COLUMBUS, Ohio — Todd Titus has joined Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) as the director of state and public affairs.
Titus will be the first person at the association to serve in a full-time role dedicated to helping HARDI and its members advance policy at the state level. State government affairs is an increasingly complicated area, with every state following different legislative schedules and varying degrees of regulatory autonomy that affect products sold by HARDI members, a press release from HARDI said. Tracking and mitigating the changes to the industry posed by state action is necessary to the success of HARDI’s policy engagement approach, the release said.
“With the federal government increasingly handing over major policy decisions to state governments and state legislators seeking to move faster than federal policy, HARDI has recognized the need for a full-time position to cover state government affairs,” said Alex Ayers, vice president of government affairs. “Todd showed great potential based on his experience in local and state government affairs and a willingness to dive into HVACR policy. I expect Todd to be a great addition to the team at the perfect time for distribution to take advantage of the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) funds that will soon be flowing to states.”
Titus joined HARDI from the largest trade association in the U.S., and as the government affairs director in his previous role, he advocated to protect association interests and coordinated all association activities in the legislative, governmental, and political spaces.
His day-to-day work at HARDI will involve monitoring legislative and regulatory changes across all 50 states to inform and educate HARDI membership. Along with informing membership of key issues, Titus will spearhead grassroots initiatives, advocate before elected officials, and network in person with stakeholders to ensure the success of HARDI's policy engagement approach.
This new addition to HARDI's government affairs team stands to improve members’ understanding of political issues in significant ways. Current examples of applicable policy changes affecting the HVACR industry are the rebate programs for electrification and energy efficiency and the regulation of PFAS chemicals.
“Wholesale distribution, regardless of a company’s size, is a local business and our industry is more frequently becoming the focus of state regulation and legislation, so it’s time for HARDI to expand our advocacy efforts into state affairs,” said HARDI CEO Talbot Gee. “HARDI has engaged in state issues, when possible, but we didn’t have the bandwidth to be strategic and proactive in the states. I am excited to have Todd join Alex Ayers to build a powerhouse team to represent our members in every state and learn from one of the very best government affairs professionals in all of HVACR.”
