Arlington, Va. – At its April 12 meeting, the Board of Trustees of North American Technician Excellence (NATE) named current Chief Operating Officer John Lanier as president of the organization, effective immediately. Lanier also serves as chief operating officer of the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), which has an administrative service agreement with NATE.
Founded in 1997, NATE is the nation’s largest non-profit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians. In recent years, under the leadership of John Lanier and the NATE Board of Trustees, the organization intentionally shifted the company’s vision to incorporate technician development in addition to its historical emphasis on testing and certification. In recognition of their excellence and indispensable nature within the industry, NATE began to develop ways to support and train technicians on their path toward certification.
Now, a core focus of NATE’s mission is to provide accessible resources and tools to technicians, an overall strategy change that has led to the development of a new pathway to certification, with the Certified HVAC Professional (CHP-5), official NATE study guides, and NATE Training Academy, an online training platform. Prior to joining NATE, Lanier held a variety of executive leadership roles, most notably as Senior Vice President of Operations at the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest independent business association. Throughout his career, Lanier has gained valuable experience in operations, sales, member benefits, human resources, and information technology.
The NATE certification program is designed to help HVACR employers hire, train, and develop the best possible technicians by providing a clear path to professional development and certification. Developed by a committee of industry experts nationwide, NATE exams are rigorous and knowledge-based to validate a technician’s proficiency at any stage of their career. NATE is headquartered in Arlington, Va. Visit NATE online at www.NATEX.org.