BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES July 14, 2026, JOINT MEETING OF THE MARYLAND BOARD OF STATIONARY ENGINEERS & BOARD OF BOILER RULES
Board Members
Stationary Engineers
Brian Wodka, Chairman
Steven Noonan, Ex-Officio Member, Chief Boiler Inspector
Herman Sykes, Industry Member
Christa Tichy, Consumer Member
Joshua Gregory, Industry Member
Board of Boiler Rules
Dr. Ashwani Gupta, Chair
Steven Noonan, Ex-Officio Member, Chief Boiler Inspector
Ronald Warden
Dan Weber
Eric Harvey
Absent Members
Kenneth Vinston, Stationary Engineer Board
Zoe Baynard, Board of Boiler Rules
Phillip Kruer, Board of Boiler Rules
Jeffrey Pope, Board of Boiler Rules
Maryland Department of Labor Staff
Devki Virk, Commissioner of Labor and Industry
Sarah McDermott, Assistant Commissioner, O&P Licensing
Charles Marquette, Executive Director, Mechanical Boards
Sloane Fried Kinstler, Assistant Attorney General
Sarah Harlan, Assistant Attorney General
Jenny Baker, Assistant Attorney General
Andrew Friel, Director of Government Affairs
Angel Mack-Boyd, Board Administrator
Call to Order: Dr. Gupta called the meeting to order at 11:01 a.m. and proposed formal approval of the agenda for the joint meeting scheduled on July 14, 2026. The motion was seconded by Ms. Tichy and was unanimously approved by all members then present. Mr. Gregory had not yet joined the meeting and did not vote.
Approval of the Agenda: Dr. Gupta proposed formal approval of the agenda for the joint meeting scheduled for July 14, 2026. The motion was seconded by Ms. Tichy and was unanimously approved by all members then present. Mr. Gregory had not yet joined the meeting and did not vote.
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Mr. Weber to approve the minutes of the July 15, 2025, joint meeting. The motion was seconded by Dr. Gupta and was unanimously approved by all members then present. Mr. Gregory had not yet joined the meeting and did not vote.
Board of Boiler Rules Report: Commissioner Virk reported that there are no updates at this time and delegated the matter to the Chair of the Board of Boiler Rules, Dr. Gupta, for further proceedings.
Dr. Gupta announced the formation of a subcommittee tasked with reviewing exam applicants, consisting of Mr. Warden, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Noonan, and Mr. Kruer. He requested an update on the progress of this committee.
Mr. Warden informed the Boards that the request to access PSI exam questions had been denied. Chairman Wodka noted that such denials are common and that a permanent solution has not yet been identified. He suggested that the agency consider engaging a different testing company if access to exam questions continues to be refused.
Mr. Marquette stated he has not received any formal request for the exam questions but will follow up with PSI to ensure they are shared as required.
Commissioner Virk expressed interest in obtaining scoring data broken down by category to better understand the 31% pass rate. Mr. Harvey proposed developing a guidebook to assist exam candidates.
Chairman Wodka called for a motion to request the information from Mr. Marquette. The motion was made by Mr. Harvey and seconded by Dr. Gupta, and it was unanimously approved by the Boards.
Boiler Chief Report: Mr. Noonan provided the Boiler Board Chief’s report. Mr. Gregory inquired about the number of expired certificates currently on file and the reasons for the expired elevator certificates. Mr. Noonan explained the notification process for expired certificates. Please see the attached Chief’s report.
Board of Stationary Engineers Report: Chairman Wodka announced the appointment of new members to the Board of Stationary Engineers and extended a welcome to them. He also noted that there are currently vacancies on the Board. Additionally, he mentioned the existence of three subcommittees and introduced the addition of Mr. Keyser from CASHE and Ms. Krienke from Maryland Hospital Associates to assist with streamlining the application and licensing processes. Chairman Wodka provided a summary of the presentations from CASHE and MHA, as well as the decision made by the Response Committee.
Mr. Noonan presented an overview of his report concerning the potential establishment of a separate licensing category for chillers and the redefinition of the role of stationary engineers.
Old Business: There was no old business to discuss.
New Business: Chairman Wodka announced that Mr. Marquette will collaborate with PSI to provide the Stationary Engineer Board and the Board of Boiler Rules with the current exam questions.
Adjournment: Chairman Wodka called for a motion to adjourn. Mr. Harvey moved to adjourn the meeting, and the motion was seconded by Ms. Tichy. The motion was approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 11:44 a.m.