From Chuck Heldenbrand, April 2014:
It all started with getting a part-time job at Dahl Air Conditioning and Heating after school and was my first exposure to mechanical/HVAC building systems. I worked in the shop in Van Meter and learned the fabrication and installation side of the sheet metal business and met people like Einar Dahl, Ben Herr and a lot of great sheet-metal mechanics. I attended college full time and continued to work summers and breaks for Dahl Heating and Air Conditioning on projects in Ames including the Ames City Hall, Applied Sciences and the Lied Rec Center. My first job after graduation was a mechanical intern position for The Waldinger Corporation, where I worked with Clint Leonard for 4 months. First real job was at Lint Mechanical working with John Lint for 7 years until 1999; then went on to work for consultants and other contractors including VGI Design, Mercer Engineering, Todd and Sargent and Henneman Engineering from 2000 through 2010. I’ve been employed at Shive-Hattery for the last 3 years.
During my active years in ASHRAE I worked with several great people in the Iowa Chapter on various committees including Research Promotion as assistant chairman with Ben Herr and Chairman with Jason Kems. I was chairman of Programs one year and had the challenge of providing a location, food and drink to keep the meeting costs low, well attended and profitable. I participated in all Board activities from Secretary to Treasurer to Vice President and President. To save me time driving from Ames, as president, I attempted to change up things and had the board meetings at The Energy Center in Ankeny vs. the long time tradition of the board room of Sheet Metal Contractors of Iowa in West Des Moines.
What were board meetings and chapter meetings like during your tenure as President?
As president in 2005-06 that was the first year we started using the internet and e-mail to actively communicate with members. We setup a chapter website and convinced the board and members that we needed to retire the “Iowa Stalks” newsletter and go “paperless” with a PDF e-mailed to members. There were some doubts if this would work…. We also enjoyed a fairly prosperous economic times so the Research Promotion goals were able to grow and we were actively finding new ways to raise money for Research to meet that goal.
What new or emerging technologies were being discussed?
The new and emerging technology was Underfloor Air Delivery and we toured the newly completed DMACC West to see how heat pumps and underfloor delivery in a classroom was being used.
Do you have a favorite memory of your time with ASHRAE?
Hogan was bringing his Chocolate Labrador to the office at that time and her name was “Murphy Brown”. It was great because you did not have to worry about picking up your lunch off the boardroom floor. Murphy was on it… The CRC get-togethers were always memorable from broken elevators to kidnapping, but I won’t get any more detailed. What happens at CRC stays at CRC.