2023 ASSE International Annual Meeting Recaps

The 2023 ASSE International Annual Meeting was held September 24 – 27 at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel. This year’s Annual Meeting was co-located with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ (IAPMO®) 94th annual Education and Business Conference and the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association’s (ARCSA) Annual Conference. Attendees from across the country came together, got some work done, learned a few things, celebrated colleague achievements, and shared some laughs with friends.

For those who couldn’t attend, below are brief recaps of each meeting and event, along with photos from the event. To see even more photos, visit our 2023 ASSE International Annual Meeting Flickr album at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB1trs.

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Each morning of the 2023 ASSE International Annual Meeting began with Coffee and Light Breakfast, sponsored by our friends at National Inspection Testing and Certification Corporation (NITC), along with a Conference Exposition of products and services of interest to the plumbing industry.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Roscoe King Memorial Golf Tournament
Since this year’s ASSE Annual Meeting was co-located with IAPMO’s 94th Annual Education and Business Conference, ASSE members and guests had the opportunity to compete in IAPMO’s 2023 Roscoe King Memorial Golf Tournament at The Quarry Golf Course in San Antonio. The ASSE members who participated in this tournament reported that it was very hot and very fun.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Opening Session
The opening session was called to order by ASSE International President Daniel Rademacher and IAPMO President David Gans. IAPMO CEO Dave Viola delivered a State of IAPMO report, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg addressed attendees and presented a resolution declaring “Mechanical and Plumbing Industry Week” in San Antonio, and the keynote address was delivered by George McGraw, founder and CEO of DIGDEEP, a human-rights nonprofit working to bring clean water access to all Americans.

Business Session #1
The first Business Session included year-end reports from ASSE International’s officers and directors, chapters, and committees, and included nominations for the upcoming year’s Board of Directors.

Service Plumber Technical Committee Meeting
The Service Technical Committee was provided examination statistics and then discussed promotion of the program. The committee discussed the need to market programs so that individuals can choose the appropriate program to fit their training needs. Staff will work on a marketing strategy to explain the differences between the programs. 

An update on plans for the ASSE 13030 Hybrid Certification was provided — the certification program is nearly complete. New/additional scenarios for the Service Plumber practical exam are being worked on by a subcommittee, and water treatment content will be added to the standard when it is reopened.

E.J. Zimmer Technical Seminar — Session #1: “From Source to Tap: The Complicated and Dangerous Journey of Our Water”
Presented by Sean Cleary, vice president of Industry Programs and IAPMO Backflow Prevention Institute Operations, this seminar discussed cross-connection control and backflow problems and pitfalls that befall water systems in the modern world, and how the industry should work together to ensure that everyone understands the importance of backflow prevention and cross-connection control programs.

Fire Protection Technical Committee Meeting
The Fire Protection Technical Committee was provided examination statistics and given an update from Steve Fox regarding the Examination Task Group for the ASSE 15010 Water-Based Fire Protection Certification. The task group met at the ASSE International office in Mokena, IL to review the exam and update references to reflect current codes. The meeting went well, and an additional meeting is set for December at IAPMO Headquarters in Ontario, CA.

A standing ASSE 15010 Exam Review Committee was approved with the following members: Steve Fox (Chair), Kevin Convy, John Holmes, Derek Miles, Jeff Van Rhyn, and Joe Franks.

Jeff Van Rhyn then provided an update on the status of the ASSE 15010 standard revision. The standard is almost complete, with some minor editorial changes relating to definitions and qualification requirements remaining. ASSE will schedule another meeting with the standard revision task group to complete the remaining work.

Updates relating to California and Kentucky were then provided to the committee. ASSE will work with committee member and Kentucky resident Mike Masterson to decide what further action needs to be taken in Kentucky to move regulations forward.

It was announced that a booth has been secured for ASSE to exhibit at the 2024 NFPA Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL.

ASSE Membership Committee Meeting
During the meeting, updates on a new membership portal, education opportunities, and membership videos were discussed. The new membership portal for ASSE members will allow members to access their membership benefits, invoices, and purchase history online. It will also allow the membership team to send invoices and reminders to members through email, as well as ground mail. The membership portal is currently in progress and anticipated to launch in 2024.

A discussion on quarterly seminars included a recap of May and July education seminars. May’s “Beyond the Gray Water – Direct Potable Reuse for Residential Buildings,” presented by Markus Lenger, had 48 attendees, and July’s “The Proper Installation and Use of Chemical Equipment,” presented by Sean Cleary, had 52 attendees. The next educational seminar will take place Nov. 13, 2023 — “Clear vs. Clean … They Are Not the Same When it Comes to Water,” presented by Troy Rackley.

An update on the status of membership interview videos showed that the full-length video has been edited and was shown at ASSE’s expo booth at the Annual Meeting. Shorter versions of the video are in the process of being edited and scripts are being written for new videos that will be recorded at the 2024 ASSE Mid-Year Meeting.

Lastly, a draft of the Membership PowerPoint Presentation was shown. The presentation will discuss ASSE and member benefits for each trade. The membership committee will review and discuss revisions before they are disseminated to our membership.

Al Cohen Memorial Chapter Presidents’ Liaison Conference
The Al Cohen Memorial Chapter Presidents’ Liaison Conference began with updates from the Membership Committee (see ASSE Membership Committee Meeting recap above), then moved to discussing chapter meetings and membership demographics. It was mentioned that ASSE’s membership staff is available to help with chapter outreach, including creating flyers for meetings and sending email blasts for member turnout.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Cross-Connection Control Technical Committee Meeting
The Cross-Connection Control Technical Committee (CCCTC) reviewed statistics on schools, proctors, instructors, classes held, exams taken, and pass/fail rates. It was reported that there are approximately 16,400 current ASSE Backflow Certified professionals. In addition, revisions suggested by the subcommittee regarding Guidelines were discussed. There was also discussion on what to include in the self-paced proctor course for future and current ASSE Proctors.

Product Standards Committee
The Product Standards Committee (PSC) discussed the status of several standards that are currently in development — six are in working groups and four are in public review. There are nine standards that are in queue, for which working group applications are being accepted (see below). The PSC was updated on the status of the ASSE International Product Listing Program. The PSC was also tasked with reviewing standards that are approaching five years since last publication and provide feedback for any changes requiring standard revision.

Working groups are forming to develop/revise the following product standards:

• ASSE 1004, Dishwasher Backflow Prevention Requirements
• ASSE 1079, Dielectric Fitting
• ASSE 1115, Automatic Hot Water Balancing Valve
• ASSE 1376, Ultra and Nano Drinking Water Treatment Systems
• ASSE 1378, Point of Entry Anion Exchange –Nitrate Reduction
• ASSE 1379, Proportional Flow Controller, with Protection from Cross Contamination, for use in Drinking Water Installations

Download the Working Group Application HERE.

Completed applications should be sent to Terry Burger at terry.burger@asse-plumbing.org.

12000 Technical Committee Meeting
The 12000 Technical Committee was provided examination statistics and then reviewed and approved a new committee application. The new committee application provides additional check boxes for committee applicants to choose specific areas of specialty. For purposes of the 12000 Technical Committee, the topics are water quality, ICRA, air quality, and Legionella.

The committee also discussed the need to market the program to define the differences between programs, and it was noted that ASSE 12061, 12062 and 12063 should be updated to include Canadian standards.

Brian Andersen, Local 130, and Tim Hammick, Local 15, were added to the committee.

Seal Control Board Meeting
The Seal Control Board Meeting (SCB) was called to order by Brianne Hall, SCB Chair, at 1:36pm. John Higdon announced that he accepted a position with IAPMO and will be resigning from the SCB, as he would no longer be eligible. A call for candidates to serve on the SCB was announced. ASSE product standards and Product Listing Program updates were presented by Terry Burger and Chris White, respectively. The listing program activities have significantly increased since the 2023 Mid-Year Meeting, with numbers projected to surpass pre-Covid numbers. The upcoming ASSE, ANSI/ANAB, and SCC audits were discussed, followed by nominations for SCB chair and vice chair. Brianne Hall and Jaimie Valdivia were nominated for these positions, respectively, and will be referred to the ASSE BOD for approval. The meeting concluded with a training session by Sean Cleary which covered the fundamentals of pressure vacuum breaker assemblies.

E.J. Zimmer Technical Seminar — Session #2: “Why Your Shower Feels Wimpy and What You Can Do About It!”
Presented by Gary Klein, president of Gary Klein & Associates, Inc., this seminar discussed the reasons why your shower feels wimpy — the spray pattern is too spread out for the flow rate, or the available pressure at the shower head is too low, or both. Klein presented results of research he conducted on the pressure drop through modern pipe materials and fittings, and through anti-scald shower valves that are now required by most plumbing codes in the United States. He also compared the performance of pressure-independent and fixed-orifice flow regulators, both types of which are common in faucets and showers but perform very differently under the range of pressure conditions found in our buildings.

Professional Qualifications Standards Committee Meeting
The Professional Qualifications Standards Committee (PQSC) reviewed all of the current and draft PQ standards. There are currently two standards in revision and two new standards in development. In revision are ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 12000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Management and Infection Control Risk Assessment for Building Systems, and ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 15000, Professional Qualifications Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. The new standards are ASSE/IAPMO 22000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Treatment Equipment Personnel, and ASSE/IAPMO 28000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Inspectors of CIPP (Cured-in-Place-Pipe) Rehabilitation of Building Sewer and Drain, Waste and Vent Piping Systems.

The committee was advised that there is a new NFPA 99 revision to be published, which will affect the ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 6000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Medical Gas Systems Personnel, and the references therein. The PQSC voted to open the ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 6000 for revision.

ASSE / IAPMO / ARCSA Evening Event
The ASSE / IAPMO / ARCSA Evening Event was held at Enchanted Springs Ranch, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country, just north of San Antonio in Boerne, TX. Attendees arrived via motorcoach at what seemed to be a Western movie set. Indeed, Enchanted Springs Ranch was originally built in the early 2000s as a movie set. The ranch is 86 acres of beautiful land featuring a large scale, old western town with two fully functional saloon-styled venues equipped with bars and entertaining areas. Guests were treated to a live band, delicious barbecue, line dancing lessons, and covered wagon rides, where attendees got to take in the landscape of Hill Country, bordered by a scenic creek, and filled with longhorns and other exotic animals.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Manufacturers’ Forum
The Manufacturers’ Forum, only open to ASSE Listed manufacturers, included standards updates, certifications updates, and code updates as they relate to ASSE listees. At the end of the Forum, ASSE listees had the opportunity to ask questions to ASSE and IAPMO staff during the ASSE Product Standards and Listing Program Q&A session.

ASSE / IAPMO Companion Outing
During the Companion Outing, registered companions of the ASSE Annual Meeting and IAPMO’s 94^th annual Education and Business Conference had the opportunity to explore San Antonio on a “Best of San Antonio Tour.” The event started with a tour of the Missions, then moved locations to cruise down the San Antonio River in a chartered river barge, and finally, attendees got to experience some of San Antonio’s history at the Pearl, where they enjoyed free time to explore the unique boutique shops and eateries.

Government Relations Presentation
Current public policy initiatives impacting the industry on local and national levels were presented by the IAPMO / ASSE Government Relations team – Dain Hansen, Executive Vice President of Government Relations, and Christina Kaeini and Jim Scarborough, Directors of Government Relations. The team also provided updates on policy efforts and strategies moving forward.

Code Development Committee / NFPA Subcommittee Meeting
The ASSE Code Development Committee (CDC) was informed of the upcoming code cycle schedules and committee expectations. The code proposals that failed in the 2024 cycle were approved to move forward into the 2027 code cycle. The committee was updated on several state code amendments, and the NFPA sub-committee provided a report. It was reported that the ASSE 6060 has been adopted into NFPA 99. A reminder was given to all those interested to submit their application if they’d like to serve on the 2024 ASSE Code Development Committee.

School Forum
During the School Forum, attendees were advised that exam questions are being statistically reviewed by staff and examination questions will be updated as codes are changed or updated. Staff also presented new initiatives regarding school outreach to raise awareness of changes to protocols and general testing information. There was also discussion about schools potentially taking part in a yearly webinar to discuss items of importance relating to programs. These ideas were received favorably by those who attended the meeting.

The last item discussed was the creation of a school newsletter, which would be sent to current schools and training directors and coordinators. A new committee consisting of school representatives will be formed.

Board of Directors Meeting
This open ASSE International Board of Directors Meeting included reports from committee chairs regarding their meetings held earlier in the week.

Business Session #2 and Award Ceremony
The second Business Session included an election of the ASSE International Officers and Directors, and the International President’s address. This was the first ASSE Board of Directors election since ASSE members voted to approve a series of bylaw revisions that redrew the regions from which Regional Directors are elected. For the first time, ASSE Membership elected two directors from four geographically designated regions, and the “members at large” region and director was eliminated. See below for the new regions and the directors elected to represent each region.

Congratulations to President Daniel Rademacher and our 2023-2024 ASSE International Board of Directors!

Daniel Rademacher
International President

Vincent Gallo
Vice President

Jason Shank
Immediate Past President

Douglas Marian
Treasurer

Brianne N. Hall, P.E., CPD, LEED AP BD+C, GGP
Central Region Director

Donald Summers, Jr.
Central Region Director

Gregory Beck
Northeastern Region Director

Doreen Cannon
Northeastern Region Director

DJ Berger
Southern Region Director

Joseph Fernandez, Jr.
Southern Region Director

Chris Cheek
Western Region Director

Vince Kacaba
Western Region Director

Thomas Lentine
Manufacturers’ Representative

ASSE International awards were also presented at this Business Session. So many of ASSE International’s members and chapters have contributed greatly to our organization and are worthy of awards — congratulations to our 2023 ASSE International Award Winners!

Salvatore J. Farruggia Presidential Award: Jason Shank
The recipient is chosen by the outgoing International President. This award is presented to an individual who has contributed to the success of that President’s term in office.

Most New Members Award: Pennsylvania Chapter

Dewey R. Dedrick Jr. Award: Central Texas Chapter
Chosen by the Board of Directors, the Dewey R. Dedrick, Jr. Award is presented to a chapter of ASSE International that has demonstrated enthusiasm and progress on the chapter level.

Patrick J. Higgins Award: Daniel Rademacher
Presented to individuals for outstanding contributions in the field of plumbing codes and standards, who demonstrate both knowledge and support of voluntary, consensus standards and their adoption into code.

Rand Ackroyd Award: Rita Neiderheiser
Presented to an individual who has expressed a thorough knowledge and true dedication to the ASSE backflow program, or the backflow and associated industry by their efforts in protecting our drinking water through cross-connection control and education.

Fellow (FASSE) Award: Kenneth Schneider
Presented to members for their dedication and service to the organization.

Henry B. Davis Award: Dana Colombo
Presented to a member who has contributed toward the advancement of sanitary engineering in accord with the ideals of ASSE International.

ASSE Closing Celebration
The Closing Celebration, sponsored by our friends at Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16, was a fun ending to a week of meetings and included food, cocktails, music, and dancing.

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