Conference time has come and gone, and there’s a lot to look forward to this year. For the executive committee and your staff at headquarters, that means everyone is working hard to make sure our recent initiatives – from the AIM Act to our focus on developing IIAR member benefits to the many new projects our committees have started – will put us in the best possible position.

As your new chairman, my priority this year is to carry those initiatives forward and make sure the growth of the industry is well supported by our organization’s leadership. As Trevor Hegg hands over the reins as IIAR Chairman, he’s handing over a financially stable, productive organization that has weathered unprecedented times thanks to the solid foundation he and so many others have worked hard to build.

Under his leadership, our committees have seen one of their most productive years yet. In the international arena, IIAR has continued to establish close ties with regions where ammonia refrigeration and the global cold chain is growing. And on the regulatory front, IIAR’s communication with the EPA could well impact the landscape for natural refrigerants for years to come.

Both Trevor and IIAR president Gary Schrift deserve huge thanks from all of us for their leadership in prudently managing our organization’s finances and taking cost-cutting measures to keep our organization solvent.

My priority this year will be to make sure that our standards, educational and conference programs continue to make gains in delivering the best collective knowledge and resources our industry has to offer, both internally, to our members, and externally, to any regulators, support personnel or industries that touch industrial refrigeration.

Key to that effort is our new conference format. In addition to serving as a vital educational resource within our industry – it is also laying the groundwork for the future. Our virtual conference format – developed during the pandemic and continued for the second year this year – helps IIAR reach a broader swath of members, regulators, and international partners and is held in conjunction with our regular in-person meetings.

My priority this year will be to make sure that our standards, educational and conference programs continue to make gains in delivering the best collective knowledge and resources our industry has to offer, both internally, to our members, and externally, to any regulators, support personnel or industries that touch industrial refrigeration. I view these projects and my tenure as your Chairman as a continuation of a new phase of IIAR leadership. As we begin this new membership year together, I hope you feel free to contribute with the new ideas and levels of participation that have become the hallmark of this group.

Speaking of participation, no introductory Chairman’s column would be complete without giving recognition to the outpouring of support and involvement of IIAR members. This year’s conference was one of our best conferences yet. The packed technical paper sessions and workshops are the usual highlights of our annual meeting.

I’m looking forward to accomplishing several goals as your Chairman this year. As members, your ongoing work and participation make all of our activities possible. Thank you for continuing to enrich our industry with your support.