"Truly, we come to this conference - the largest conference we've ever had - riding the cusp of a wave made possible by only one thing: you and your commitment to the HVAC industry," said Stalknecht, who was hired as the association's president and CEO immediately prior to the opening of the 2001 conference in Las Vegas. "Three years ago, the ACCA board of directors invited me to join in their plan to re-create ACCA. I took a look at the plan they laid out - and then I looked at the organization that existed - and I thought: ‘Wow.' Actually, I said, ‘Oh ...'"
After the remark drew a laugh or two from the crowded room at the New Orleans Marriott, Stalknecht quickly added, "It's a good thing I love challenges."