PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 9, 2015) – The Hydraulic Institute (HI), the global authority on pumps and pumping systems, announced the 2015-2016 Board of Directors and Officers during its annual meeting recently held in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Board is primarily responsible for guiding the strategic direction of HI and providing organization oversight.

George Harris, president and CEO of Hydro, Inc., has been elected to serve as Chairman of the Board. John White, Jr, CEO of TACO, Inc., has been elected to serve as HI president and remains as HI’s vice president, Government and Regulatory Affairs.

The other officers are Michael S. Cropper, director of Product Development for Sulzer Pumps (U.S.) Inc., who remains as vice president of Technical Affairs; Bob Hendricks, president of Industrial Pump Operations for Flowserve, who remains as HI vice president of Member Services; Jeff Bredeson, senior VP of Region Americas for WILO USA, as HI vice president of Knowledge and Education. Robert K. Asdal, HI executive director, also continues to serve as secretary/treasurer for the Hydraulic Institute.

Additional Board members, serving terms of varying lengths, include:

  • Peter Barry, President, WEG Electric Corp.
  • Aris Chicles, President, Industrial Process, ITT – Industrial Process
  • Jeremy Frank, President & CEO, KCF Technologies, Inc.
  • Allen Hobratschk, President, National Pump Company
  • Mark Kreinbihl, Group President, Gorman-Rupp, Mansfield Division
  • Phil Pejovich, President, Flow Technologies, Pentair Water
  • Frank Rebori, President, Smith & Loveless, Inc.
  • Jeff Wiemelt, President, Sundyne, LLC

The following former presidents of HI continue their active participation in the Institute as ex-officio members of the Board: Al Huber, president of Patterson Pump Company; Dennis Ziegler, president & CEO of GIW Industries; Ken Napolitano, president of Xylem; and John Miersma, president of Iwaki America.

The mission of HI is to be a resource to member companies, engineering consulting firms, and pump users worldwide by developing and delivering comprehensive industry standards, expanding knowledge by providing education and tools for the effective application, testing, installation, operation, maintenance, and performance optimization of pumps and pumping systems, and by serving as a forum for the exchange of industry information.

Pump Systems Matter is a non-profit educational organization established by the Hydraulic Institute, and utilities and energy efficiency organizations, to educate the industry on the benefits to pump systems optimization and energy efficiency to improve bottom-line savings of end-user companies.