Raleigh Chapter History

The organization of our Raleigh Chapter began in February, 1990. Five individuals came together to discuss establishing a Chapter of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. These five individuals were Mark Burns, Norman Parks, Ron Church, Sebern Sellers and Jim Parrish. Interim officers were elected, a list of potential members was established and a date for the first organized meeting was set.

The first meeting was held at Ballentines Restaurant in Raleigh. Approximately 25 people were in attendances. The guest speaker was Ken Wetnink, who was then the National ASPE Vice President of Membership. It was a complete success and our membership grew rapidly.

By September, 1990 we had met the requirements for Chapter status and submitted our application for a Charter. On November 7, 1990 at the ASPE National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, a Charter for the Triangle-Eastern Carolinas Chapter of ASPE was presented to representatives Norman Parks and Ron Church. To date, we are the only Chapter to be chartered at a National ASPE Convention.

On February 21, 1991, Bernie McCarty, ASPE President, presented our Charter to the membership for signing by all Charter members. The first official board members were installed and charged with their duties. The first board consisted of the following:

Today, we have well over 60 members in our Chapter. The plumbing industry has undergone ups and downs over the years, but it is alive and well in the Triangle area.

The Raleigh Chapter continues to provide opportunities for our members to learn, interact with others in our field and offer the educational, technical and networking opportunities that are so important in our field and in our community.