DEVIN A. ABELLON, P.E.

Uponor

25404 North 52nd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85083-4444

(760) 902-4879

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Devin Abellon, P.E. is the Business Development Manager for Engineering Services at Uponor North America. He has 25 years of experience in the HVAC and plumbing industries with a focus on high-performance and sustainable building design and construction. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a registered professional engineer in California and Arizona. He is an active member of both ASPE and ASHRAE, and serves as the ASHRAE Region X Nominating Member, Programs Subcommittee Chair for ASHRAE TC 6.5 and as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer. He is also a member of ASHRAE’s Conferences and Expositions Committee.

TOPICS

• Embedded Tube Radiant Systems to Maximize LEED Points

• Specifying Radiant Heating and Cooling Systems

• The (un)Ethical Engineer: a study in principle and practice

• Hydronic Piping with PEX: Pros and Pitfalls

KARINE LEBLANC

USACD
16900 Chestnut St.
Industry, CA 91748
(310) 420-7066
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Karine Leblanc received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ecole de Technologie Superieure, a public engineering school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who was founded in 1974 and that is part of the University of Quebec. She was awarded an honorary medal as part of the 50th anniversary of the University of Quebec for her exceptional contribution to the institution.

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She has been working as an HVAC sales engineer for US Air Conditioning Distributors since 2001 and has been an active member of ASHRAE since she was a student.

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She has served on the ASHRAE Society Board of Director from 2014-2017 and became the first female Region X Director Regional Chair since 1959. In 2009-2010, she was the 2nd female and youngest President of the chapter of Southern California which was founded in 1930.

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She has received the Louise & Bill Holladay chapter Distinguished service award, the Region X Director’s Cup award, the Regional Award of Merit and the Distinguished Service Award.

TOPICS

• How to use Emotional Intelligence to become a better leader professionally and personally

• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

ERIN MCCONAHEY, ASHRAE FELLOW, HDBP

Arup
12777 W. Jeferson Blvd.

Bldg. D
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 279-8261
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Erin McConahey is a Principal in Mechanical Engineering with Arup, a 15,000 person employee-owned global engineering, advisory and planning consulting firm. During her 23 years with Arup, she has worked internationally and now leads multidisciplinary design teams in Los Angeles on a wide variety of project types.

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Erin’s passion for finding integrated design solutions through a collaborative design process began with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. As she rose in leadership within her firm, she served on Arup’s global Trustee Board, was named an Arup Fellow for her technical excellence, spearheaded the Americas Region Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, and served on the leadership teams for the region’s mid-career Design School and Graduate Induction training programs for 18 and 10 years, respectively. These service opportunities, coupled with growing concern over climate change, led her to a second Master’s degree in Ethical Leadership from Claremont Lincoln University.

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Erin is a Professional Engineer in California and Colorado, a LEED accredited professional (BD+C specialty), an ASHRAE accredited High Performance Building Design Professional, a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) and a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers.

TOPICS

• An Inclusion Mindset

• Principles of Museum Environmental Design

• The Feasibility of Natural Ventilation

• Holistic Thinking for Multidisciplinary Design Solutions

MAX H. SHERMAN, Ph.D.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
1 Cyclotron Road
Building 90 - Room 3074
Berkeley, CA 94720-0001
(510) 486-4022
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Dr. Max Sherman is a Staff Senior Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is senior advisor on residential matters.  His research career spans over 35 years and 200 publications, most of which focus on buildings, energy efficiency, IAQ and HVAC.  His most recognized research areas also include ventilation, thermal distribution systems, infiltration, IAQ and envelope-dominated buildings.  He gives technical lectures frequently and has appeared in the popular media on issues of energy, ventilation and duct tape.

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Dr. Sherman was one of the youngest to be made an ASHRAE Fellow and has had a distinguished career since being elevated including winning the Holladay Distinguished Fellow award—Society’s highest technical level. He has received the Exceptional Achievement award and most recently the Standards Achievement award.  He has chaired SPC 62.2, the committee which developed ASHRAE’s residential ventilation standard.  He served as a Director-At-Large for the Society in 2001-2004 as well as numerous councils and committees.  He continues to be an active member of ASHRAE including work on SSPC 62.2 and international activities. He currently chairs the Society's Residential Buildings Committee.

TOPICS

• Ventilation: The Once and Future King

• Dr. Duct Tape

• ASHRAE's Residential Ventilation Standards

• ASHRAE Is In The House: Past, Present and Future Initiatives in Residential Building Performance

• ​Smart Ventilation and IAQ Metrics

JACK H. ZAROUR

San Jose State University

1 Washington Sq
San Jose, CA 95192
(408) 489-9941
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Jack has spent more than four decades in the fields of Semiconductor, Bio Tech and Pharmaceuticals, focusing on building design, clean rooms, commissioning, FDA compliance, sustainability and energy performance.

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Jack receive his undergraduate degree in Engineering Technology with emphasis in HVAC & R from California Polytechnic State University. He served in various capacities in Semiconductor and Pharma facilities, as well as started and managed the largest Design Build Mechanical Contracting firm in Silicon Valley at the time, until he sold it in 2000. The company is still operating successfully.

Jack is a Life Member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). He served ASHRAE at all different positions at the local San Jose Chapter including President of the Chapter 1992, he has also served many Regional positions at the Region X including Director and Society Board Member. He served on various committees including Standards, Society Rules, Membership and Nominating Committees.

Jack is a charter member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE), Golden Gate Chapter. He has given many presentation and seminars on design, operating and managing Pharmaceutical facilities. He has designed and built facilities all over the world, including Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico and throughout the US.

Jack was instrumental in the design and implementation of a Climate Impact project to upgrade/replace chillers and cold rooms in 19 locations to utilize Ammonia/CO2 refrigeration, replacing Ozone depleting and Global Warming refrigerant, and to improve the energy performance.

TOPICS

• GMP Manufacturing Environments

• What is a Clean Room?

• HVAC Psychrometrics

• Filtration

• Pressurization

• Sustainability

• Natural Refrigerant Alternatives