David J. Kruse assumed the office of president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America Inc. (MCAA) during the association’s 118th convention in Orlando. The presidential gavel was passed from 2006 President Michael Cullinane to the new MCAA president during the convention’s closing session.

He is president of L.J. Kruse Co., a commercial and industrial plumbing and piping contractor in Berkeley, Calif.

Appointed to the board of directors in 2001, Kruse is active in the association on both the national and local levels. At the national level, he serves on the Executive Committee and the board of directors and as chairman of the Emerging Trends Task Force.

He also has served as chairman of the Plumbing Contractors of America, a subsidiary of MCAA, and as a member of both the Advanced Leadership Institute Committee and the Investment Advisory Committee.

At the local level, he is very active in the MCA of Northern California, where he has served as president. He has been a member of that organization’s board of directors since 1994.

Prior to that, he was instrumental in the merger of the Northern California Piping Contractors, where he served as an active volunteer, board member, and president. He has also served on the Budget, Scholarship, Executive, Nominating, and Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees.

Several other executive appointments were announced during the conference. Jack Wilhelmi was elected as president-elect. Wilhelmi is president of the Omaha Division of Waldinger Corp., a mechanical contractor located in Omaha, Neb.

Appointed to the board of directors in 2001, Wilhelmi is active in the association on both the national and local levels. At the national level, he serves on the Executive Committee and the board of directors. He also serves on the Strategic Estimating Conference Task Force, and as vice president of the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation’s (MCERF) board of trustees. In addition, he served as chairman of the Career Development Committee and as a member of the Advanced Leadership Institute Committee.

At the local level, he is very active in the MCA of Omaha, where he served three terms as president after having served as treasurer and vice president. Wilhemi has chaired the Negotiating Committee, the Safety Committee, the Program Committee, and the OSHA Multimedia Development Committee, and has served on the Scholarship Selection Committee. He also serves as a Pension and Welfare trustee.

MORE ELECTIONS

Lonnie Coleman was elected as senior vice president and treasurer. He is president of Coleman Spohn Corp., a mechanical contractor located in Cleveland.

Appointed to the board of directors in 2002, Coleman is active in the association on both the national and local levels. At the national level, he serves on the Executive Committee and the board of directors. He also serves as chairman of the Government Affairs Committee.

At the local level, he is active in the MCA of Cleveland, where he served as president, vice president, and treasurer. He also served on the board of directors and the Hiring Hall Committee.

Robert T. Armistead, P.E., was elected vice president and assistant treasurer. Armistead is president of Armistead Mechanical Inc., a mechanical contracting and engineering firm with offices in Waldwick, N.J. and Newburgh, N.Y.

Appointed to the board of directors in 2003, Armistead is active in the association on both the national and local levels. At the national level, he serves on the Career Development Committee and on the Mechanical Contracting Education and Research Foundation Partnership Enterprise Committee. He also has served on the Audit Committee.

At the local level, he has served two years each as MCA of New Jersey (MCANJ) president, vice president, treasurer, and MCICNJ treasurer. He served 12 years as an MCANJ board member. He also served as chairman of the Education and Marketing Committees and as a member of the ACE/MCICNJ Mentoring Committee. Armistead is very active in numerous trade organizations and is a trustee for Local 274 and Local 373’s Pension, Welfare, and Annuity Funds.

MCAA serves more than 2,300 firms involved in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, piping, and mechanical service. The association provides members with high-quality educational materials and programs to help them attain the highest level of managerial and technical expertise. MCAA includes the Mechanical Service Contractors of America, the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau, the Plumbing Contractors of America, and the Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Publication date: 04/02/2007