July 8, 2026 Business Meeting Minutes - State Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors
Date: July 8, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Place: 100 South Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Via teleconference (US +1 470-285-0286 PIN: 653 561 432#)
Members Present: Winfield “Rocky” Jones, Chairman
Michael Weglarz, Master Electrician
Dwight Needham, Master HVACR Contractor
Robert Parker, Master HVACR Contractor
Kenneth Sweetney, Master Restricted HVACR Contractor
Kabir Ahmed, Consumer Member
David Politzer, Consumer Member (Mr. Politzer joined meeting ~10:45 a.m.)
Members Absent: Michael Giangrandi, Master HVACR Contractor
Staff Present: Chuck Marquette, Executive Director, Mechanical Licensing Unit
John Dove, Commissioner, Occupational and Professional Licensing
Sloane Fried Kinstler, Assistant Attorney General
Andrew Friel, Director of Government Affairs, Occupational and Professional Licensing
Aajah Harris, Policy Director, Occupational and Professional Licensing
Alicia Dennis, DWDAL Office of Apprenticeship
Jacob Guy, Administrative Officer, Mechanical Licensing Unit
Guests Present: No guests were present.
Call to Order:
A quorum was established, and Chairman Jones called the Business Meeting of the State Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration (“HVACR”) Contractors to order at 10:34 a.m.
Approval of the Agenda:
A motion to adopt the July 8, 2026, Business Meeting agenda was made by Mr. Weglarz, seconded by Mr. Parker, and unanimously approved by the Board. Mr. Politzer was not yet present and did not vote.
Approval of the Minutes:
Mr. Parker moved to approve the Meeting Minutes for the June 10, 2026, HVACR Board meeting without amendment or correction. The motion was seconded by Mr. Weglarz and unanimously approved by the Board. Mr. Politzer was not yet present and did not vote.
Complaint Committee Report:
Chairman Mr. Jones reported the findings of the Complaint Committee as follows:
| Closed Complaint | Under Investigation | Sent for A.G. Pre-Charge | Criminally Charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-0067 | 26-0009 | 26-0018 | |
| 26-0012 | 25-0059 | ||
| 26-0017 | 25-0074 | ||
| 26-0005 | |||
| 26-0014 | |||
| 26-0015 | |||
| 26-0019 |
A motion to approve the findings of the Complaint Committee was made by Mr. Ahmed, seconded by Mr. Weglarz, and unanimously approved by the Board. Note: Mr. Politzer was not yet present and did not vote.
Application Review Committee Report:
Mr. Needham indicated that there were no applications to be reviewed; no report of the Committee was necessary.
Review of Examination Statistics and License Totals:
Mr. Guy reported the following PSI exam statistical summary for the month of June 2026:
| Period | Candidates Tested | Passed | Failed | Pass Rate % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 Total | 78 | 31 | 47 | 40% |
| Cumulative- YTD Total | 491 | 202 | 289 | 41% |
| Testing to date Total | 14340 | 6148 | 8192 | 43% |
There are currently 25,276 active licensees.
Board Correspondence:
No Board Correspondence was submitted for the July 2026 Board meeting.
Old Business:
Discussion on District of Columbia Reciprocity Agreement:
Director Marquette stated that he did not have an update at this time. The Board’s drafted proposal was sent to the Washington D.C. Board of Industrial Trades (“D.C.”) and is awaiting approval. If D.C. has revisions, then they will be sent back to be reviewed by the Board. If D.C. approves the proposal, then the Boards will execute the agreement. Director Marquette will provide an update as necessary.
Proposed Regulation to Assign a Master License to a Business
Director Marquette did not have an update for Board Members, but did he offer that he has been collecting feedback from stakeholders regarding how the regulation could potentially impact the industry. Input has been received from both union and non-union industry partners, and that has been shared with the Secretary’s Office. Director Marquette stated that the proposal remains in the review phase and added that he believes it has the support to be implemented in the future.
Adoption of 2024 Codes by Division of Labor and Industry:
Director Marquette offered the latest update, which is that the public comment period began upon publication of the proposed actions on June 26, 2026 and will remain open until July 26, 2026. Additionally, there will be an in-person hearing on the building codes proposal to be held at the office of the Division of Labor and Industry, located at 10946 Golden West Drive, Suite 160, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, on July 16, 2026 at 11:30 am. Director Marquette added that there has been regular contact with PSI to work on altering exam questions as needed in preparation for the adoption of 2024 Codes.
New Business:
There was no New Business to be discussed.
Executive Director’s Report:
Director Marquette offered an update regarding the Maryland Board of Plumbing, stating that discussions for a reciprocity agreement between Maryland and Virginia for Master licensees is ongoing. Director Marquette added that he expects the agreement to be finalized in the coming weeks.
Director Marquette also shared with the Board that the administrative staff has been taking an in depth look at testing applications that were approved for fiscal year 2025. Staff have been looking to verify that testing applications were properly vetted to verify work experience, lower-level licensure, master attestation, as well as any other requirements that may apply. Director Marquette added that he anticipates the Application Review Committee will be more involved in the approval process moving forward and stated his desire to expand the Committee to be made up of three (3) Board members. Mr. Sweetney volunteered his interest in participating on the Committee. Board Members agreed that a vote should take place at the next meeting to allow time for Board Members to consider their interest.
Counsel’s Report:
Counsel did not offer a report.
Chairman’s Report:
The Chair did not offer a report.
Closed Session:
The Board did not meet in a closed session.
Adjournment:
Mr. Weglarz moved to adjourn the July 8, 2026 meeting of the State Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors. The motion was seconded by Mr. Parker and unanimously approved by the Board to adjourn the meeting at 10:51 a.m.
