Hello Fellow IAQA Members,

I’d like to start by thanking the IAQA Convention Committee and staff for an outstanding 21^st Annual Meeting. I would also like to thank our sponsors, speakers and presenters. Together, these outstanding individuals provided our members with a wonderful conference and expo experience. Thank you to all the members who made the wintery trek to Chicago. We had a great time in Chi Town.

After all that took place in 2017, our members persevered and headed to Chicago for our 21st Annual Meeting. Our conference is critical for member engagement, networking and education. This year’s conference included access to the AHR Expo, a technical program featuring over 40 presentations, plenary sessions featuring prominent industry leaders, and in-depth preconference workshops providing fundamental study and career development. The IAQA Annual Meeting is where our members continue to learn from industry leaders and add to their constantly evolving skill sets.

To be a leader in our industry, our members should always remember a few simple rules: Know and understand the prevailing industry standards of practice, surround yourself with capable and experienced industry colleagues, and know and follow the influencers in your industry. That is exactly the opportunity that is provided to our members at our Annual Meeting.

Welcome to the newest members of the IAQA Hall of Fame, announced during the Annual Meeting: Joe Lstiburek, Andrew Ask, Lew Harriman, and Jeff May. What an outstanding group of well-deserving members. Congratulations to each of you.

After a challenging year, I’m very proud of the association and our members. Our members responded to multiple natural disasters from the fires and flooding in California to the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast, East Coast, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I continue to hear how members were able to help each other and help their communities during a time of great need. You should all be very proud of how you continue to use your training and experience to benefit your communities. The IAQA is an important and valuable resource for those impacted by natural disasters.

The IAQA enjoyed a very successful year in 2017. We remained focused on education and training, regulatory and industry affairs, and member engagement. We signed new Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), with the following industry associations: The Lead and Environmental Hazards Association (LEHA), the American Bio Recovery Association (ABRA), the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), and the Environmental Information Association (EIA). With these MOUs, we will continue to provide our members the most recent, reliable and relevant industry-related information, providing our members ready access to a much more robust and broad body of knowledge.

As we continue to push for training at all levels, we have added two new training partners: ehs, Inc. and Aramsco/Interlink. These new training providers will immediately and substantially expand our onsite and online training opportunities across the country and internationally with a comprehensive suite of health-and-safety courses. We are excited about the future of IAQA’s education programs.

The IAQA continues to expand our member benefits and 2017 was truly a big year and a great sign of things to come. Here are some of the new member benefits introduced in 2017:

1. Free Quarterly In the Air eNewsletter
2. Free Quarterly Webinars
3. Free Annual IAQA University Course
4. Partner Discount Program – Login to your member account at www.iaqa.org for more details.
5. Business Management Toolkit – Login to your member account at www.iaqa.org for more details.
6. Notification of IAQA and ASHRAE Standards in a public review period
7. IAQ Job Board
8. Multiyear Membership Options

The association is successful as a direct result of our members and staff. We are blessed with a staff and Executive Director who are committed to growing the association and providing our members with the best possible experience. Improving member experience involves taking into account all the feedback from members and the IAQ community in order to add to and improve the value of IAQA membership and the IAQA member experience. We should all take the time to thank our staff for providing yet another outstanding year.

Our staff is a small but effective team and their success is enhanced by our members’ volunteer hours. We have several committees and are always looking for additional volunteers.

As we enter into 2018, I encourage you to volunteer for a committee, participate in the free quarterly webinars, take the free online IAQA University course on psychometrics, take advantage of our member discount program, and please don’t forget to update your profile on Find a Pro!

I’m very proud to be your president and will continue to work on behalf of our members and industry partners.

Thank you all!

John Lapotaire
President
Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA)