Robert Wilkins, president of Danfoss, was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) at the organization’s Board of Directors meeting held November 12-14 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Robert Wilkins, president of Danfoss, was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) at the organization’s Board of Directors meeting held November 12-14 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Wilkins has been an active member of ARI for more than 25 years. He has served as ARI Treasurer, as Chairman of the Component Control and Condensing Units product section, and as a member of the former Wholesalers Relations Committee. He currently serves as Chairman of the AHR Expo Policy Committee.

Other officers elected at ARI’s annual meeting include C. David Myers, president and CEO, York, a Johnson Controls Company, Milwaukee, Wis., who was elected first vice chairman of ARI. Deborah Hawkins, president, Superior Coils, Fort Worth, Texas, will serve as immediate past chairman. Keith Coursin, president, Desert Aire Corp., Milwaukee, Wis., was elected treasurer of ARI’s Board of Directors.

Leaders recognized

In addition to electing officers, ARI also used the meeting to recognize five industry leaders with special awards. The awards, which were presented by ARI Chairman Deborah Hawkins, recognize the unique, individual contributions of these HVACR industry leaders.

Former ASHRAE President Lee Burgett received the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by ARI. It is presented on special occasions to recognize individuals who throughout their career have been industry leaders and made significant contributions to its advancement. Burgett was honored with the award for his more than 44 years of service to the HVAC/R industry and in particular for his leadership in the development of industry standards.

Burgett served as a member and chairman of a number of key ARI standing committees, including the ARI General Standards Committee from 1993-1997. In addition, Burgett has actively advanced industry standards in a number of related organizations, including ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Buildings Council, the Canadian Standards Association, Underwriter Laboratories, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Not one, but three, industry leaders received the 2006 Richard C. Schulze Distinguished Service Award for their outstanding service to the industry: Wayne Reedy, Carrier Corp., Indianapolis, Ind.; Carl Bergt, Rheem Manufacturing, Fort Smith, Ark.; and Ralph Coppola, Hill PHOENIX, Conyers, Ga.

As an internationally recognized engineer, Wayne Reedy received the award for his contributions both within ARI and the industry. He has served as chairman of ARI’s Unitary Small Equipment Section, the subcommittee on ARI Standard 290P, and the subcommittee for the integration of heat pump equipment standards. Reedy, who holds 17 patents, was named an ASHRAE Fellow in 2005 and is currently the chair of ASHRAE’s Research Administration Committee. In 2005, Reedy received the International Energy Agency’s Peter Ritter von Rittinger International Heat Pump Medal.

Carl Bergt received the award for the many hours he has dedicated to working with ARI staff and members in the redesign and implementation of the new ARI Directory of Certified Product Performance. As principal engineer at Rheem Manufacturing, Bergt has lent his expertise as chairman of ARI’s Unitary Small Compliance Committee. In this role, he was instrumental in working with ARI members to ensure a smooth transition to the new 13 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) federal minimum standard that became effective January 2006. Through Bergt’s leadership, the ARI Unitary Certification Program has retained its strength and integrity through an era of significant market change.

Ralph Coppola was recognized for his instrumental role in smoothly merging the Commercial Refrigeration Manufacturers Association into ARI. He served as chairman of the CRM Division of ARI for two terms following the merger, and helped establish the strategic goals that CRMD continues to pursue. Coppola also foresaw the rapid regulatory changes that would affect the industry and recognized the need for an ARI commercial refrigeration standard and certification program with federal standards.

Mark Paquette, manager of certification programs for ETL, currently Intertek Testing Service Labs, received the Meritorious Service Award for providing valuable, expert guidance on nearly every ARI standard developed in the past 40 years. His respected knowledge of product testing is unmatched and ARI members have greatly benefited from his expertise. Paquette has traveled the world performing witness tests for ARI and serving as a respected emissary of its certification programs.