OESP Awards & New Board

The StaffJuly 19, 2016

Photography Courtesy of Mike Sangiovanni for OESP

While the Eastern Energy Expo was a new event in a new venue, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Conn., it retained many of the traditional activities long associated with both OESP and AREE. One of these events was the OESP’s annual Awards Banquet held on Tues., May 24. The affair was congenial and well attended, and it provided an opportunity to honor a range of service professionals for their years of dedicated service to the industry and to OESP.
In addition to the various awards, the new OESP board was sworn in and the new president, Ralph C. Adams III assumed office.

Adams, a member of the Mid Atlantic Chapter, has been active in OESP since May 2006, serving in a range of leadership positions, such as National Vice President and Co-Chair of Education. Adams is also the co-author of the National Oilheat Research Alliance’s Gold Airflow and Venting programs and developed a Home Comfort Specialist Academy for sales people.

In addition, Adams won the “Contractor of the Year” from the Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors of Maryland in 2014, as well as the organization’s Joe Kaelin Memorial Award in 2013.

“I am proud and humbled to accept this position to lead a proactive organization that promotes professionalism and excellence within the industry,” Adams said. “Our members work directly with the end customer, such as business owners and homeowners. We encourage and promote a level of customer service that elevates our profession and continually underscores our industry’s value within the community. To serve as president is a terrific milestone in my career, and one I cherish.”

Adams said he has outlined a number of initiatives for his two-year term, focusing on ways in which to expand member value and to further promote OESP in the industry.

“Customers need to know that working with an OESP service provider ensures a level of skill and competency,” Adams said. “Our members are the top of the industry, and we strive hard through continuing education to ensure it. That is the OESP Difference. And my focus is to ensure that customers recognize there is a difference.”

Adams is a service manager at Parker Fuel Company in Ellicott City, where he has been a company leader for 22 years. There, Adams is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the service and installation departments. Adams said he is proud to have transformed Parker into a full-service HVAC company that also sells heating oil.

Al_Ralph — Al Breda (left) is lauded for his service as outgoing president by OESP’s incoming president, Ralph Adams.

The current board:
• Past President Al Breda, Fairfield County & New Haven Chapters; service manager for Sippin Energy, Monroe, Conn.
• Vice-President Scott Vadino; South Jersey Chapter; service manager, Harrietts Energy Solutions, Medford N.J.
• Vice-President George Fantacone; Rhode Island Chapter; vice president service management, Santoro Oil Co., Providence, R.I.
• Vice-President Curtis Reynolds; NH/VT Chapter; service manager for White Mountain Fuel & Propane, Conway, N.H.
• Vice-President Angel Gonzalez; New York City Chapter; territory manager for Carlin-Hydrolevel
• Secretary Paul Cuprewich; Garden State Chapter; service manager for J.W. Pierson, Glen Ridge, N.J.
• Treasurer Robert O’Brien; Long Island Oilheating & Cooling Chapter; owner Technical Heating Company, Mount Sinai, N.Y.

board_MG_9154 — The 2016 OESP board swearing in.

Association Awards

OESP Award recipients must be members of OESP currently, and in some cases for specified lengths of time. This year they were:

• Service Manager of the Year: Mike Hodge, Griffith Energy, Frederick Md.
The recipient is honored for having made a major contribution in the field of education.

MikeH_MG_9192 — Mike Hodge, recipient of the Service Manager of the Year award, started in this industry working with his stepfather and when old enough went out on his own. He is the current president of OESP’s Mid Atlantic chapter and has run a tech night for tech’s throughout the state for the last six years.

• Hugh W. McKee Memorial Award: Ralph Adams, Parker Fuel, Ellicott City, Md.
The recipient is honored for having made an outstanding contribution to oil and energy Industry; for being understanding and cooperative with others; and having unselfishly aided the industry in education and related activities.

Ralph Adams III, recipient of the Hugh W. McKee Memorial Award got his start in the industry in 1969 as an oil burner mechanic helper and today he is the service manager at Parker Fuel Company Inc., Ellicott City, Md. Adams also develops training programs thought Gray Metal Products. He has held numerous offices in NAHOSM/OESP, Mid Atlantic Service Managers Association, Washington Metro Oil Heat Service Managers Association and has received numerous awards from those organizations. He will now be serving as OESP president.

• Instructor of the Year: Dennis Silvestri, Porter & Chester Institute, Branford, Conn.
The recipient (who actively teaches at a vocational or trade school) is honored for having demonstrated a commitment to teaching oil heating; for continually going the extra mile for his/her students; and for having an understanding of what is required by our Industry and does his/her best to teach these skills.

• Lou Ehrich Memorial Associate of the Year Award: Bruce Graham, Carlin-Hydrolevel Co.
The recipient is honored for having aided in the field of education (but not product orientated) and also for having made a major contribution in the field of education.

Bruce Graham, recipient of the Lou Ehrich Memorial Associate of the Year Award, is said to always be available as a valuable resource and is described as the epitome of a “team player.” Teaching at manager’s meetings, tech nights, association training and tech schools are his passions. On the association front, he speaks at endless chapter meetings and even though he may be teaching similar products each time, he works to keep each presentation unique and entertaining.

• Manufacturer of the Year: Roth Tank
The recipient company is honored for having made a major contribution in the field of education, and also for having aided in the field of education, but not product orientated.

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob O’Rourke, Westchester Chapter
As the name suggests, this award represents an acknowledgement of a lifetime spent serving the industry and the association.

RobertO_MG_9209 — Bob O’Rourke, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award has been in the heating business for over 45 years. He started out working for Edwards Platt and Deeley, a rep company, in the early1970’s. By the late 1980’s he had become a partner at EP&D. O’Rourke has held all positions in the Westchester chapter with the exception of treasurer, and he was chapter president for 6 years. He has been on the board of directors of OESP twice, and currently serves as vice president. O’Rourke provided training and endless equipment donations to mini tradeshows, VICA completions and also judged many local competition sponsored by the Westchester chapter. He also helped rewrite the VICA program to allow for the proper use and installation of backflow preventers. He was instrumental in Westchester adopting Saunders Trade and Technical school in Yonkers, N.Y., long before it was a common practice.

Dave Nelsen Scholarship

The Dave Nelsen Scholarship Program was established in 1999 and it continues to provide scholarships to worthy students interested in pursuing their careers in the energy service industry. The 2016 Dave Nelsen Scholarship recipients included, Shaun Maher, winner of the Weil-McLain/OESP Award, Jason Wakefield, Beckett/OESP Award, Devin Laliberte received the New Haven Chapter/OESP Award, Michael Boylston was awarded the Honeywell/OESP Award and Thomas Daros, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter/OESP Award.
The annual Dave Nelsen Scholarship Golf Tournament took place on Monday, May 23 at the Elmridge Golf Course, Pawcatuck. This tournament, chaired by George Fantacone, R.I. Chapter, is the only fundraiser for the scholarship fund that was established in 1999. Since then, almost $300,000 in awards have been presented to students interested in pursuing careers in the energy-service industry. This year’s event netted almost $17,000.00. Thanks go to the golfers, the 30 tee box sponsors, key sponsors, AVATAS Payment Solutions, Carlin/Hydrolevel, Demers Events and Expo Services, Oilheat Associates and FMA.
2016 Dave Nelsen Scholarship Winners:
• Shaun Maher received the Weil-McLain/OESP Award. This is the start of a second career for Shaun. For 20 years, Maher was a PGA professional. At the age of 35, he decided to take the advice of his late grandfather who was an electriciandaytonoh, enter the HVAC-R industry. Maher has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Methodist University.
• Jason Wakefield received the Beckett/OESP Award. He currently attends Manchester Community College and is working towards an Associate’s degree and maintains a 3.9 GPA. Wakefield already has his NORA Bronze certificate, gas trainee license and continually strives for excellence.
• Devin Laliberte received the New Haven Chapter/OESP Award. Laliberte is a student at Porter and Chester Institute, Rocky Hill Conn. His interests have always in been the trades and his senior year in high school he realized that HVAC-R was his future path. Laliberte holds a 3.5 GPA.
• Michael Boylston received the Honeywell/OESP Award. He attends the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport. Boylston has worked the past two summers for Trane Company in New York City as an intern, and the company has offered him a full-time job.
• Thomas Daros, Jr (Teddy) received the Mid-Atlantic Chapter/OESP Award. He is from North Salem, N.Y., and also attends Pennsylvania College of Technology. His dad and uncle own Heritage Fuel and Propane. His major is HVAC design with a minor in small business management and entrepreneurship.

Care to Ride

The Care to Ride event that benefits the Association’s charitable foundation, Oil Heat Cares, will take place in September but the “Cup” was awarded to the chapter that demonstrated their commitment to helping our neighbors in need. The traveling cup went to the Lehigh Valley Chapter.
Oil Heat Cares is a not-for-profit foundation that assists needy persons and organizations with the replacement of their oil heating appliance. Funds are raised to purchase heating equipment and OESP chapters, members and other oil heat partners identify those within their neighborhoods that need a temporary helping hand and install the heating equipment at no cost to the homeowner.

Cup_MG_9143 — Jason Mangos of the Lehigh Valley Chapter accepts the Oil Heat Cares traveling cup from master of ceremonies Dan Holohan.

The StaffJuly 19, 2016