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material, but that was all I knew. But some- thing inside pushed me to go to the conference and learn more. While attending my first RETA conference in 2023 in Jacksonville, FL, I was blown away. The conference far exceeded my expecta tions. The venue was amazing. There were vendors there from every corner of the refrigeration world which provided a great opportunity to get in touch and speak to them and make that connection. But above all, the most important thing the conference offered was knowledge. From the RETA HQ staff to committee members to presenters and even to just random attendees, the people and the knowledge at the RETA conference was immeasurable. I felt like I did back in 2008, just hanging on every word my senior technicians were talking about. The wealth of knowledge I experienced and gained from my first conference experience I cannot truly express in words. I will simply say that it was amazing. I felt at home at the conference; like I was a part of something, and I felt this is where I belong. I went on to donate to the 21 st

Century Club out of my own pocket to help provide RETA training material to the industry. I joined RETA’s education and publication committees as a way to try and give back to our community. Following the conference, I had the pleasure of reviewing and updating one of RETA’s training books. I think we have all worked with that one person in our career that had all this know- ledge but never shared it with anyone. Maybe it was out of fear, maybe it was out of spite, who knows. That is not who I am, and that is not how any of the Members I met at the RETA Conference were. The RETA commu nity is a wonderful group where everyone is happy to share their knowledge, experi ences and stories with each other to all grow together. So, after a great experience in 2023, what do you think I did this year? That’s right, I made it back to the 2024 RETA Conference in Grapevine, TX. Last year’s conference exceeded my expectations, which I thought would not be able to happen. Well RETA proved me wrong and the 2024 Conference was even better. The venue was stunning,

the vendors were great, and the relation ships built at the conference are worth their weight in gold. I am so glad that I found RETA and have found a sense of belonging that I did not have before. I love being able to give back to a community that has given my family and me so much over the years. Looking back, I think to myself, “how have I never been to a conference throughout my career?”There were many factors at play at the time. At the end of the day, I cannot change the past, but I can look to the future, where I see myself attending a lot of RETA Conferences. You should make this a priority for your future, too! I look forward to making new connections with the fantastic members of our refrigera tion community, and I hope to see you at a future RETA event soon. Brian Tiemeier Process Safety Manager Darling Ingredients

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