HVAC Excellence announced the passing of Turner Collins, one of the founding fathers of HVACR programmatic accreditation.

Collins, a veteran of the Vietnam War, served as a paratrooper in the 82^nd Airborne Division, an elite infantry division of the Army that specializes in parachute assault operations. Upon returning home, he embarked on a 40-year career in the HVACR industry. As he mastered his craft, he was recruited to become an HVACR instructor, where he spent 30 years as senior HVACR instructor with what is now the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Jacksboro, Tennessee. It is in this role that Turner left his mark on the HVACR industry.

In the late 1990s, the Tennessee Board of Regents mandated that their technological programs obtain programmatic accreditation, but quickly realized that no such process was in place for HVACR programs. Two educational leaders in the state of Tennessee — Turner and his immediate supervisor, Coy Gibson — were tasked with identifying an organization that could establish national standards and accreditation guidelines for HVACR educational programs. As a result, HVAC Excellence assembled a team of subject matter experts, including the two men, to collaborate and develop such standards.

As a founding father of HVACR programmatic accreditation, Turner’s efforts were carried out at a national and historic level. Because of his work, HVACR programs across the U.S. can assure prospective students that their program meets or exceeds industry standards. Thousands of technicians who graduated from accredited programs and enjoy careers in the industry owe some of their success to his work behind the scenes.