After nearly three years of discussion and planning, the memberships of both RETA and RSES approved a merger during their respective annual business meetings in November.

The NEWS sat down with Barton James, interim president and CEO of ACCA, to talk about what he has experienced in his time as leader so far. The association’s relationships, the direction of ACCA, and what has been accomplished were discussed as he detailed what ACCA and its leadership team is working toward for contractors in 2019.

The NEWS talked with Howard Weiss, executive vice president, about the state of the organization as well as the state of the HVAC industry.

The MoU is aimed at “furthering a more effective and beneficial exchange of knowledge and ideas in the HVACR industry.” In practical terms it will provide the members of AIRAH and IOR access to each other’s considerable banks of technical resources, foster global collaboration on research projects, and provide shared training opportunities.

Victory Energy President and CEO John Viskup has been elected to the chairman of the board by the board of directors at the organization's 2019 Annual Meeting at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Consider an aging, male-dominated member base, and the Elks’ journey might be relevant not only for contractors fighting personnel shortages but also for some of the organizations that recruit and serve those owners. Indeed, out of the lodge and back in the workplace, a wide swath of professional associations wrestles with its own membership challenges. In the HVAC sector, the risk is a subpar or misinformed talent pool, with unwelcome repercussions throughout the industry.

The event, which took place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from Nov. 7-11, was a valuable time for members to work on their businesses instead of in them.