This summer IIAR will say goodbye to David L. Rule as President of IIAR. A strong organization begins with strong leadership< and Dave has been a great influencer of change and growth. He will be missed.

“Through Dave’s leadership and forward thinking, he has been able to guide IIAR to a completely new level that many of us never dreamed of reaching in such a short period of time. His leadership has brought about great working relationships not only with other organizations within our industry, but also with the regulatory agencies that govern our industry. His proactive management of the budget and investments have allowed IIAR to branch into new areas that have and continue to provide the IIAR membership with the services that we need to be successful. The voluntary member involvement in the Committees is higher than I have ever seen in my time with the organization, and this  can be attributed to the leadership of IIAR in development of the standards, training, research, and many other tools that are beneficial to the IIAR membership.”

– Eric Johnston, American Foods Group

 

Dave Rule began his long and esteemed career in the industrial refrigeration industry by way of obtaining his first job in none other than the truck manufacturing industry. His first job gave him a quick education and a good understanding of steel fabrication and working in manufacturing. All skills he would soon apply to his next challenge. Dave quickly transitioned from the truck manufacturing industry to the industrial refrigeration industry as an employee with Baltimore Aircoil (BAC). He came in as a material controls assistant and quickly grew to a lead position in sales and technical support.

After BAC, Dave joined Bohn Heat Transfer as a marketing product manager responsible for introducing a new product line of refrigeration products. Dave was then recruited by Bill Kahlert, one of the founding members of EVAPCO, Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of refrigeration, air conditioning and process cooling equipment, to join the company as a marketing manager.

As EVAPCO, Inc. grew, Dave was promoted to Vice President of International Operations where Dave and his team were charged with opening the first EVAPCO manufacturing plant in Shanghai, China followed by a second plant in Beijing. Facilities in Italy, South Africa and Belgium quickly followed.

Dave ended his career with EVAPCO, Inc. as Vice President of Refrigeration Sales in North America during which time he participated in many IIAR projects and roles including the Government Relations committee and Chair of both the International Committee and the Marketing Committee.

He was encouraged to come out of retirement in order to advance the goals of the IIAR and improve member services through his network of professional relationships and years of Industry knowledge.

Dave is the third President in IIAR’s history since its founding in 1971. Dave Schaefer, PE, LEED, AP, Bas

Dave Schaefer, PE, LEED, AP, Bassett Mechanical describes Rule’s contribution to the industry,

Dave has been IIAR president since 2013 and since that time has overseen the organization’s development of industry-safety and design standards, the expansion of its international role and initiation of a broad educational program designed to deepen the professional knowledge of industry employees and increase the flow of new professionals into industrial refrigeration. Emphasizing the importance of IIAR’s members in the organization’s accomplishments during his tenure as president, Dave said, “our organization has achieved many significant accomplishments over the past several years thanks to the active participation of our members and working committees and I have been so pleased to be a part of this work.”

During Dave’s tenure, IIAR greatly expanded and deepened its leadership position in the natural refrigerants industry with the promulgation of industry standards and their adoption into building codes both around the country and internationally. In addition, IIAR has broadened its focus to include commercial and retail refrigeration, along with industrial applications, as the industry has increasingly come to see the advantages of natural refrigerants, which include ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.

“It has been an honor to serve as President of this organization, and I amespecially thankful to its members who have done so much during my time here to advocate the application of natural refrigerants, develop new education opportunities for our membership and improve the safety of our industry. This is truly a volunteer organization and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Rule said.

“During Dave’s tenure as President, IIAR has developed new educational/training programs, extended its global outreach and has reached record membership levels. Dave has played an integral role in these, and other accomplishments, by effectively managing headquarters staff personnel, working closely with each Executive Committee to achieve its goals and objectives and travelling around the world to represent IIAR at meetings, conferences and seminars. Today, as never before, IIAR is recognized around the world as the preeminent technical authority for the safe and efficient use of ammonia and other natural refrigerants.”

– Joseph A. Mandato, EVAPCO Inc. (ret)

 

“Dave, I want to thank you for your tireless dedication as President of the IIAR. During your tenure, as President, you grew the IIAR membership to unprecedented levels, expanded its outreach and was instrumental in the development of the Academy of Natural Refrigerants. Your leadership, insight and guidance, while at the helm of this great organization, should be an example to us all. I wish you and your wife health and happiness in the years ahead.”

– Michael Lynch, US Cold Storage