SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Eight industry leaders were recognized with special awards by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) at its 51st Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.

ARI Chairman David R. Pannier presented the 2004 Richard C. Schulze Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to the air conditioning and refrigeration industry to Maureen Beatty, Thomas E. Bettcher, Edward W. Dooley, Scott Postle, and Robert Wilkins.

Beatty, vice president of Operations for National Refrigerants Inc., received the award for her exemplary leadership and commitment to ARI, especially her role in the creation of ARI's Reclaimed Refrigerant product section.

Bettcher, president and CEO of Copeland Corp., received the award for his support and outstanding counsel to ARI over the years, including his work as chairman of the ARI Board of Directors during ARI's 50th anniversary celebration in 2003.

Dooley served as vice president of communications and education at ARI for more than 12 years until his recent retirement. He received the award for his help in guiding ARI through the phase-out of CFCs by crafting policy statements, speeches, and articles.

Postle, manager of Marketing Statistics for Carrier Corp., received the award for his key role in the streamlining of ARI's statistics programs. He served five terms as chairman of ARI's General Statistics Committee and also as chairman of ARI's Unitary Statistics Committee.

Wilkins, president of Danfoss, received the award for his many years of outstanding service to ARI as a product section and committee chairman. He has served on ARI's Executive Committee since 1998, and was ARI treasurer from 1998 to 2002. Wilkins is chairman of the ARI Expo Policy Committee.

The 2004 ARI Meritorious Service Award was presented to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) for the organization's many years of outstanding support of ARI's regulatory, legislative, educational, and consumer initiatives.

Daniel W. Holmes, Jr., chairman of Morrison Products, was presented the ARI Lifetime Achievement Award for his more than two decades of ARI leadership, first as a product section chairman beginning in 1978 and later as ARI treasurer from 1988 to 1993, and as ARI director-at-large from 1994 to 2001.

Also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award was Kenneth Ohlemeyer, president of Sporlan Valve Co. Ohlemeyer has given more than four decades of service to his company and the industry and helped steer ARI through the phaseout of CFC refrigerants.

Publication date: 12/20/2004