Robert Wilkos (left) and Mike Peaden accept ACCA’s Residential Excellence Award on behalf of Peaden Air Conditioning. (Photos courtesy of ACCA.)

Greg Leisgang was elected chairman. Leisgang is president of JonLe Heating and Cooling based out of Cincinnati. The residential/light commercial HVAC contracting company services greater Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, and southeast Indiana.

Leisgang graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He joined JonLe that year and took over as president in 1987.

Leisgang has been a member of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America since 1988. Under his direction, JonLe Heating and Cooling was named ACCA Quality Contractor of the Year in 1993. It also received the Carrier Distinguished Dealer award in 1996.

Leisgang has served on numerous ACCA task teams, been on ACCA's board of directors since 1998, and held a position on the executive committee since 2000.

Richard Dean assumed the role of senior vice chairman. Dean is a principal in Environmental Systems Associates of Columbia, Md. where he has been working since 1973. Environmental Systems Associates is an independent, residential service and sales company. Committed to professionalism, he was responsible for ensuring that his firm became one of the first in the metropolitan Washington area to be certified by North Amercian Technician Excellence (NATE).

Dean holds a B.S. in information systems management from the University of Maryland. He has been a member of the ACCA National Capital Chapter since 1982 and has served on its board since 1990. He has served on the ACCA National board of directors since 2000.

For the past two years, Dean has served as secretary of the ACCA Board of Directors. Dean will assume the association's top elected position in March 2006.

Ray Isaac assumed the position of the association's secretary. Isaac is president of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. in Rochester, N.Y. Isaac, along with his three brothers and cousin, represent the third generation in the 60-year-old family business.

Isaac holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from St. John Fisher College. He is very active in the industry, serving on the NATE board of trustees. He has also served on the board of the Upstate New York chapter of ACCA. Last year, Isaac held a term as vice chairman of ACCA's board of directors.

Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning has been named a Best Contractor to Work For by The News. The company also received an award for Excellence in Training from ACCA and recently received PAHRA accreditation for its in-house training program.

Phil Forner was re-elected to a second term as the association's treasurer. Forner is president of Allendale Heating Co., Inc., a residential and commercial HVAC company in Allendale, Mich. He is a graduate of Ferris State University and a former president of the ACCA Michigan and ACCA West Michigan chapters.

Richard Foard, Stan Johnson, and Bruce Silverman assumed their roles as vice chairmen.

Foard is president of Blue Dot Services of Maryland, located in Forest Hill. He has worked in the HVAC and plumbing industry for over 20 years. Foard is a past president of the Central Maryland chapter of ACCA and previously served on the board of directors for a seven-year period.

Stan Johnson is president of Stan's Heating and Air Conditioning in Austin, Texas. He was a founding member of both the Austin and Texas chapters of ACCA and has served as president of both.

Bruce Silverman is president of Airite Air Conditioning, Inc. in Tampa, Fla. He began his company in 1970, after graduating from New York University with an M.B.A. in finance. Silverman serves on the ACCA Government Relations Task Team and this will be his second term as vice chairman.

Peaden Wins Residential Award

Peaden believes that it is only as externally good as the last customer served and internally as good as its weakest link.

Therefore, their self-improvement process is an ongoing mix of training combined with performance tracking. The dedication to satisfied customers is reinforced by quality assurance steps that make sure the job is done properly and the consumer is happy.

The other finalists for the Excellence in Residential Contracting Award were AirRite Air Conditioning Co. Inc., Fort Worth, Texas; Castellano A/C & Heating, Inc., Tampa, Fla.; and Michigan Building & Mechanical, Wyoming, Mich.

Pennsylvania College Wins Award for Excellence

Located in Williamsport, the Pennsylvania College of Technology's School of Construction and Design offers a Bachelor of Science degree in HVAC Technology Design, an associate's degree in HVAC Technology, and a certificate in Plumbing.

At its inception in 1995, the B.S. degree was one of only two four-year degrees in the HVAC technologies area in the country. Today, it remains one of three.

Penn College is committed to educating the next generation of HVAC professionals. Each year, the program can accommodate 80 new students who have access to over 23,000 square feet of laboratory space where they gain hands-on knowledge. The program is continually re-evaluated to reflect and fulfill the needs of the industry. And, the placement rate for graduates exceeds 90 percent in all HVAC program areas.

The training award was renamed the Jeff Forker Award for Excellence in Training last year after Jeff Forker passed away.

Forker, the 2004 Spirit of Independence recipient (the association's highest honor), was a longtime HVACR industry champion with a passion for industry education and certification.

The other finalists for the Excellence in Training Award were ACCA Arizona of Phoenix and Peaden Air Conditioning & Heating.

Paul Stalknecht (left) presents the 2005 Commercial Excellence Award to Ann Kahn and Josh Kahn of Kahn Mechanical.

Kahn Mechanical Wins Commercial Award

Kahn Mechanical's vision - dedication to the philosophy of honesty and fairness with customers and employees - guides the company, along with a set of values to help employees operate as a team. The company is committed to the continuing education of its employees, encouraging them to complete 32 hours of training per year.

Service to the community is one of the values on which the company is based. The Community Services Foundation was formed as a vehicle to provide comfort to the elderly, disabled, and low-income homeowners in the community.

It is the primary fundraising and visual presence of programs including Heat the Town of North Texas, HVAC systems for Habitat for Humanity, Beat the Heat of North Texas, and countless special projects.

Kahn Mechanical Contractors has been involved with trade associations since its inception, including service to ACCA at all levels. They believe in sharing their best practices and learning from others across the industry.

The other finalists for the Excellence in Commercial Contracting Award were Tri-City Mechanical, Chandler, Ariz.; and Shapiro & Duncan, Rockville, Md.

Publication date: 04/11/2005