ASHRAE Insights

President: Kent W. Peterson, P.E., FASHRAE, is vice president and chief engineer, P2S Engineering Inc., Long Beach, Calif.
Current service: Society president-elect, chair of Members Council, the Advocacy Committee and the President-Elect Advisory Committee.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  When I think ASHRAE, I think of the best and brightest in our industry working together to advance the arts and sciences of HVAC&R.  The greatest value of membership for me is the synergistic energy of ASHRAE members working together, sharing ideas, and advancing the standards of practice in the built environment.  I see this value manifest itself at ASHRAE chapter, regional and Society meetings.  It provides great value to be able to work and interact with our talented members.

President-Elect William A. Harrison is president of Trane Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.
Current service: Society treasurer, chair of the Finance Committee and the headquarters building renovation and CLIMA 2007 ad hoc committees, vice chair of Members Council and the Advocacy Committee, and a member of the globalization roadmap ad hoc committee.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: Active ASHRAE membership offers enormous potential for personal and professional growth, throughout a person’s career.  A member’s opportunity to expand their technical knowledge base, to improve their leadership skills, and to network with professionals from around the world provides unsurpassed value.  Members can benefit from service as an active member of a chapter, a technical or standards project committee, or a Society standing committee.   

Treasurer: Gordon V. R. Holness, P.E., FASHRAE, Life Member, is chairman emeritus, Albert Kahn Associates Inc., Detroit, Michigan.
Current service: Chair of the association management software ad hoc committee and the Professional Development Committee; a member of the globalization roadmap and headquarters building renovation ad hoc committees, the Publishing and Education Council subcommittee on eLearning and the Society Rules Committee; a consultant to the Finance Committee
What fact of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  The unique part about ASHRAE is that it has so many facets to offer, such that each individual can fulfill their own particular needs. Clearly however the greatest facet is that of ASHRAE's technology resulting from the collective efforts of our standing committees, our standards writing committees, our technical committees or from our research. Whether delivered in the form of handbooks, standards, design guides, Journal articles, educational programs or technical presentations, it is this growing and dynamic body of technical knowledge that drives each of us forward, enabling us to serve the global society we live in.

Vice President: Lynn G. Bellenger, P.E., FASHRAE, is a partner with Pathfinder Engineers, Rochester, N.Y.
Current service: Vice president; chair of the Planning Committee; vice chair of Technology Council, a member of the Society Rules Committee, Greening ASHRAE Meetings and Exposition  ad hoc committee, the Joint Expo Policy Committee, technical committees 4.1, Load Calculation Data Procedures, and 1.7, Business, Management and General Legal Education.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: The fellowship and opportunity to work with the leaders in our industry. The insights gained from my ASHRAE colleagues have been invaluable, both regarding leadership skills and technical issues. A close second would be the member discount on ASHRAE publications. My library is always growing, and ASHRAE publications are a great source of material for professional growth

Vice President: Maureen Grasso, Ph.D., is dean of the graduate school, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
Current service: Vice president; chair of the Society Rules Committee, vice chair of Publishing and Education Council, and a member of the Planning Committee
what facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  The most important aspect of  ASHRAE membership is its members, the wonderful contacts and friendships that are made, and the excellent leadership experience one gains from being a member of ASHRAE.

Vice President: Andrew Persily, Ph.D., FASHRAE, is group leader, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
Current service: Chair of the Building Safety and Security Special Committee and the Advanced Indoor Air Quality Design Guide steering committee, vice chair of GPC 29P, Guideline for Risk Management of Public Health and Safety in Buildings and a member of Technology Council, ASHRAE Vision 20/20, IAQ2007 ad hoc committee, the Society Rules Committee and the Planning Committee.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: While there are many wonderful things about being an ASHRAE member, I have personally realized the greatest benefits through opportunities for my own professional development. Through my involvement in various ASHRAE committees, I have learned to work effectively with other people, assume leadership roles and get things accomplished in sometimes challenging but always interesting circumstances. Some people refer to this as receiving a free “ASHRAE MBA,” and these experiences have definitely helped me in my “day job” and hopefully contribute to ASHRAE’s important mission.

Vice President: Vincent Tse, FASHRAE, is managing director, Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia), Hong Kong.
Current service: Member of the globalization roadmap ad hoc committee, member of the Hong Kong Chapter Board of Governors and ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  I believe the most significant facets are meeting, communicating, interacting and networking with HVAC&R engineers globally, keeping up-to-date with HVAC&R technology, advancing HVAC&R knowledge, technology, standards and professional development, attending ASHRAE’s meetings addressing HVAC&R matters, leadership development and training, and more exposure internationally.

Region IV Director and Regional Chair:  Ira  Poston, northern region business relations manager, Duke Energy Carolinas, Burlington, N.C.
Current service: Chair of the Meetings Arrangements Committee and a member of the Greening ASHRAE Meetings and Expositions ad hoc committee
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: Through ASHRAE, you develop  leadership skills by being involved in ASHRAE activities. ASHRAE provides the tools to become a professional in the industry; from being a committee chairman in your local chapter, a regional vice chair in your region or a Society leadership position.  They all revolve around setting goals, planning, prioritizing, measuring your progress and CELEBRATING your achievements.

Region V Director and Regional Chair:  Fred Betz, P.E., is manager, utility systems, PEDCo E&A Services, Cincinnati, Ohio
Current service:  Member of Meetings Arrangements Committee, TC 6.2, District Energy, and 8.2, Centrifugal Machines.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  The facet of ASHRAE that offers the greatest value is the almost infinite amount of resources available to help me in my work.  In addition to the published information available through the Society’s bookstore; the programs that are presented at the chapter, regional, and especially the two Society Meetings each year can provide personal and participatory training on a host of career related subjects.  But the most valuable resource is the personal relationships with other very knowledgeable members that I have met through active ASHRAE participation.

Region VI Director and Regional Chair:  Robert Linder, P.E., mechanical engineer, Karges-Faulconbridge Inc., St. Paul, Minn.
Current service:  Member of TC 5.3, Room Air Distribution, and TC 7.7, Testing and Balancing, and Region VI assistant regional chair.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: ASHRAE offers its membership numerous areas to develop technically, personally and professionally. Each of us takes advantage of these opportunities differently.  As a young member, I had the fortunate opportunity to learn from industry experts through technical committee involvement.  As my career developed, I used ASHRAE resources to broaden my leadership skills.  ASHRAE now supports my continued growth in these areas as well as expanding my network of HVAC professionals.  In my opinion, no one area of ASHRAE membership offers a greatest value.  Instead, all areas are valuable leverage to assist with growth and success.

Region XII Director and Regional Chair: Ross Montgomery, P.E., owner, Quality Systems and Technology Inc., Palmetto, Fla.
Current service:  A member of the Standards Committee and SPC president of the Sarasota Bradenton section of the Florida West Coast Chapter, and a member of the Florida West Coast Chapter International Committee.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  It has always been the opportunity and challenge to meet, talk, argue, debate, disagree and agree with,  work with, complain to, complain about, negotiate with, and have breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinks with, the best of the best, the crème of the crop, the smartest of the smart, and the classiest of the classy – the engineers, scientists, vendors, salesmen, educators, philosophers, consultants, ASHRAE members and staff, and contractors of the this planet Earth. The relationship and the duties of membership and involvement require daily and continuous communication with other ASHRAE members and colleagues, attendance at section-chapter-regional-Society events and meetings , adherence to ASHRAE ethic and morale requirements, doing the right things for the Society and its members,  giving back to the Industry that has raised and fed us, and professional good practice performance. ASHRAE membership and participation has always afforded me this privilege and ability. ASHRAE gives me double back what I give to ASHRAE; 100% return on investment has always been a good way to go!!!!
 
Region XIII Director and Regional Chair: Yie-Zu Robert Hu, Ph.D., FASHRAE, deputy general director, Energy and Environment Research Laboratories,  Industrial Technology Research Institute, Chutung, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Current service:  Assistant regional chair, Region XIII, and a member of the Environmental Health Committee
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: Being an ASHRAE member to me means a lot. I have learned so many things, technically and socially, through various meetings and events. ASHRAE has many experts from different fields of works as well as from many different countries, a truly international organization. That’s why ASHRAE is such a great organization. Also, serving Region XIII and the Society gave me a lot of enjoyable experiences in the past, and I am looking forward to the same in coming years.

Director-at-Large: Constantinos A. Balaras, Ph.D., P.E., research director, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Greece.
Current service:  Member of a Members Council ad hoc committee for the Region-at-Large, the globalization roadmap ad hoc committee, the technical advisory ad hoc committee for the ASHRAE Headquarters project, the Environmental Health Committee, SPC 183P, Methods and Procedures for Performing Peak Heating and Cooling Load Calculations in Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and TRG-4, Sustainable Building Guidance and Metrics, and a corresponding member of TC 2.8, Building Environmental Impacts and Sustainability, 4.2, Climatic Information, 4.7, Energy Calculations, 6.7, Solar Energy Utilization, 8.3, Absorption and Heat Operated Machines, and 9.6, Healthcare Facilities.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  Keeping a step ahead in our profession with cutting-edge technical information, while contributing in shaping the role of ASHRAE for the benefit of the HVAC&R industry throughout the world. Authoritative ASHRAE publications have been a valuable asset throughout my career, starting as a student member, moving into mechanical engineering consulting, teaching, and now in research. But membership offers much more. Participating in Society meetings and joining technical committees, experiencing the human face of ASHRAE through networking and building strong personal relations, giving back through chapter, regional and Society involvement. Add having a lot of fun while doing all this and you get an idea of ASHRAE’s value.

Director-at-Large:  Richard Kelso, Ph.D., P.E., FASHRAE, retired president, Kelso-Regen Associates, Knoxville, Tenn., and a professor, College of Architecture and Design, University of Tennessee
Current service: Member of the Scholarship Trustees and the Research Advisory Panel.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value:  Over my 35 + years of membership, I have received many benefits from ASHRAE membership including opportunities to learn new technology, to examine new products at shows, to keep up to date with monthly Journals and to hear knowledgeable speakers conveniently at local chapter meetings. Another important benefit is the great friendships and associations I have made over the years. ASHRAE is composed of bright, friendly and unselfish people. However, I think the professional knowledge I have gained from ASHRAE research and publications has been of profound importance to my career in the field.

Director-at-Large: David Knebel, P.E., FASHRAE, vice president of sales and technology, AAON Inc., Tulsa, Okla.
Current service:  Chair of the Standards Committee and a member of  SPC 140, Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs.
What facet of ASHRAE membership do you think offers the greatest value: ASHRAE is the leading source of technical information in our industry.  Since the inception of ASHRAE and its predecessor Societies, ASHRAE has provided an environment where individuals can participate in open discussions in order to advance the state of the art in HVAC.  This information is shared through published research, technical programs, the Journal and Handbooks.  The technical committees form the heart of the Society, allowing any interested party to participate.  For me personally, with over 30 years participation in technical committees, I have been privileged to work with some of the sharpest minds in our industry.  I owe much of my success to that opportunity.