ARLINGTON, Va. — North American Technician Excellence (NATE) elected a new slate of officers to the executive committee as well as five new members to the board of trustees for the 2011-2012 term at its biannual board of trustees meeting.

The NATE board of trustees named Don Frendberg, chairman of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), as chairman of the board. Mitchell Cropp, president of Cropp-Metcalfe, and Chris Baker, president of Virginia Air Distributors, were both elected to vice-chairman positions. David Swift, president and CEO of Goodman/Amana, was elected treasurer for the 2011-2012 term. Ray Isaac, president of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning, assumed the role of immediate past chairman. In addition, Steve Yurek, president of AHRI, was selected as parliamentarian to this new executive committee.

As Frendberg noted, “Being named chairman of the NATE board of trustees is a tremendous honor and a great responsibility. NATE is the true leader in certifying technician excellence for the HVACR industry, and I look forward to working with the exceptional NATE team and board to further its achievements.”

The newly elected members to the NATE board of trustees include Whit Perry, HVACR Technology Instructor at Northwest Mississippi Community College; Bill Hainsworth, vice president and general manager of the Heating and Cooling Division for Rheem Manufacturing; Wade Mayfield, president of Thermal Services; Wayne R. Reedy, representative for ASHRAE; and John Conrad, publisher of The NEWS.

“I’m honored to congratulate the 2011-2012 slate of officers and welcome the new members of the NATE board of trustees,” said, Peter Schwartz, NATE president and CEO. “With this dedicated team of brilliant industry professionals, NATE is well-poised for continued success, and I value the opportunity to work with each and every one of them.”

Publication date: 10/17/2011