May 13, 2026 BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES - STATE BOARD OF HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR-CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION CONTRACTORS

Date: May 13, 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
Michael Giangrandi, Master HVACR Contractor
Dwight Needham, Master HVACR Contractor
Robert Parker, Master HVACR Contractor
Kenneth Sweetney, Master Restricted HVACR Contractor
Kabir Ahmed, Consumer Member

Members Absent:
David Politzer, Consumer Member

Staff Present:
Chuck Marquette, Executive Director, Mechanical Licensing Unit
Sloane Fried Kinstler, Assistant Attorney General
Andrew Friel, Director of Government Affairs, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
LaKissha Thornton, Administrative Officer, Mechanical Licensing Unit
Jacob Guy, Administrative Officer, Mechanical Licensing Unit

Guests Present: No guests were present for May’s meeting.

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 10:37 a.m. With a new Board Member and a new staff member present, Director Marquette asked everyone to introduce themselves in lieu of a roll call.

Approval of the Agenda

A motion to adopt the May 13, 2026, Business Meeting Agenda was made by Mr. Sweetney, seconded by Mr. Parker, and unanimously approved by the Board.

Approval of the Minutes

Mr. Weglarz moved to approve the Meeting Minutes for the April 8, 2026, HVACR Board meeting without amendment or correction. The motion was seconded by Mr. Parker and unanimously approved by the Board.

Complaint Committee Report

Chairman Mr. Jones reported the findings of the Complaint Committee as follows:

Chairman Jones included the following paid Consent Orders to his report:

• 23-0051 — $300
• 24-0011 — $3,000

A motion to approve the findings of the Complaint Committee was made by Mr. Weglarz, seconded by Mr. Giangrandi, and unanimously approved by the Board.

Application Review Committee Report

There were no applications to be reviewed; no report of the Committee was necessary.

Review of Examination Statistics and License Totals

Ms. Thornton reported the following PSI exam statistical summary for the month of April 2026:

There are currently 24,304 active licensees.

Correspondence

There was no correspondence.

Old Business

Discussion on District of Columbia Reciprocity Agreement

Director Marquette stated that based on the feedback provided on the drafted Washington D.C. Reciprocity agreement, there are a few edits to be made. The specific changes to existing language will include the removal of the residency requirement, and the word “statuary” will be changed to “statutory.” Director Marquette added that he would need to follow up with District of Columbia Board of Trades (D.C.) regarding the requirement for a Universal CFC Certification for Maryland licensees reciprocating in D.C., a certification that is not required in Maryland. Mr. Weglarz then commented about a lack of clarity surrounding possible revocation of licenses or applications should the agreement be terminated. Director Marquette responded that the Board would not revoke a license that had already been issued based on an existing agreement, but he would look to see if there was need to clarify that in the draft. Board Members agreed that in the interest of expediting the process, Mr. Marquette should incorporate the discussed edits and send them via email to Board Members for review. Board Members can then offer their approval, or any changes they might like to see before the draft is returned to D.C. The hope is to have the draft sent to D.C. and receive a response before June’s Board meeting.

Mr. Sweetney stated that in his experience as a Master licensee in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia, his business is required to have an agent residing in D.C. representing the company to do work there. Mr. Sweetney asked if this agreement would eliminate that stipulation. Counsel explained to Mr. Sweetney that the reason for that requirement is so that out-of-state businesses can be regulated, and there is a point of contact for official documentation to be sent. Mr. Marquette added that a different department would handle the resident agency requirement, and it would not be affected by the potential D.C. Reciprocity Agreement.

Proposed Regulation to Assign a Master License to a Business

Director Marquette stated that Counsel has provided him with the proposed regulations, and he has been working with Mr. Friel to move it forward for review by the Commissioner and then the Secretary’s Office. Mr. Marquette added that by June’s meeting the regulations should have moved into the next phase of the process. Mr. Needham asked for confirmation that the assignment of a Master license to a business would not be site specific in the instance that a business has multiple locations throughout the state. Director Marquette confirmed that they would not be tied down to one site.

Adoption of 2024 Codes by Division of Labor and Industry

Director of Government Affairs Mr. Andrew Friel offered an update, stating that the adoption of 2024 Codes has been pushed through the Secretary’s Office for approval and is progressing through the necessary steps. Director Marquette stated that there was no action required from the Board, and he will keep everyone updated.

New Business

There was no New Business to be discussed.

Executive Director’s Report

Director Marquette took the opportunity to welcome Mr. Sweetney, who was recently appointed to the Industry Member Seat, representing Southern Maryland. Additionally, Mr. Marquette welcomed Mr. Guy, who recently began as the Administrative Officer for the HVACR Board, and then thanked Ms. Thornton for her hard work in supporting the position during the vacancy. Mr. Marquette continued by informing Board Members that the deadline to submit new proposals for the next legislative session is June 1, 2026. Board Members should be thinking about any new legislation or adjustments to existing laws that they may want to move forward with. Counsel Sloane Kinstler did caution Board Members that with no statutory language stating that licensees must assign their license to one business, the AELR Committee could reject that proposal. With the AELR review period being up to 20 days this could cause the bill to miss the filing deadline. Ms. Kinstler went on to say that should the committee reject the proposal, Board Members could then seek a sponsor for the bill.

Counsel’s Report

Counsel did not offer a report.

Chairman’s Report

The Chair did not offer a report.

Closed Session

Adjournment

Mr. Parker moved to adjourn the May 13, 2026 meeting of the State Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors. The motion was seconded by Mr. Needham and unanimously approved by the Board to adjourn the meeting at 11:53 a.m.