The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) completed a successful 90th annual Education and Business Conference at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno this September. The conference was co-located with the ASSE International 2019 Annual Meeting, marking a first for the venerable organizations.

Membership made its final recommendations toward development of the 2021 editions of the American National Standard Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) during the Association Technical Meeting Convention, debating and casting votes to approve or reject all proposed changes for the last time in this code cycle. Membership recommendations will be sent to the Technical Committees for one final vote, and any filed appeals will be heard by the Standards Council in November. Interested parties should look to the IAPMO website for council hearing information. The new editions will be released in the first quarter of 2020.

The association re-elected President David Straub, retired city and county of Denver plumbing inspector, and Vice President David Gans, chief building official at city of Oceanside, California, to second one-year terms, as well as re-electing board of directors members Jeremy Stettler, plumbing inspector, Davis School District, Davis County, Utah; Ken Borski, division manager, plumbing inspections, city of Houston; and Brian Hamner, plumbing inspector, city of Des Moines, Iowa. Marty Cooper, chief building official, city of Foster City, California, was reappointed as board secretary, and Carlos Flores, assistant chief plumbing inspector, city of Houston, was appointed as board treasurer. Kevin Tindall, owner and president of Tindall & Ranson Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Geothermal, and former PHCC president, was elected to the IAPMO Board of Directors as director at large, contractor.

During the opening session, IAPMO honored five members who have gone above and beyond on behalf of the association with the following awards for 2019:

• Joseph Kneidinger Green Professional of the Year: Mary Ann Dickinson, president and CEO of the Alliance for Water Efficiency
• American Flag Award: Jordan Krahenbuhl, retired plumbing and mechanical inspector, Clark County, Nevada
• Government Person of the Year: Gordon Copeland, senior mechanical inspector, city of Houston
• Industry Person of the Year: Chris Haslinger, international representative/administrative assistant to the UA general president
• George Kauffman Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike Durfee, retired chief building official, Salt Lake County, Utah

Emmy-award winning comedian, TV host and author Ross Shafer delivered the conference's inspirational keynote address. Conference goers participated in top-notch seminars and code workshops, as well as the annual Chapter Leadership Summit Luncheon, where local IAPMO chapter officials network and learn from one another.

IAPMO's 91st annual Education and Business Conference will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 13-17, 2020.