Those who attended IAPMO’s 79th Annual Education and Business Conference in Atlanta, Ga., quickly discovered “southern hospitality” is more than a cliché. The Big Peach performed admirably in playing host to the association’s yearly high-energy mixture of business and industry networking. It marked the first time IAPMO’s conference traveled to a Southern state.
Held in conjunction with the ISH North America expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, IAPMO’s conference again gathered experts in the plumbing and mechanical fields with in-the-trenches inspectors and manufacturers in a spirit of cooperation toward the advancement of the Uniform Codes. These conference attendees participated in the Association Technical Meeting Convention, representing the final step in the development of the 2009 versions of the Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code® (UMC). IAPMO members had the opportunity to make amending motions to the Report on Proposals and Report on Comments developed at technical meetings earlier this year. All assembly amendments will be balloted with the Technical Committees and given to the Standards Council to make a final decision before the new code versions are sent to print.
The ANSI accredited revision process works to the benefit and protection of all persons using the Uniform Codes. By having all interested parties involved, it produces codes that incorporate an entire body of knowledge from the professional plumbing contractor and manufacturers to the agencies that regulate their work. A common refrain is “The ʻUʼ Codes have ʻyouʼ in them.” They are written by you and protected by you. The input of all IAPMO members makes the Uniform Codes representative of the needs of the entire industry.
Bob Siemsen, chief plumbing inspector for Lincoln, Neb., was elected IAPMO president after serving the past two years as vice president alongside outgoing President Ron Rice. Dan Daniels, chief plumbing inspector for Pueblo, Colo., and previously IAPMO Central District director, was elected vice president.
Russ Chaney, IAPMO Group executive director, delivered a “state of IAPMO” address that highlighted the associationʼs unprecedented global growth, as well as its expansion locally, with The IAPMO Group World Headquarters in Ontario, Calif., set to add a second building in early 2009.
Another staple of the annual event, IAPMO’s educational sessions and workshops approached full capacity for interactive discussion of diverse subjects such as Plumbing Fixtures and Fixture Fittings from Chapter 4 of the 2006 UPC and Clothes Dryers and Venting from Chapter 5 of the 2006 UMC, the latter providing a wake up call about the real threat of house fires posed by improperly ventilated appliances. At the ISH North America expo, IAPMO instructors and conference attendees participated in additional education sessions on a wide range of subjects, including seminars on water efficiency and green design.
With 400 registered attendees and 230 voting members present, the conference was a huge success. The contributions of Conference Host George Head, business manager and financial secretary for United Association Local 72 in Atlanta, and Conference Chair Rick Oliver, UA international representative, helped maintain the continued strong relationship between IAPMO and the United Association.
“We are thrilled with our successes in Atlanta and are already hard at work planning our 80th anniversary conference next year in San Diego,” said Tina Rice, IAPMO director of travel and events. “Each year we continue to raise the bar and 2009 will be no exception.”
Sponsor of the Uniform Codes, IAPMO – The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials – works in concert with government and industry for safe, sanitary plumbing and mechanical systems. Learn more about IAPMO at www.iapmo.org.
Last modified: October 9, 2008