Springs and that means my term as IIAR Chairman is almost complete. We have had many accomplishments during the past year; too many to recognize them all here, and there are many more to look forward to in the coming year under the leadership of Bob Port, IIAR Chairman 2013-2104.

It has been my pleasure to serve in this leadership role. I want to thank the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the Committee Chairs and all of the members who volunteer their time and energy for their support during my term. IIAR has made great strides to accomplish many important objectives in 2012, and as we look ahead to 2013, we will be building on these accomplishments.

One of my goals as Chairman was to encourage and support the productivity of IIAR’s committees. This year, we made progress towards reaching that goal with the addition of a two meetings for Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs to review their active projects. These meetings proved to be a great opportunity for IIAR’s committee leadership to exchange ideas and keep abreast of important strategic initiatives which were being addressed within the individual committees.

IIAR’s volunteer members represent End-users, Engineers, Contractors, Manufacturers and Educational Institutions, all dedicated to the advancement of the safe use of natural refrigerants in the refrigeration industry. I am pleased to report that the dedication of our members who volunteer to work on the committees has resulted in the completion of many significant projects which in turn has helped to create positive, forward moving momentum for the entire organization.

Beyond our commitment to standards development, code and education, the IIAR leadership has taken steps to improve the effectiveness of our advocacy program in support of IIAR member companies. This renewed commitment has been growing over the last several months as a result of the Board of Director’s approval in June to establish a Government Relations Committee. The new committee’s purpose is to support the work of Lowell Randel, IIAR Government Affairs Director, to effectively influence government policy and to inform IIAR members of changes and trends in government activities.

IIAR’s success is due in large part to the hard work of the volunteer members who serve on the working committees and task forces, the executive committee, and board of directors. Under their leadership, our organization has successfully delivered the message that IIAR is an effective advocate for the use of natural refrigerants in industrial refrigeration applications, and is the most comprehensive source of technical information on the topic, both in the U.S. and around the world.

Perhaps one of the most important initiatives IIAR is engaged in is global outreach. Over the past year, we continued to build our global presence, strengthening relationships, and confirming IIAR’s international brand. That effort is more important than ever before, as technology advances open up new applications and opportunities for ammonia and other natural refrigerants.

We’re looking forward to welcoming back many international delegations to our conference this year, marking the continuation of IIAR’s effort to build strong international relationships.

I am also very pleased to report on two exciting initiatives, the CO2 workshop and a new ARF fundraising effort. IIAR’s newest conference-related event is a special workshop, focused exclusively on CO2 systems, which will be held on Sunday, March 17. New in 2013, the workshop expands the training resources of the industry, continuing a valuable training initiative which started with the IIAR ammonia safety training event offered at the 2012 conference. If you have not signed up for the CO2 Workshop, I strongly encourage you to consider doing so prior to the conference.

Lastly, I want to make you aware of the special fund raising program which is focused on individual member donations to the Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation, to be used for funding specific projects. Please turn to the ARF section of this issue of the Condenser to read more about how you can get involved in supporting the foundation.

This year has been an exciting one for our organization. International outreach, advocacy, education, and improving communication have been the focus of my term as your chairman.

I am now looking forward to the coming year as I make the transition from IIAR Chairman to ARF Chairman. In this new role, I’ll be focused on taking ARF in an exciting new direction that will support the foundation and expand its vision. Over the next year, I hope to raise the level of ARF fundraising and expand ARF’s research and scholarship opportunities.

Of course, without the support and dedication of all of IIAR’s members, none of these past or future objectives could become a reality. I want to thank everyone who has had a role in advancing IIAR’s mission this year. Thanks to you, we’re off to a great start in 2013!