The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) recently announced that Warren Lupson, the organization’s longtime director of education, is retiring at the end of 2015. Lupson is well-known in the industry for his work promoting HVACR education and certification and for his devotion to industry workforce development. The organization has not yet named his successor.

“Warren has been a valued member of AHRI and one of its predecessor organizations, ARI [Air-conditioning Refrigeration Institute], for nine years,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO, AHRI. “He has worked tirelessly to advance the industry’s efforts to address the skills gap, regularly meeting with schools and students and managing our equipment donation program.”

Lupson began his career working for a manufacturer before opening his own HVACR contracting business in the Washington, District of Columbia, area. After 27 years, Lupson sold his business to a consolidator and took a position managing five of its 11 companies.

“When I left them, I did consulting work for ARI and GAMA [Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association, which has since merged with ARI to create AHRI], and I did a lot of work with ACCA,” Lupson recalled. “I was on the ACCA board in the 1980s and stayed involved with them. Then, I got a job with ARI.”

Lupson has served as AHRI’s director of education for nine years while also taking active roles in other industry organizations and associations, including SkillsUSA, which provides educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education (CTE) in the nation’s classrooms. Lupson has also taught HVACR at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, for 25 years.

“Warren is passionate about education and training in the HVACR industry, and his work has been an inspiration to us all,” Yurek said. “We will miss him in the AHRI offices and wish him a very happy retirement.”

While Lupson said he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, who also retired recently from her job in the HVACR industry, he made it clear that he is not leaving the industry altogether.

“I’m going to continue to teach as an adjunct [professor] at Montgomery College, I’ll continue to work with SkillsUSA, and I’ll be doing some consulting work with some other trade associations, too,” Lupson said. “I’m just retiring from my day-to-day job so I get to pick and choose what I like to do. I’m not disappearing out of the industry.”

Publication date: 12/28/2015 

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