USA – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced that it has elected its new officers following its annual meeting which took place from the 15th to the 17th of November in Bonita Springs in Florida. The AHRI also marked the occasion of its annual meeting to present awards to industry leaders.

Following the recent annual meeting, the AHRI revealed that its new chairman is Doug Young, the president and COO of Lennox International Residential Heating and Cooling, who replaces the outgoing chairman, Ed Purvis, the COO with Emerson. Completing the officers and Executive Committee are the new vice chairman Chris Drew, the vice president of Burnham Holdings Inc., and the treasurer, Ron Duncan, the president of Magic Aire.

Among the awards handed out at the annual meeting was the Richard C. Schulze Award for distinguished service and commitment to AHRI and the industry’s goals and objectives. The recipients of the award this year were Dave Negrey (Johnson Controls), Harry Milliken (Desert Aire), Jerry Sipes (Price Industries), Warren Lupson (AHRI) and Brian Reynolds, Trane.

Similarly, the AHRI Public Service Award recognises deserving individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to the HVACR industry and also helped further AHRI’s goals and was presented to Gerry Kennedy, Executive Vice President of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC).

This year also saw AHRI give two Distinguished Service Awards, the AHRI’s highest award, recognising the contributions of those individuals who are leaders in the industry and who have made significant contributions throughout their careers.

AHRI posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service gong to Joseph Fristik, of Rheem Manufacturing Company after his death in March earlier this year. The AHRI stated that Mr Fristik had served the HVACR industry with distinction for decades before his sudden and untimely passing.

The second person to win the Distinguished Service Award was Harry Holmes, the president and CEO of Morrison Products. Mr Holmes is active on several AHRI committees and had previously served a term as AHRI Chairman in 2013.

“We are honored to recognize very deserving individuals and also to welcome these innovative leaders,” declared Stephen Yurek, the president and CEO of AHRI. “We are very grateful to them for their service to AHRI and the HVACR and water heating industry.”