EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND -- GP Russ Chaney, CEO of the IAPMO Group was elected chairman of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) for a term covering 2011-13 during the 9th World Plumbing Conference, Sep. 7-11 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Established in 1990 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WPC maintains NGO status with the World Health Organization and carries out a mission to unite the world plumbing industry and promote its role in improving public health and safeguarding the environment.
Chaney served two terms on the WPC Executive Board, from 2002-05 as a Director and as Deputy Chairman from 2008 until his election as Chairman this month.
He began his career in the plumbing business as an apprentice in 1974, obtaining his Master Plumber license in the state of New Jersey in 1982 and his New Jersey Plumbing Inspector license in 1987. He ran his own plumbing business until he laid down the tools in 1990 and joined the National Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors (PHCC) as director of Technical Services in 1992.
Chaney served as teh secretariat of the National Standard Plumbing Code and the ANSI A40 Safety Requirements for Plumbing Code until joining IAPMO as CEO in June 1995. IAPMO joined the WPC in August 1995 and tapped Chaney as its representative. He was elected to his first three-year term on the Executive Board in 2002 and was reelected 2008 as Deputy Chairman.
Chaney holds a B.A. degree in Personnel Management from Rowan University in New Jersey and an Accounting degree from Brookdale Community College, also in New Jersey.
Joining Chaney on the WPC Executive Board are: Deputy Chairman Sudhakaran Nair, India; Honorary Secretary/Treasurer Hans Tiedemann, Canada; Directors Hua Mingjiu, China, Richard J. Prospal, United States, Elmar Esser, Germany, and Shayne La Combre, Australia.
"Being elected by my peers to this position, essentially the pinnacle of my professional career in plumbing, is the highest, most humbling honor I've received," Chaney said. "With the support of my colleagues on the Executive Board and WPC membership, I hope to put the WPC on strong footing so that those who follow have the ability to make significant strides on behalf of the international plumbing community.
"It is my goal to continue working to advance the image of plumbers, strengthening the public view that plumbers are professional, highly trained individuals who protect health and safety on a daily basis, to maintain our strong relationship with the World Health Organization, our support of the World Skills Competition and to nurture our budding relationship with the World Green Building Council."
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