Delaware Tech was one of the first in the country to earn Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) approval. Bates now helps evaluate other programs for the accreditation. He is the current president of the Council of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Educators (CARE), and he has had a consistent presence at the ARI instructor workshops.
He is a member of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), encouraging his students to pursue Certificate Member (CM) status as well as NATE-ACE certification; and he still works in the field in the summer because he enjoys it.