AS A LEADER IN PLUMBERS LOCAL 68 AND ACTIVE IAPMO MEMBER, BILL VENABLE SEES CODES, TRAINING AND RELATIONSHIPS AS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE OF THE PLUMBING INDUSTRY
Like many people, William “Bill” Venable’s path after high school began with a stint in junior college.
It didn’t last long.
When it became clear that wasn’t the direction he wanted to take, his father — a longtime union plumber with Plumbers Local 68 and lifetime member of the United Association — sat him down and offered another option.
“My dad said, ‘If you want to go to work with me, try that out. I got you a job,’” Venable recalls. “You know how dads are, they kind of have that sixth sense that they know us better than we know ourselves.”
The offer sounded appealing, though he was admittedly wrong about one thing.
“I kind of thought, well, that work’s probably pretty easy,” he said.
It wasn’t. But it stuck.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL VENABLE
Venable, a Texas native, is a third-generation UA member with a father, an uncle, two brothers, a son, two cousins, and a brotherin-law also in the local union.
The roots go back even further. His great uncle was a pipefitter with Pipefitters Local 211 who helped bring his father into the union, setting the course for the generations that followed.
“At the end of the day, I guess plumbing’s in our blood,” Venable said. “We love doing it. We love to work.”
He worked with his father, Bill, and Uncle Jerry for 14 years, from apprenticeship through journeyman.
“We rode three deep in a single-cab Ford or Chevy truck, and you were lucky if it was automatic,” he said.
“My uncle usually drove a standard, so I had to shift my two knees to my dad on his side of the truck.”
He later went on to run work himself.
At one point, they worked for him at the same company. They stayed at Ram Mechanical until it went non-union, then split up and moved on to different union contractors.
Around that time, Venable began running larger projects — hotels, schools and hospitals — and started taking a stronger interest in the union side of the industry. He spent much of that time working with a consistent crew.
“Most of the time we kept with our core 15 people,” he said, though larger jobs occasionally required bringing in additional hands from the union hall.
As he moved on to larger contractors, his circle expanded, and so did his involvement with the union. He considered becoming an instructor but wondered whether he’d have the time to do that and continue working in the field, so he looked for other ways to get involved.
Venable began participating more in union activities and eventually ran for a position on the Plumbers Local Union 68 Finance Committee. He lost that first election, but shortly after was encouraged to run for a seat on the Executive Board. He was elected and worked his way up to his current role as financial secretary-treasurer, a position he has held since 2016.
The move from the field to the office was a dramatic shift.
“This is a totally different job than what we normally do,” he said.
Today, his role centers on supporting the membership and keeping the local running day to day. Much of his time is spent addressing issues that arise, reviewing contracts and overseeing financial responsibilities.
“All financials go through my office,” he said.
Venable also manages the local’s long-term financial stability.
“You’re trying to take the money that we have and invest it and just make the local union last that much longer,” he said.
In addition to those responsibilities, his role involves working directly with members.
“I get to interact with union brothers and sisters and retirees and brand-new men and women who come into the local,” he said. “I get to tell them what their responsibility is being a union member.”
Venable also serves as secretary-treasurer of Union Fidelity Federal Credit Union, which supports local unions and their members across the Houston Gulf Coast area.
Left: Venable with his wife, Stephanie, and their son, Will, and daughter, Alyssa Rose. Middle: Venable and Bailey. Right: Bill Venable, center, with his siblings, from left: Brian Venable, Robin Morris, Nancy Simons and James Venable.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL VENABLE
Getting Involved with IAPMO
Now Venable joined IAPMO in 2016, shortly after stepping into his current role.
He credits instructor and IAPMO Field Service Manager John Mata with encouraging him to get involved and attend Texas Gulf Coast Chapter meetings.
Venable quickly found value in both the technical information and the relationships.
“They always bring the latest and greatest plumbing tools out, and they talk about the latest and greatest systems, whether it’s PEX or acid waste or cast iron,” he said. “It’s always a real cool presentation.”
Just as important is the opportunity to connect.
“That’s how we do our jobs. That’s how life happens, is by making connections and knowing people,” he said.
Over time, he became more involved and eventually took on a leadership role within the chapter, using his position to encourage others — particularly apprentices and younger members — to participate.
“You get to know people and people help you out,” he said. “You meet vendors and things like that.”
A Shared Role in the Industry
From Venable’s perspective, the relationship between the United Association and IAPMO is straightforward.
“The work that IAPMO does and our work, it intertwines,” he said. “At every turn it intertwines.”
He has also seen that work up close through others in his local.
“We have a couple guys here — business agents — who are on different committees with IAPMO, and I listen to what they do behind the scenes,” he said. “They do good work for our industry, and that’s what I’m here for — our industry and our members.”
One example is IAPMO’s ongoing work to keep its model codes current.
“They keep the UPC and the UMC up to date,” he said.
Last year, Venable attended IAPMO’s Annual Education and Business Conference for the first time, giving him a firsthand look at the organization’s work beyond the local chapter.
From left: James Venable, Brian Venable, Robin Morris, Bill Venable, Mary Jane Venable, Nancy Simons and Bill Venable II.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL VENABLE
Looking Ahead
Now focused on the next step in his career, Venable said he plans to pursue the role of business manager when the opportunity arises.
“That’s my next goal,” he said.
Venable said Local 68 Business Manager Robert Wayne Lord encourages the officers to “walk classes” across their jurisdiction to interact with the students as much as possible. His advice? “Get to know your members and always do what is best for our membership!”
Venable’s father taught him that once you become familiar at something, become a master at it.
“Everybody makes mistakes from time to time, but if you become a master at what you do and be the fastest at it, be the best at it, there’s no competition anywhere near you,” he said.
Outside of work, Venable remains focused on family. He is the oldest of five siblings, all of whom live within five miles of their parents.
He and his wife, Stephanie, are approaching 26 years of marriage. Their son, Will — formally William Venable III — is following in the trade as a fourth-generation apprentice, and their daughter, Alyssa Rose, is preparing for college.
Their family is about to grow.
“I’m going to be a grandfather,” he said. “My whole existence revolves around family. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”
Mike Flenniken
Mike Flenniken is a staff writer, Marketing and Communications, for IAPMO. Prior to joining IAPMO in 2010, Flenniken worked in public relations for a group of Southern California hospitals and as a journalist in writing and editing capacities for various Southern California daily newspapers.
Last modified: July 14, 2026