ACCA board votes to renew term of contractor and PHC News columnist Dan Foley. 

The North American Technician Excellence (NATE) board of trustees has announced its roster for 2015-2016, including a renewed chairmanship and seven new and replacement members elected to serve for the new term.

The NATE Board of Trustees renamed Wade Mayfield, president of Thermal Services, Inc. of Omaha, Neb., as the 2015-2016 Chairman of the Board. Mayfield has been involved in the HVAC business for more than 13 years. Gary Bedard of Lennox Industries will continue to serve as secretary/treasurer for the 2015-2016 term. Donald Frendberg continues in the role of immediate past chairman. In addition, the board voted to renew the terms of the following members: Chris Baker, Value Added Distributors; Marc Bridgens, Pennsylvania College of Technology; Dan Foley, Foley Mechanical; Mike Murphy, The ACHR News; and Terry Tanker, HVACR Business Magazine.

David McIlwaine, president, CEO and founder of HVAC Distributors in Mount Joy, Pa., was elected as one of two new vice-chairmen for the NATE Board. McIlwaine earned an MBA from Drexel University and served on several community and industry boards and committees, including Assets Lancaster, Associated Builders and Contractors, HARDI, and the Boy Scouts of America. He has been honored with various awards including the Small Business Person of the Year by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Boy Scouts of America Leadership Award.

The second elected vice-chairman is new board member Laura DiFilippo. DiFilippo is vice president and co-owner of DiFilippo’s Service Company, a residential heating and air conditioning contracting business in Paoli, Pa. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACCA for 14 years, holding all officer positions, including that of chapter president for five years. She has served as a national ACCA board director since 2003 and has chaired many committees including that of Professional Development and Chapter Relations. She is the first woman appointed as an officer of the ACCA and served as secretary, treasurer, and senior vice chairman and ultimately as chairman of ACCA for 2012-2013.

The additional newly elected and replacement members to the NATE board of trustees include Michael R. Copp, executive vice president, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (replacing Gerry Kennedy); Mike Hellman, Penton Media; Stephen D. Kennedy of Georgia Power, representing ASHRAE (replacing Wayne Reedy); Matthew Pine, vice president, marketing HVAC residential for Carrier Building & Industrial Systems (replacing Chris Nelson); and Brent Schroeder president, air conditioning business, Emerson Climate Technologies.