Plumbing Manufacturers International recently announced the election of Joel Smith as president of the 2020 PMI Board of Directors. The director of faucets product engineering at Kohler, Smith succeeds Nate Kogler, the director of product management at Bradley Corp. Kogler continues to serve on the board as immediate past president.

Todd Teter, senior vice president and general manager, House of Rohl, was elected vice president, and Martin Knieps, director, technical mar-keting, for Viega, will serve as secretary/treasurer. 

While telling members at the recent PMI19 Conference in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, to be ready for a continual string of surprises and a rapid pace of change, Smith stated PMI was “uniquely positioned” to adapt to new issues and challenges such as consumer privacy, trade and tariffs, and fulfilling members’ educational needs. “We’re always on and thinking ahead,” he said. “We’re only scratching the surface of PMI’s potential.”

Smith presented a commemorative crystal gavel and Florida flag to Kogler in appreciation of his service as 2019 board president. The flag flew over the Florida state capitol on the first day of the PMI19 Conference. Kogler acknowledged his fellow board members and members who made his time as president so rewarding.

PMI CEO/Executive President Kerry Stackpole recognized Kohler Co.’s Shabbir Rawalpindiwala with the PMI Ambassador Award.

Other members of the 2020 board will be Michael Martinez, product compliance manager, Delta Faucet; Sal Gattone, vice president, engineer-ing, LIXIL; Daniel Gleiberman, manager, product compliance and government affairs, Sloan Valve; and Fernando Fernandez, director codes and standards, TOTO USA.

2020 committee co-chairs will be: Advocacy/Government Affairs Committee: Lowell Lampen (Kohler) and Troy Benavidez (LIXIL); Technical Committee: C.J. Lagan (LIXIL) and Bob Neff (Delta Faucet); Commerce Committee: Elton Perkins (Fluidmaster) and Liz Renfro (Delta Faucet); and Water Efficiency and Sustainability Issue Committee: Cambria McLeod (Kohler) and Will Wang (Fluidmaster).