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It’s been an eventful year for Ray Isaac of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning. In February, he was elected to serve one year as chairman of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). He also participated in ACCA’s National HVACR Service Managers Forum, the Chiller Systems Group (CSG) meeting, and more.

Combining two national organizations, Stephen Yurek, president of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and Jack Klimp, CEO of AHRI, joined forces to lead two staffs and memberships through a successful union of the ARI and GAMA.

Over the past two years, contractor associations have been slowly but surely beefing up their respective training and education offerings - so much so that one industry insider referred to the increased interest as the “Education Explosion.” The NEWS surveyed some of the top associations to find out what they’re doing.

Over 4,000 HVACR contractors, owners, and industry-related individuals attended ABCO Refrigeration Supply’s 28th annual ABCO Expo in November at Terrace on the Park in Flushing, Queens. The expo focused on the migration towards environmentally conscious, energy-efficient products.

The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) said “aloha” to Maui recently for its 65th annual convention. According to the association, more than 1,400 people attended enjoying meals, concerts, recreation, products, and educational and business sessions.

Hold on to your hiring hat because good help is about to hit the streets in droves. These tough times will create an opportunity for you as people start to lose their jobs. Layoffs mean that plenty of good people are going to be looking for jobs, and many will be willing to look at industries they would have never considered before.

Business as usual is no longer a viable plan for success and business leaders are compelled to find creative ways to remain profitable and relevant. In a final salute to 2008, The NEWS has selected seven high-profile industry leaders who have committed themselves and their businesses to embracing change - our Top Newsmakers of 2008.

It’s no secret that Jack Wilhelmi is enthusiastic about education. By the time he completes his term as president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), he will have logged 98,000 miles and 105 days of travel around the world to share this enthusiasm.

When Tom Bettcher was named chairman of Emerson Climate Technologies this past summer, it culminated an almost natural progression through various management and leadership positions. Edgar Purvis Jr. was then named executive vice president of Emerson and business leader of Emerson Climate Technologies.

When March 30, 2008 rolled around, things at Rheem changed considerably. The company had already begun reorganization in 2007 and in 2008 it experienced a leadership change. Outgoing President and CEO I. Stewart Farwell assumed the role of special advisor and JR Jones stepped into Farwell’s position.