Palm Springs, California — IAPMO®, a global team of experts engaging industry and government for a safer built environment, last week conducted its 2025 annual Education and Business Conference at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel. The event was co-located with ASSE International’s Annual Meeting and ARCSA International’s Annual Conference.
Jeremy Stettler, coordinator/inspector, Davis School District, Clearfield, Utah, and Brian Hamner, senior plumbing inspector, city of Des Moines, Iowa, were elected president and vice president, respectively. Keith Bonenfant, California Department of General Services plumbing and mechanical inspector, was appointed secretary/treasurer. Tamara Kuykendall, Mechanical Plumbing Bureau chief, New Mexico Construction Industries Division; Brad Elliott, combination plans examiner, city of Las Vegas; Steve Fernlund, St. Paul, Minnesota, Department of Safety and Inspections plumbing inspector; and Rick Moreno, Astro Mechanical Contractors, Inc., president, were elected as directors.
Wyatt Stiles, UA Local 398 organizer, served as conference host and Jaime Valdivia, UA Local 398 president, served as conference chair.
“This year’s conference was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do,” said Steve Panelli, IAPMO immediate past president. “Bringing together professionals from across the industry to share knowledge, celebrate achievements, and reinforce our commitment to public health and safety is what makes this association so vital. As we approach our centennial, our focus remains clear — building a future rooted in collaboration, innovation, and integrity.”
Development of the 2027 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and 2027 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC®) was advanced during the Association Technical Meeting Convention, part of IAPMO’s ANSI-accredited consensus code development process.
The conference was sponsored by the California State Pipe Trades Council; Codez-N-Spexs; Hawaii Local 675; NITC; PHCC of California; Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 9; Plumbers Local 68; Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 447; South Jersey Mechanical Contractors; Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16; Time Lock Documentation, LLC; UA Local 78; UA Local Union 322; UA Local 398; Watts Water Technologies; Western States Pipe Trades.
During the conference’s opening session, IAPMO honored numerous individuals with awards recognizing unique contributions and long-standing support from members and industry allies. The awards and their recipients include:
Winners of the 15th IWSH Scholarship Essay Competition were announced. First prize was awarded to Saba Ahmed, Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the three runners-up were Rifah Maulidya, University of Indiana, in Bloomington, Indiana; Hannah Schaeffer, Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada; and Sakethram Ramakrishnan, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
IAPMO’s 2026 Annual Education and Business Conference, celebrating the association’s 100th anniversary, will be held in the city in which it was founded in 1926, Los Angeles, Sept. 13-17, 2026.
The Topeka, Kansas, city council has formally adopted the 2024 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC®) as the plumbing and mechanical codes of practice protecting the health and safety of the city’s more than 125,000 residents. The adoptions make Topeka the fifth-most-populous city in the state of Kansas to adopt the UPC and UMC.
IAPMO®, developer of the Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard (WE•Stand), has posted online the 2025 Report on Proposals for the 2027 edition of this prospective American National Standard-designated model code.
IAPMO®, developer of the Uniform Solar, Hydronics and Geothermal Code (USHGC®) and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (USPSHTC®), has posted online the 2025 Report on Proposals for the 2027 editions of these prospective American National Standard-designated model codes.