ASHRAE Annual Meeting: New President Sets Agenda, Praises Contractor Cooperation

Aug. 1, 2005
The brief spat and reconciliation between the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air Conditioning

The brief spat — and reconciliation — between the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) over commercial load calculations (see CB, July 2005, p. 8) may have actually served to move the two associations closer together.

"I'm very pleased with what transpired recently between ASHRAE and ACCA," ASHRAE President Lee Burgett, P.E., told Contracting Business. "Let's build on that cooperation."

Burgett's comments came following his installation as president at ASHRAE's Annual Meeting, held June 25-29 in Denver, CO.

Burgett, Fellow ASHRAE, serves as a consultant to Trane and other companies, following his retirement from Trane as vice president, new ventures. During his term, he intends to focus on ASHRAE technical activities aimed at disseminating information and educating membership.

In laying out a guide for the association to follow, Burgett stressed the following points:

"We need to celebrate our successes, and acknowledge the volunteers that make it possible; deliver on our responsibilities to the public, our members, our customers, and our clients; and maintain a culture of continuous improvement in all of our endeavors."

Burgett added that there are three "societal impact issues" that merit special attention: energy conservation, indoor air quality, and sustainability.

Burgett leads a full slate of new officers at ASHRAE, including President-elect Terry E. Townsend, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, president, Townsend Engineering inc., Chattanooga, TN and Panama City, FL; and Treasurer Kent W. Peterson, P.E., principal and chief engineer, P2S Engineering, Long Beach, CA.

For a full list of officers, visit www.ashrae.org.