IAPMO wraps centennial conference, sets 2027 Honolulu meeting

IAPMO closed its 2026 Education and Business Conference in Universal City, California, capping a yearlong 100th anniversary celebration. The event featured board elections, awards, scholarship winners and a preview of the association’s 2027 conference in Honolulu.

Why it matters: - IAPMO used its annual conference to mark 100 years of work on plumbing, mechanical and building codes, while signaling continuity in its leadership and agenda. - The association also used the event to recognize industry contributors, spotlight workforce development and set up its next annual gathering.

What happened: - IAPMO held its 2026 Annual Education and Business Conference last week at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California. - The conference closed IAPMO’s yearlong celebration of the association’s founding 100 years ago in Los Angeles. - Jeremy Stettler, coordinator/inspector for Davis School District in Clearfield, Utah, was re-elected president. - Brian Hamner, senior plumbing inspector for the city of Des Moines, Iowa, was re-elected vice president. - Carlos Flores, division manager of Plumbing Inspections for the city of Houston, was appointed secretary/treasurer. - David Gordon, Armando Pulido, S.J. Peters and Samuel Santos were elected as directors. - Preston Riehl, CEO of the A&J Training Trust, served as conference host. - Laura Ceja, UA National Recruitment and Outreach coordinator, served as conference chair. - Judaline Cassidy, a New York City plumber and founder of Tools & Tiaras, delivered the keynote address.

The details: - IAPMO marked its centennial with historical videos, panel discussions on the association’s past and future, a hardbound history book titled IAPMO: Our First 100 Years and an evening event at Universal Studios Hollywood. - The conference included an awards presentation recognizing contributions from members and industry allies. - The IWSH Award went to Mike Gordon, Alanna Marklund and Junitha Kgatla, with Kgatla recognized posthumously. - The Policymaker of the Year award went to Jess Kramer, assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. - The American Flag Award went to Jay Chase, retired president of Muir-Chase Plumbing Co. - The President’s Green Oval went to Robert “Wayne” Lord, business manager of UA Local 68. - The Joseph Kneidinger Sustainability Professional of the Year award went to Markus Lenger, founder and CEO of CleanBlu Inc. - The Bruce Pfeiffer Committee Member of the Year award went to Travis Christensen, senior building inspector for Salt Lake City’s Department of Community & Neighborhoods. - The Government Person of the Year award went to Osama Younan, LADBS general manager and superintendent of Building. - The George Kauffman Lifetime Achievement Award went to Jordan Krahenbuhl, executive director of PHCC of Nevada. - IAPMO named Dave Bishop, Keith Bonenfant, Ed Bowman, Andy Davie, Fernando Fernandez, Tom McCarthy, Kenneth McCorkle, David Nizborski, Dan Rademacher, Dave Svoboda, Kevin Tindall and Bill Venable as IAPMO Fellows. - Winners of the 17th IWSH Scholarship Essay Competition were announced. - First prize went to Abdallah Mohamed Abd El Hady Hamed of Sharkya STEM School in Egypt. - The runners-up were Ofentse Percy Mohloke of the University of Cape Town, Spencer Deprez of the University of Alberta and Latifat Oyiza Nasiru of Bayero University. - IAPMO said the 2027 Annual Education and Business Conference will be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sept. 27-30, 2027. - More information is available in Dear Stephen: IAPMO Celebrates 100 Years. - IAPMO develops codes and standards including the Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Mechanical Code. - IAPMO also offers certification marks, testing, certification, inspection, professional development, policy and advocacy services, and work through specialty brands including The IAPMO Group, Construction Products Group, System Certifications Body and IWSH.

Between the lines: - The centennial programming suggests IAPMO is using its anniversary to reinforce its institutional role and broaden engagement across government, labor, training and industry groups. - The awards list also shows a focus on sustainability, public service and workforce pipelines, not just technical standards.

What's next: - IAPMO’s next annual conference is scheduled for Sept. 27-30, 2027, in Honolulu. - The association is likely to keep centennial messaging tied to its codes, training and advocacy work as it moves into its next century.

The bottom line: - IAPMO closed its 100th-year celebration by honoring leaders, scholarship winners and longtime contributors, while teeing up its 2027 conference in Hawaii.