Shanghai, China — Dave Viola, CEO of the IAPMO Group of the United States, was elected for a three-year term as chair of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) at the 2023 World Plumbing Conference, concluding last week in Shanghai, China, and via remote online channels.
Viola, who previously served on the WPC executive board as deputy chair, carries nearly 30 years of senior management experience within the plumbing and mechanical industry. He joined IAPMO in 2007 and was promoted to CEO in 2020.
Viola holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Northern Illinois University and has served in such industry capacities as chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers A112 Committee on Plumbing, Board of Directors of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standardization and Testing, founding director of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the World Health Organization (WHO) Advisory Committee on Water Quality, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Certification Committee.
Established in 1990 and headquartered in Geneva, the WPC maintains NGO status with the World Health Organization and carries out a mission to unite the world plumbing industry and promote its role in improving public health and safeguarding the environment.
“I’m honored and excited to be called to work continuing the legacy of progress established by my predecessors on behalf of the international plumbing community,” Viola said. “Advancing vital goals in workforce development, workplace diversity, spotlighting of skills and generally showcasing the awesome benefits of plumbing to humankind will be a priority for the entirety of my term.”
Joining Viola on the WPC executive board are Deputy Chair Kevin Wellman of England, Secretary/Treasurer Shayne La Combre of Australia, and directors Tom Bigley (United States), Alberto Fossa (Brazil), Paddy Kavanagh (Ireland), BSA Narayan (India), Yongxin Qin (China), and Jean Claude Twagirimana (Rwanda).
“I want to recognize and thank Tom Bigley for his tremendous WPC leadership the past four years and congratulate Kevin Wellman on his election as deputy chair, with whom I look forward to working closely and productively as we steward the organization forward.”
The 2023 WPC Conference was attended by just under 2,000 people representing a dozen nations when combining in-person and virtual attendees.
“I offer immense respect and gratitude to conference hosts Yongxin Qin and Lily Li Kai from China for their expert handling of all the behind the scenes work necessary to make the event successful while seamlessly balancing in-person and virtual attendance.”
The next WPC will be held in Birmingham, England, in June 2026.
IAPMO®, a global team of experts engaging industry and government for a safer built environment, and its charitable foundation, the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH®), are proud to celebrate 10 years as a WorldSkills Global Industry Partner. IAPMO and IWSH celebrated the milestone this week at the annual General Assembly of WorldSkills International Members in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
A first-of-its-kind workshop for African World Plumbing Council (WPC) member organizations was held alongside the WorldSkills Africa 2025 capacity-building program for Plumbing, hosted at the Fountain Gate Craft & Trades School in Lusaka, Zambia, from Sept. 1-5. This workshop assembled a team of proactive WPC representatives from Zambia, South Africa, and Rwanda for a first in-person meeting of WPC member organizations on the continent.
ASSE International is seeking working group members to update four professional qualification standards: ASSE 13000 Standard for Service Plumber and Residential Mechanical Service Technician; ASSE 15000 Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems; ASSE 27000 Standard for Hybrid Fire Extinguishing Systems Personnel; and ASSE 29000 Standard for Personnel Related to Safe Pressure Testing of Piping Systems.