2021 RETA Breeze May-June

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Hello RETA Family, You can tell it’s almost summer here in Oregon and the blue skies and warm sun have put everyone at HQ in good spirits. We hope and pray that all of you have a safe and enjoyable summer. As always, please keep an eye out for those that ride bicycles and motorcycles. We’ve already seen too many bike accidents since the weather has turned nicer so those of you that ride, please stay safe. RETA has weathered the storm of the last year, and we have all of you to thank for your continued support and commitment to RETA. It’s a testament to the importance of RETA and the work it does as a non-profit trade Association to have endured, survived, and thrived over the last 111 years. We have persisted through the Great Depression, two World Wars, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, Covid-19 and so much more. I can’t stress enough that we are here because of you and for you. We will continue to do the right things for the right reasons and with God at our side. Our goal isn’t to make the most money or to become the 800-pound gorilla in the room. We are often quietly in the background fulfilling our mission statement by enhancing the professional development of industrial refrigeration operating and technical engineers in order to keep the industry and communities safe. Our chapters have done a superb job at planning virtual chapter meetings during this time when it was nearly impossible to have more than 6 people in a room. It’s been so encouraging seeing faces from all over the country at each virtual meeting. If you would like to present at a virtual

chapter meeting or be involved with a chapter in any way, please contact Dan Denton at ddenton@reta.com or 541-497-2955. If you weren’t aware, RETA-Training Institute (RETA-TI) is a 501(c)(3) that RETA has developed to address the critical issues of workforce development and education that surround the industrial refrigeration industry. RETA-TI began with three programs, REDWHITEandCOOL, Women in Natural Refrigeration (WiNR) and Youth and Young Adults (YAYA). REDWHITEandCOOL helps train individuals transitioning from the military to civilian workforce in the science and art of refrigeration. Having completed the first successful cohort in April, the REDWHITEandCOOL program is steadily gaining traction and is set to start the second cohort in July at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. We would like to thank our founding sponsors Smithfield Foods, Tyson, andWagner-Meinert for supporting such an important initiative. TheWomen in Natural Refrigeration (WiNR) program is a program dedicated to improving the careers of women in natural refrigeration, engineering and skilled trades. It encourages and high- lights individuals through networking, mentoring, and education. It also enhances the refrigeration industry’s ability to recruit, develop, inspire, advocate for, and empower women. TheWiNR committee meets monthly and they have some fantastic networking plans in the works. The Youth and Young Adults (YAYA) program is still in development, and we are hoping to bring the success of Marcos Braz’s Azle High School Industrial Refrigeration Course into other high

In the photo above: Katelyn Ingram, Jim Barron, Travis O’Neill

schools across the nation. I recently proctored the CARO exam at Azle High School and was proud and honored to award CARO certifications to Junior Katelyn Ingram and Senior Travis O’Neill. Congratulations to student Jesse Mauerhan who also received his CARO certification yesterday. All of these programs were developed to nurture passion in the industry, develop life skills, inspire the next generation, aid transitioning military veterans, and help keep the industry staffed with individuals who have gained refrigeration knowledge and are ready to go to work. If you would like to become a corporate sponsor for any, or all of these, programs please contact Lois at lois@reta.com. We give a heartfelt thank you to a 501 (c)(3) foundation that unfortunately had to close its doors this year but in doing so, donated $225,000 to RETA-TI. The National Transportation Center Foundation donated their reserves to RETA-TI in order to continue the Preston Harrison Scholarship for Veterans and transitioning military in transportation.

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