SACRAMENTO, Calif. - With the state of California moving ahead on a number of energy and building code initiatives that will affect the HVACR contracting industry, and because of the influence California wields across other states nationwide, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced the opening of a West Coast office in Sacramento. This marks the first regional office in the national organization’s history, according to Paul Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO.

“ACCA’s board of directors has taken a visionary and aggressive approach to ensure that our members have the best possible representation before vital agencies in California, which have an inordinate impact on actions taken in statehouses across the country,” he said.

Russell King, P.E., a trainer and engineer in the California HVACR community, has been retained as director of the regional office, effective Aug. 1, 2008. The office will represent contractor interests before such agencies as the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, California Building Standards Commission, and the Contractors’ State Licensing Board.

In addition to representation and alliance building with influential organizations, the ACCA West Coast office will work to develop new training opportunities specifically for ACCA members in California, provide technical support to members, and keep members informed of important regulatory and legislative developments in the state.

“When we approached the board of our state chapter in California with this concept, they embraced the vision wholeheartedly and agreed that this approach is needed to ensure stronger, more vibrant services for contractors in the state,” said Stalknecht. “As such, they have voted to dissolve their chapter and ACCA’s efforts in California will be focused around this new regional office.”

For more information, contact the ACCA West Coast office at 916-446-0555 or russ.king@acca.org.

Publication date:08/04/2008