Columbus, Ohio – Nine respected HVACR industry mentors and other leadership professionals shared their expertise at the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Emerging Leaders summer conference last week in Austin, Texas.

“Learning and sharing information with our mentors was the highlight of the week. Being able to have access to some of the most well-respected HVAC/R executives and understanding how they think was a priceless experience for me,” said Dan Lauterhahn, vice president of sales for Packard, Inc., who co-leads a task force that helps shape the program.

The industry mentor panel comprised:

•Frank Alexander (President, Johnstone Supply of Las Vegas)

•Richard Cook (COO/President, Johnson Supply)

•Wade Ellis (HR Director, Allied Air Enterprises)

•Talbot Gee (CEO, HARDI)

•Royce Henderson (President, Charles D. Jones & Co.)

•Susan Kirkland (President, Packard, Inc.)

•Mike Meier (Vice President/COO, Meier Supply Co., Inc.)

•Bud Mingledorff (Owner & Chairman, Mingledorff's Inc.)

•Tom Roberts (President, cfm Distributors, Inc.)

In addition to the mentoring session, the conference included a speaking engagement with famed basketball coach Ken Carter, leadership coaching with trainer Leslie Koch, as well as other hands-on development and networking sessions.

Lauterhahn was one of 75 Emerging Leaders to attend the event, making it a record-setting number of attendees – more than a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

“We’ve added more components to the Emerging Leaders program, and we’re finding that our future leaders are valuing it greatly,” said Emily Saving, HARDI Vice President Professional & Program Development. “In fact, half of our attendees responded to a survey after the conference and 98 percent of them said they would attend another Emerging Leaders event. It’s very encouraging for our industry that our future leaders are so engaged and dedicated to maximizing their potential.”

HARDI also used the event to launch a new graduation track for the Emerging Leaders program. Those in the Emerging Leaders program can complete a combination of event participation, coursework and leadership assessments to progress through the program, earning a concrete accolade for their efforts. Based on feedback, it appears that about two-thirds of Emerging Leaders plan to opt-in to the graduation track.

HARDI members interested in joining the Emerging Leaders program can contact Emily Saving at esaving@hardinet.org or 614-345-4328.

Visit www.hardinet.org