Our Chapter History
In the mid 1970's Tom Jones was an "ASPE Member at Large" and received their magazines. In one magazine he noted that they had an article about starting an ASPE Chapter. Tom thought this would be a good thing for Central Ohio. He called the ASPE Office listed in the magazine and asked if there was an ASPE Chapter near Columbus, Ohio. Finding out there wasn't one, he told them he would like to start a Chapter and ASPE sent him the paperwork.
Concurrently, while attending a chapter meeting in Cleveland, Dave O'Carroll was approached by Robert Schutz, PE and Richard McCloskey about the possibility of starting a Columbus-based chapter. Several of the Cleveland Chapter members pointed out the need for an Ohio ASPE chapter in Central Ohio.
Soon after while Dave O'Carroll spoke with Tom Jones during a sales call, Tom mentioned that he thought it was a good idea to start a local ASPE Chapter. Dave agreed and decided that while he visited the offices of various engineers, contractors, equipment suppliers and code officials, he would spread the word. Throughout the following weeks, Dave contacted several people with close ties to the Central Ohio plumbing community.
Dave and Tom began to solicit members and involved Pat O'Reilly and Bob DeCurtins, CIPE of Dayton. Tom was involved in completing the paperwork to organize the new chapter while Pat helped Dave solicit Central Ohio members and Bob canvassed the Dayton area for memberships. Later, Dayton area members separated to form ASPE's Southwest Chapter which included Cincinnati.
In the spring of 1980, a meeting was held to elect an interim board of officers with Tom Jones, CIPE, selected as its president. The newly elected board was installed as the 1980-81 board when the Central Ohio Chapter received its charter on October 25, 1980.
The Chapter has provided engineers, contractors, code officials, manufacturers representatives and others in the plumbing industry with an opportunity for more contact, interaction and education.
In addition to improving the relations to the industry, the Central Ohio Chapter also proved a major asset to the state-wide plumbing community by the introduction to the Ohio Legislature of a bill which placed medical gas, fuel gas, and liquid petroleum piping systems in the Ohio pressure piping code. The bill passed in 1983.
The Central Ohio Chapter gained national recognition in 1984 when it's 1982-83 Board and members earned all three of the Society's awards. Gil Lowder and his Membership Committee obtained two of these awards. This was a great honor, as only three other Chapters in the United States and Canada won these awards that year. The 1983-84, 1984-85 and 1986-87 Membership earned the Society's "Chapter Award of Merit" and the 1984-85 Membership Vice President Vince Newton won the Society's membership growth award.
The Central Ohio Chapter continues to receive regional awards, including the “Chairman’s Award” for outstanding performance by an ASPE Chapter for the implementation of Continuing Education Unit classes for their membership and contractors.
The Central Ohio Chapter has received the “Award of Merit” consistently over the past decade for outstanding accomplishment in all areas of society activity during the entire year.
The Central Ohio Chapter has the highest percentage of attendees at the General Meetings of any Chapter in its region.
From 1983 through 1997, the Chapter's monthly meetings were held on the last Monday of the month at the Monte Carlo Restaurant located at 6333 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43231. The meetings were later moved to the historic Spaghetti Warehouse on Board Street up until the building was closed in March of 2020. Today the meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at Raymond Memorial Golf Course, 3860 Trabue Rd., Columbus, OH 43228.
