by Al Veeck, CAFS, NCT II
Retired doesn’t always mean inactive and I wanted to always be able to educate the next generation of HVAC&R technicians on the proper application of air filters. In a recent meeting in South Boston, Virginia, a town about 50 miles from my home at Lake Gaston, I met Dr. Betty Adams, Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC).
Dr. Adams and her great staff of educators run this unique educational institution that allows individuals in southern Virginia to continue their education in many high-demand technical fields, such as:
HVAC&R
Welding
Computer Science
Healthcare
This advances Southern Virginia’s economic potential through education, innovation, and collaboration.
The SVHEC provides access to college degrees and job training and is focused on re-tooling Southern Virginia’s rural workforce for jobs.
Mr. Thomas “Chris” Walton, SVHEC HVAC Program Lead Instructor and Maria “Michelle” Newcomb, SVHEC HVAC Program Lab Tech/Instructor, allowed me to come to their classroom on Wednesday, February 12 and present the Technology of Clean Air to their group of trained HVAC students who are ready to sit for their licensure and begin working in the industry.
My friend and long time NAFA member Jeff Holt, CAFS, NCT of Airflow Products Co., Inc. was kind enough to supply me with some show-and-tell filter samples and the group expressed interest in the different types of filters that should be used in residential and light commercial applications. In addition, they had questions about UVC and where and how to utilize this product. Thanks to many years of work with expert Bill Palmer, we were able to relate correct applications of UVC in HVAC units.
All NAFA Members should avail themselves of the great opportunity to give back to the industry and their community by taking time to present the principles of air filtration and its correct application to this new generation of young people.