Quick Links
January 2026 
Newsletter Sponsors
DELTA COMMERCIAL
Phone: 678-761-1410
Email: [email protected]
EQUIPMENT CONTROLS COMPANY
Phone: 770.441.6400
Email: [email protected]
HOFFMAN HYDRONICS
3683 N Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341
Phone: 704.517.9201
Email: [email protected]
JAMES M. PLEASANTS
3560 Engineering Dr, Norcross, GA 30092
Phone: 800.365.9010
Email: [email protected]
THE POINTER AGENCY
1349 Old 41 Hwy Suite 120 Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: 800.401.4870
Email: [email protected]
REPCO SALES OF GEORGIA
1630 Cobb International Blvd NW, Kennesaw GA 30152
Phone: 770.591.1800
Email: [email protected]
SCW INC.
6235 Atlantic Blvd Norcross GA 30071
Phone: 404.312.5351
Email: [email protected]
President's Report
Julie Hadfield
Hello everyone,
I hope everyone had a good holiday season and New Year’s resolutions are still going strong. If one of your resolutions was to be more involved in ASPE, our next meeting is this Tuesday, January 27 at Mutation Brewing (5825 Roswell Road NE Sandy Springs, GA 30328) in their Speakeasy. To help encourage registering online, we are adding a $5 fee for paying at the door. Registering beforehand helps us plan for the meeting, but if you are unsure if you are going to make it, you are always welcome to come without registering.
We do not want the cost of attending a meeting be the reason you cannot attend. If you need help covering the cost of attending, please reach out to a board member. We will get you a sponsor. There is absolutely no shame or judgement and will be handled with discretion. Only the person sponsoring you will be made aware.
We have a bunch of events coming up in the next couple of months. First, we are having our next Women of ASPE (WOA) event on February 11. Join us for a Galentine’s Dinner at HOBNOB Tavern. This event is sponsored by McWane. Registration is live on the website.
For Cheers for Engineers this year we will renting a box at the Gwinnet Gladiator’s game. The game will be on February 27th at Gas South Arena. This is a family friendly event so feel free to bring your partners or family members. There is a limited number of spaces in the box. Registration is live on the website
The Board is still working on finding a venue for the Product Show in March. Once that is determined we will be sending out information. The Clay Shoot will also be in April.
We are still running a contest this session to raffle away a trip to serve as a Delegate for the Atlanta Chapter at the 2026 Convention in Oklahoma City. We will be allotting points for coming to meetings and events throughout the session. At the May meeting we will be handing out raffle tickets in relation to the number of points. We will also be giving out prices at different point levels. We will have more information at the meeting and ask any board member if you have any questions with it.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact me
Monthly Meeting Info
February 2026 Dinner Meeting
Title TBD
When: 02/24/26 6:00-8:30P.M
Where: New Spot! We will be meeting at Mutation Brewing in Sandy Springs. 5825 Roswell Road NE Sandy Springs, GA 30328
To register/for more information visit the ASPE-Atlanta website.
Presenter Info
Matt Mercer - Hoffman Hydronics
Mr. Mercer is a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the state of Georgia. He currently serves as a Sales Engineer for Hoffman Hydronics (previously Peacock Sales), where he has supported engineers and design firms for nearly 10 years. Previously, he spent more than 10 years in commercial mechanical and plumbing system design with Marshall and Bollwerk Engineering and Greenberg Farrow. At Hoffman Hydronics, Mr. Mercer assists Atlanta-area engineers with HVAC, steam, and plumbing system designs, providing guidance on equipment selections, piping layouts, and ancillary items to ensure efficient and reliable operation. He is an active member of ASPE and ASHRAE.
VP Technical Report
Ester Arrascaeta
Happy New Year Atlanta ASPE Members!
I hope your Holidays were wonderful, and you were able to rest and re-set for this brand-New year.
Temperatures are freezing low in Atlanta, and we may see snow. Layer up before going out.
Traffic was terrible around Christmas week with all the people driving to the stores. Now that the holidays are over, but schools are back, traffic is still bad. You have to get used to traffic in Atlanta.
Atlanta Airport is less busy and crazy these days.
Atlanta ASPE monthly dinner will happen on Tuesday January 27th, 2026. The Technical presentation for that night will be: “Pipe Smarter, Not Harder - A Deep Dive into Push-Fit Drainage Solutions”, will be presented by Sam Bolt from Watts.
Our meetings are now being held at:
Mutation Brewing 5825 Roswell Rd NE Sandy Springs, GA 30328
We hope to see you there.
If you have ideas to share or have something to contribute to the growth and development of the chapter, please reach out to any of us on the ASPE board. As Tech VP, I am always looking for interesting and timely technical topics to present for your advancement. If you have something to contribute, or an area you would like to see considered, please let me know.
Please don’t forget to check out the Pipeline, which comes to your email inbox every month; there is an incredible amount of interesting and valuable information there. Also remember our own Chapter newsletter for updates closer to home.
Stay safe and enjoy this wonderful weather! We will see you soon!
Thank you for being an ASPE member. You are very valuable to us. Ester Arrascaeta, VP Technical, [email protected]
You can reach any of us on the Board through our website, https://aspe-atl.com/
You can also reach me at [email protected] anytime with your thoughts, questions, or issues.
Follow ASPE on social media:
Join the Atlanta ASPE Linked-In group @https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4705657/starting
ASPE Twitter feed https://twitter.com/ASPEorg Atlanta ASPE Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/ASPE.Atlanta
Instagram www.Instagram.com/aspe.org
Contest: Serve as a Delegate on a Sponsored Trip to the 2026 National Convention
Convention Contest
Grand Prize: Trip to the 2026 National Convention to serve as a Delegate for the Atlanta Chapter.
Point Awards:
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Attending Meeting: 5 points
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Bringing new* guest: 5 points (capped at 10 additional points per meeting; *new = hasn’t attended an ASPE meeting in the current session)
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Attending ASPE Event (Golf Outing, Clay Shoot, Top Golf, Cheers for Engineers, Product Show): 10 points
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Attending WOA/AYP Event: 5 points
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Referring a Member: 20 points (Referring member must email VP Membership; new member must officially join before end of contest)
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Prior Online Registration to Meetings: 2 points
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Being an ASPE Member (one per session): 10 points
Prize Breakdown & Rules:
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Every 5 points = 1 raffle ticket at the May meeting
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Board members and others with guaranteed convention spots are not eligible
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Raffle winner (must be present or have a proxy at May meeting and be a member in good standing) will be selected as the Delegate for ASPE Atlanta at the 2026 National Convention in Oklahoma City
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Delegate responsibilities: attend business meetings prior to the start of the convention
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Covered/reimbursed expenses:
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Convention registration
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Airfare to/from OKC (capped reimbursement)
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Accommodation for duration of convention (capped reimbursement)
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Per diem for incidentals (capped reimbursement)
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Receipts must be submitted to the Treasurer in a timely fashion to receive reimbursements
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Points sign-in sheet must be completed and legible (name and email required)
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Nonmembers may accrue points, but only members may participate in the May raffle
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Points are not transferable
Additional Prizes:
Points also contribute toward gift levels throughout the session. Prizes TBD.
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10 points
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25 points
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50 points
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75 points
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100 points
Calendar of Events
2025-2026 Currently Scheduled Events
January 27, 2026 Monthly Meeting Mutation Brewing details here 6:00 – 8:30
February 24, 2026 Monthly Meeting Mutation Brewing details here 6:00 – 8:30
February 27, 2026 Cheers for Engineers Gladiators Hockey @ Gas South Arena 7:00 PM
March ASPE Atlanta Product Show Details TBD
April 24 ASPE Atlanta Clay Shoot Details TBD
April 28, 2026 Monthly Meeting Mutation Brewing details here 6:00 – 8:30
May 19, 2026 Monthly Meeting Mutation Brewing details here 6:00 – 8:30
Above list is the currently scheduled events. Be on the lookout for additional events and details to be made available on the ASPE Atlanta events page
For the latest events updates follow the ASPE Atlanta LinkedIn page here
VP Legislative Report
FRANK VASTAKIS
Happy New Year, ASPE Members and friends! I hope and pray that this year will be a healthy and busy one for everybody. Hard to believe that we’re in the last half of January already.
As for my Legislative update, 2025 was a busy year code wise here in Georgia directly affecting 2026. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Board, upon recommendation of the State Codes Advisory Committee (SCAC), voted to adopt the following codes with an effective date of January 1, 2026:
· 2026 Georgia Amendments to the 2023 National Electrical Code
· 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia Amendments
· 2024 International Building Code with Georgia Amendments
· 2024 International Fuel Gas Code with Georgia Amendments
· 2024 International Fire Code as adopted by the Safety Fire Commissioner
· 2024 International Mechanical Code with Georgia Amendments
· 2024 International Plumbing Code with Georgia Amendments
· 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with Georgia Amendments
Copies of the adopted codes and Georgia Amendments are available on the DCA website at https://dca.georgia.gov/scac
Locally here in the City of Atlanta, any permit applications previously submitted and already in progress will continue under the codes in effect when submitted. Beginning February 1st, all new permit applications must comply with the newly adopted State building codes.
Nationally, as discussed at last year’s Tech Symposium, the goal for ASPE’s Legislative committee is to become proactive in the 2030 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) code cycles by developing and submitting code proposals on behalf of ASPE. The Legislative Committee is beginning meetings now to discuss proposed code changes for the 2030 IPC and UPC model code cycles. If you are interested in participating in these meetings, submit your application to join the Legislative Committee.
Please reach out if there are any codes, councils, legislative happenings (nationally, state, or local) that you think we should keep a pulse on.
If I do not see you at our next ASPE Dinner Meeting, I wish you all a prosperous new year!
Important Dates (Society)
Important Dates from Society:
Reminders:
• Green Plumbing Design (GPD) Certificate Program – Now available entirely on demand on ASPE Education – ASPE Member: $500, Non-member: $600
Newsletter Editor Article
KYLE HOBDY
Hello everyone,
I hope you all have a safe and uneventful weekend with the winter storm approaching. At McKenney's, we are taking extra precautions to protect against freezing pipes and to prepare for high winds and heavy precipitation across our construction sites. I encourage everyone to take a moment to ensure your job sites are secure and safe in anticipation of the weekend's conditions.
Have a safe weekend!
Best,
Kyle Hobdy, E.I.T., CPDT
Newsletter Editor
Atlanta Chapter ASPE
Affiliate Liaison's Report
AAron Siegel | JOE WELSH
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah and had a Happy New Year! As mentioned in past newsletters, Aaron Siegel and my focus is on increasing engineer attendance at the monthly meetings and the Product Show. The Product Show will be soon and details will follow shortly. Please plan to attend this event to see the newest products and learn about the latest innovations and that manufacturers have to offer. If you are an affiliate, whether a manufacturer's representative, factory sales representative, or a representative from a company calling on the plumbing engineer community, please bring an engineer to the January meeting! The dinner meeting is free for any first-time attending engineer and is a good way to introduce the engineer to the Atlanta ASPE membership. We appreciate your support!
Ambassador's Corner
Dennis Connelly
January 2026
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hello members and friends of ASPE-ATL. Welcome to 2026, a year that is already moving rapidly in the first two weeks. I hope everyone had a happy, healthy, and restful holiday season and are all in peak condition to take on the challenges of the year.
2026 will be a busy year for everyone, changes, and activities to challenge our skills and interests. In Georgia, the State is now implementing the 2024 International Codes with 2026 GA amendments, so be sure to check those out for new limitations or requirements. This is also our Convention year, this time in Oklahoma City, OK, which we currently have a contest running to win a delegate seat to that event, a real prize!
Our Chapter is busy as well, with chapter meetings again every month through May at Mutation Brewing in Sandy Springs. In addition to chapter meetings, we have plans for a WOA Galantines event, Cheers for Engineers, Product Show, Clay Shoot, and something that I am forgetting just now. That is a lot of motion for a small core of diligent leaders who have helped to expand our Chapter to over 220 members!
Our members and the Society are why they work so hard. This organization is the premier organization to represent and expand the practice of plumbing systems design and implementation. This is a critical need for society at large, as we are faced daily with challenges to the health and sanitation in our nation as well as globally. That mission can achieve their ambitious goals with the support of the members. As big as our membership is, if we don’t ever see you or interact with you, then we are not effectively able to strengthen the whole society. +
Our members include folks from the design side, the product representatives, and the contractor installers. Each has a distinct role in this work, and each supports the other in those efforts. It takes all of us together to make us a strong chapter and society. And it takes new voices added to the conversations that give us the spirit and energy to plot a new direction.
In this new year, will you make a renewed commitment to participate in chapter activities? Join your peers and make new friends and business relationships to help grow your own career and our great society.
I hope to see you at our next event! That is all for me today. Please reach out to your Chapter leadership at [email protected] or you can reach me to talk about anything, any time at [email protected]
Stay safe and I will see you soon.
Dennis M. Connelly CPD, FASPE
Ambassador - Atlanta Chapter
Classifieds - Openings/Looking
- McKenney's is hiring Engineers, Project Managers, and Plumbing/Piping CAD Designers! Contact Kyle Hobdy ([email protected]).
Affiliates' Corner
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Thank you for all your support!