John Roth, director of the southern district, has been involved in the plumbing industry for quite some time, starting with his plumbing apprenticeship, moving on to form his own company, then working as a longtime plumbing superintendent. He also served as an instructor for plumbing apprentices for twenty-two years. Roth was the assistant director of training for the Houston Area Plumbers Joint Apprenticeship Committee and went on to become a plumbing plan analyst for the city of Houston. From there, he accepted the position of assistant chief plumbing inspector for the city, where he is currently the division manager of plumbing inspections.

Roth’s education includes teacher training courses at Texas A&M University and certification from Purdue University, both in backflow prevention and as an instructor of apprentices and journeymen. He holds licenses as a plumbing inspector and master plumber from the state of Texas. He is also an IAPMO-certified plumbing inspector.

Roth’s ties to professional organizations include membership in the American Society of Sanitary Engineers, the Texas State Association of Plumbing Inspectors, ICBO, and, of course, IAPMO. He takes the obligations that accompany these memberships seriously and shows his commitment to their goals by offering his time and energy to these associations. He participated as a committee member for the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners on the Code and the Water Protection Specialist committees. He also served on the Plumbing Code Change Committee for the International Plumbing Code.

Roth and his wife, Carol, have two children, daughters Robin Harless and Sondra Swett. He also has a stepson, David Miller. John and Carol are very proud of their four grandchildren and two great granddaughters. While raising his kids, Roth spent ten years as a Boy Scout leader. These days, he enjoys woodworking. Most of his projects revolve around furniture and creating intricate inlays in the surfaces of the pieces he builds. He also likes to get outdoors and hunt or fish when time allows.