Who is an IRHACE Professional Member?

MEMBER PROFILES

PAUL DE BERNARDO RM.IRHACE, member since 1982

Following completion of his apprenticeship and NZCE, and after working overseas for 6 years, Paul joined the family business, Aquaheat Industries Ltd, as managing director where he remained until retirement in 2014.

During his time at Aquaheat Paul experienced and was able to take advantage of the many significant technological advances made in the HVAC and Plumbing industries to both improve productivity and the quality of projects completed by his company.

Outside of Aquaheat Paul also had key roles on the national HVAC apprenticeship committee, the committee responsible for negotiating HVAC industry wages and conditions prior to the implementation of the Employment Contracts Act in 1991 and is a former president of what is now the CCANC. Paul is particularly and justifiably proud of the many apprentices that were trained at Aquaheat, many of whom still work there, either on the tools or in management roles, during his time at the company.

ANDREW CLELAND RF.IRHACE, member since 1987

I finished my PhD on heat transfer during freezing of foods in 1977, leading to a lifetime interest in refrigeration. Then, food refrigeration was nationally important, and New Zealand’s refrigeration research community was regarded internationally as world-class. I was the national leader in the International Institute of Refrigeration through the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1980s the refrigeration research community deliberately moved closer to IRHACE, cooperation that continues to this day. I was privileged to become a Fellow of IRHACE in 1989.

In 2000, I became chief executive of what is now Engineering New Zealand, the professional body for all engineer, then in 2014 became chief executive of Royal Society Te Apārangi, the national peak body for researchers and scholars. From early 2022, I have been making voluntary contributions to the engineering, food and research communities. I look back on a rich career, of which involvement with refrigeration and IRHACE has been a significant part.

Andrew is currently the IRHACE Advocate for the North Island.

DAVID WHITE

M.IRHACE, member since 1966

I originally served my time as an electrician with Westfield Freezing then after a couple of jobs I learnt about refrigeration and then went to Ellis Hardies and did industrial refrigeration. Through G Bridsen joined IRHACE and am still a member at 90 years. I have enjoyed the Institute and look forward to a long membership. David EG White

PROFESSOR GEORGE BAIRD

RF.IRHACE, member since 1977

I had a circuitous route into the HVAC&R industry. A ‘refugee’ from a declining Scottish coal mining industry, having completed a Masters in mine ventilation at Glasgow University, I joined the Heating and Ventilating Section of the London Transport Board in 1962. While there, I got involved in the design of the ventilation of the Victoria Line tunnels and the H&V systems for their railway depots. I attended classes at the National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering, sat and passed the examinations of the UK’s Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (now CIBSE) and became a Graduate Member – my conversion was under way!

I then spent six years with the Building Services Research Unit at Glasgow University researching hospital ventilation and air-borne cross-infection and completing a PhD. After that I became a Lecturer in Building Services at the Aberdeen School of Architecture – six years there prepared me for the Senior Lectureship I took up at the newly established Architecture School at Victoria University in 1975.

I joined the NZ IHVE in 1977, transfering when it developed into IRHACE in the early 1990s. I became involved with some of its committees and was a regular participant and frequent speaker at Annual Conferences as well as promoting the annual Student Award amongst our Building Science students. I was honoured to becoming a Fellow in 2009.

Now an Emeritus Professor and a Retired Member of the Institute (RF.IRHACE) I still look forward to perusing the Journal and participating in local events when I can. I continue to have a mentoring role in building performance research and recognise the critical role of air movement control in our current pandemic.

Read the full article in the Industry Journal, July 2022 issue