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Mobile A/C Pioneers

Mobile Air Climate Systems Pioneer Award Recipients

Individuals who have made outstanding career contributions to the mobile A/C and heat transfer industry are recognized for their work with the Mobile Air Climate Systems Pioneer Award. First established in 1988 by IMACA (the International Mobile Air Conditioning Association), the Pioneer Awards publicly acknowledge influential people in the industry.

Those who’ve invented a part or a process valuable to the mobile A/C and heat transfer industry, have a patent specific to the industry or have been an outstanding thought leader qualify for the Pioneer Awards. In 2003, MACS was honored to assume this tradition of awarding careers that made a difference in the mobile cooling system industry.

How to nominate the next Mobile Air Climate Systems Pioneer

Nominations for the Mobile Air Climate Systems Pioneer Award can be submitted to:

Elvis Hoffpauir, MACS president and COO.

Nominations can be made up to September 30, annually. They are considered by the Pioneer Committee of the MACS Board of Directors and voted on by the entire board. Pioneer award recipients are recognized and given a plaque during the MACS Annual Training Event and Trade Show. Their names are also placed on a plaque at the MACS headquarters. In addition, recipients are recognized in a feature article in MACS’ ACTION magazine.

MACS Mobile Air Climate Systems Association membership

MACS membership connects thousands of industry workers together for shared knowledge and auto A/C training. In the membership, influential experts are also able to build relationships with younger generations entering the industry. With the right connections available at the right time, MACS members can better serve their customers.

EPA 609 Certification

Auto technicians wanting to purchase refrigerant in containers of two pounds or more are required by federal law to have a 609 Certification. The EPA 609 Certification program is separate from skills training. Rather, it trains auto technicians on how to safely handle and dispose of refrigerant.

Mobile and auto A/C training and workshops

MACS offers hands-on mobile A/C training sessions for vehicles that use R-134a or R-1234yf refrigerant. MACS provides knowledge specific to individual shop’s needs. MACS is available to come on-site at your facility and use your vehicles for training, or MACS offers effective online training as well.

1988
Gus Alexander | William Anglin | Robert Bauman | Al Brandimarte | W.T. Caldwell | Arthur Cary | Dorothy Chapman | Bert Cole | Robert Craren | Nathan “Scoop” Davis | Jack Durrett, Sr. | Charles Fine | Wayne Fogelstrom | Jack Herweg | Frank Hughes | Anton Jacobs | Milton Jones | David Jones | Jerry Kocian | King A. Koch | Don Mitchell | A.J. “Buddy” Paschal | Sam L. Palmer | Charles Pitts | Carl Self | Carl Springer | Curtis Stephen | C.A. Thomas | Al Volsch | Bob Wilson

1989
Kenneth Garner | Wick McAfee | Bill O’Brien | Max Sylvester | Steve White

1990
Ray Hergott | David Jackson | R.L. “Red” Maier | Ichiro Ogura | Howard Roberts | Morris Washer | Richard Blair | Miguel Carpio | Gerhard Dankowski | George Maes | Joe Turner | Irving Woolf

1991
Bob Bandeen | Eric Booker | Kenneth Johnson | Don Langston | Truman Sims | Lee Whelpley

1992
Howard Dudley | Harold E. Farmer | Louise Hummel | C.L. “Red” Medlin | Harold V. Price | Myra J. Whitten

1993
Robert T. Cherry, Sr. | Roger Gonzalez F. Vernon Poynter | Carl H. Schmitt | Ben Taylor | Rolene Yarbrough

1994
C.P. “Mike” Gratton, Sr. | Chas. “Bud” Howseman | Bill Lovell | H.F. “Red” Payne | Hiroshi Takahashi | Paul Williams

1995
Dick Bloksma | D. Tom Burdette | R. Bob Fulford | Leonard Scooter | Jerry Morgan | Walter E. Sandifier | Ray Aylesworth

1996
Austin G. Baker | Kjell (Chick) Bjorkman | Marvin Mastroff | Arthur (Butch) Smith | Lars-Olof-Strand | Willie E. Vercher

1997
Dwight Chandler | Stanley Davidow | Jim Elvins | Ed Himmel | Norm Lucas | R.L. “Bob” Woods

1998
Doug Hunsaker | Alex Hurwitz | Joe Jordan | Ken Morley | Jack Rieke

1999
Vincent Heinz | Fred “Fritz” Ludolph | T. Norbata | Bill Rankin

2000
Herb Beck | Jimmy George | Sy Herman | Ben Matheson | Ron Sherman | Dennis Winiger

2001
Jack L. Chisenhall | Dale R. Larson | Gordon Marks, Jr. | William Perez | Richard Watkins

2002
Bill Caroselli | Randy Gardiner | Wayne Herndon | Bob Lamb | Carlos E. Mancin

2003
Jeff Sachs | Bob Wallace-Jones | Larry Kniffin | Ward Atkinson | Don Pelissier | Marie Trepton

2004
Mitchell Armentrout | Charles Braswell Sr. | Simon Oulouhojian, Sr. | Brian Taylor | Masayoshi Ushikubo

2005
Holt Hickman | Odie Cummings

2006
James Baker | Dave Bateman | Larry Chan | Jerry Hamilton

2007
Tim Murphy | Gary Murray | Joe Sambroskey

2008
Joe Echols | Carlos Green | Art Hobbs | Gene Markel | Lindsey Parrish | Len Torres

2009
Gary Hansen | Al Leupold | Ford Slagle | Myron Stein

2010
David Rudyk | Michael Sunday | Ed Swensen | Paul Weissler

2011
Carlos Coll | Grace Davis | Wayne Rankin

2012
Doyle Deese | Judy Gilmore | Chuck Gilmore | David Pitts | Larry Skaro

2013
Michael Dawson | Richard Pershell | Bob Witt

2014
Jim Graham | Danny Spitznagel | Klaus Zenk

2015
John Bracey| Rodge Brooks| Billy Carlisle

2016
Jim Hittman | Marc McDermott |John Miller| Dan Spurgeon

2017
Richard Cox | Bruce Crowe | Eugene Dianetti| Doris Showalter

2018
Gary Douglass | RJ Dolwani | Brian Jordan | Jim Resutek | Larry Turay

2019
Pat Hennessy | Mark Padwick | Bruce Phillips | Mark Schmitz | Sherwood Wheeler

2020
Tim Craig | Alex Moultanovsky | Matt Parkman | Mike Rouse | Lin Staley | Curt Vincent