The Kenneth G. Wentink College of Fellows

NOTE: The deadline for College of Fellows nomination forms has been extended to March 31, 2010.

To make the nomination process easier, we have broken the forms into three parts. The first part, Nominee Background, may be filled out by the nominee or the nominator. The second part, Nominator Form, must be completed by the nominator. The third part, Reference Form, must be filled out by the nominator and the two additional references.

As this is a confidential process, neither the nominator nor the nominee shall discuss the nomination with a third party. Nomination does not guarantee entrance into the College. (See below for the selection process.)

• Click Here to download the College of Fellows Nominee Background form.
• Click Here to download the College of Fellows Nominator form.
• Click Here to download the College of Fellows Reference form.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers shall, each Convention year, honor a number of the Society's membership to be recognized as a Kenneth G. Wentink Fellow. A member conferred as an ASPE Fellow shall retain the designation as a lifetime honor. The number of ASPE members that may be Fellow honorees each Convention year shall not exceed 20, or one-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of Society members, whichever shall be greater.

What Is a Fellow?

The ASPE Fellows program shall recognize Society members of established reputation who have made significant, sustained contributions to the plumbing engineering and design profession, the Society, and/or the plumbing industry in the areas of contracting and manufacturing. A member conferred as an ASPE Fellow shall retain the designation as a lifetime honor.

Who Is Eligible to Become a Fellow?

Nominees must be either life members of the Society or current members of ASPE with membership in good standing for the past 10 consecutive years. Priority shall be given to members who have contributed to the plumbing engineering, design,  or contractor field,or the plumbing industry for a decade or more after receiving their PE or CPD. Becoming an ASPE Fellow is based on accomplishments and contributions.

How Is a Fellow Selected?

In selecting Fellows, the Fellows Selection Committee shall evaluate the significant and sustained contributions of each nominee. Criteria to be considered shall include, but not be limited to, ASPE chapter and Society growth; ASPE chapter and Society leadership; technical and practical research in the field of engineering with an emphasis on plumbing engineering and design; engineering technical accomplishments by or for ASPE or other related organizations (as evidenced by publications, awards, or similar); intellectual and leadership contributions in the advancement of education programs for the profession and the industry; championing of local, state, or  federal legislation, including codes; and advancements and contributions in the theory or practice of plumbing engineering, design, contracting, or manufacturing, including education and academia.

Each candidate shall be judged on their nomination and reference information without any consideration to any other candidate under consideration. No one criteria or group of criteria shall govern the selection process to the exclusion of any other. The Selection Committee shall decide what weight to give each criteria based on the information provided.

What Is the Fellows Selection Committee?

Fellows are selected by a Fellows Selection Committee comprising 10 current Fellows. The initial Fellows Selection Committee shall chose their own chair. The initial Fellows Selection Committee shall be selected by the ASPE board of directors. One ASPE board of director member, chosen by the board, shall be a member of the Fellows Selection Committee. Each committee member shall have a minimum of a two-year term on the committee; no committee member may serve more than three simultaneous terms. The policies governing the operation of the Fellows Committee shall be reviewed by the ASPE board of directors at its spring meeting.

How Do You Become a Fellow Candidate?

Any member of the Society may nominate any other member to be a Fellow Candidate; however, a member shall not be permitted to nominate him/herself. To nominate someone, a nominator must complete the nomination form and find two additional members who are willing to complete the Fellow Reference Forms or write letters of reference. (Nominator also shall be required to complete a Fellow Reference Form for his/her candidate.) The nominator or one of the people providing a reference must be an ASPE Fellow who is a current member in good standing of the Society. Nomination forms and all reference materials must arrive at the ASPE office, marked ASPE FELLOW, by January 15 of each even year in which a Convention will be held. Any incomplete nominations/applications or missing reference material will invalidate the candidate; no material received after this date will be accepted.

Candidate Notification

The ASPE Fellows Selection Committee will acknowledge receipt of application/nomination to the nominator, but the nominee will not be contacted. Nominations to be an ASPE Fellow shall be kept confidential. The ASPE Fellows Selection Committee shall evaluate all the nominees, make its final selection of new Fellows, and send the selections to the ASPE board of directors for review at its summer meeting each even year in which a Convention will be held.

Nominators will be told of the result of the decision for any nomination they made. For an unsuccessful nomination that was submitted, a nominator will have the choice of withdrawing the nomination to wait until a more appropriate time, updating the nomination for the following year with another reference letter or with a revised nomination form to make the case more strongly, or leaving the nomination unchanged for consideration during the next cycle. Nominators will be required to resubmit the necessary materials in the next selection period.

How Are Candidates Inducted into the College of Fellows?

Successful nominees will be contacted 60 to 90 days prior to the Convention by a member of the Fellows Selection Committee and told of his/her forthcoming induction into the College of Fellows, so he/she may plan to be present at the induction ceremony. He/she will be asked to maintain the confidentiality of the selection until it is publicly announced. Breaking the vow of confidentiality could invalidate induction into the College of Fellows. Members who have been selected to become Fellows will be officially announced and inducted at the ASPE Convention Banquet.

Entitlement of Fellows

A special section of the ASPE website will be maintained and updated with the name, picture, and biography of each Fellow.

Following each College of Fellows induction, a press announcement will be released to all related engineering organizations and magazines, and a full-page announcement will be made in ASPE's Plumbing Systems & Design magazine.

Fellows will receive a special ASPE College of Fellows lapel pin and an Award Plaque announcing their induction. Each Fellow will be entitled to use the designation FASPE after their name to signify that they are a member of the ASPE College of Fellows.

About Ken Wentink

If any individual would have been one of the first ASPE Fellows, it undoubtedly would have been Kenneth G. Wentink.

Kenneth G. Wentink became a member of ASPE in 1969, and was the 588th member of the Society. Early on, he became involved with the Society by becoming a chapter officer. In 1986, Ken was the president of the Chicago Chapter and was also the chair of the Society's 10th Anniversary Convention in Miami. At that Convention, 172 delegates attended and 12 technical papers were given. (Currently, about 350 delegates attend, and almost 50 technical programs are given at the Convention.) In 1986, Ken was first elected to the ASPE board of directors as its 1986-1988 vice president, membership. He was again elected to be the 1988-1990 ASPE vice president, membership and moved up to be the 1990-1992 ASPE vice president, legislative. For 1992-1994, Ken was elected to be the ASPE vice president, technical, and for 1994-1996 and 1996-1998, Ken was president of the Society. With 12 years of service, Ken is one of the longest-serving board members.

In 2000, Ken Wentink became a member of the ASPE Research Foundation and served for two four-year terms. He was president for six of those years. He also remained fully active in the Society as a member of the Society's Certification Committee. With the inaugural issue of the society's magazine, Plumbing Systems & Design, Ken was Mr. Education, being the lead author and test creator for the popular and successful Continuing Education section of the magazine.

Ken Wentink was a member of ASPE for 39 years. During that time, he embodied the spirit of an active member of the Society: a leader by example and deeds.

Ken received many awards during his tenure with the Society, including many of the most prestigious the Society confers: the Society's Distinguished Service Award in 2002 and the Donald F. Dickerson Founders Award in 2004.

In April 2008, Ken Wentink passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, following a long battle with leukemia. He was survived by Gail, his wife of 30 years, and his children Timothy, Cathy, and Jackie. At the time, Ken was employed by Cosentini and Associates as a vice president. He served in the Army and was a Vietnam veteran.

General Guideline Considerations of Fellow Selection Committee

Plumbing Engineering and Design:

Acknowledged leader, instigator, creator, or implementer of plumbing engineering and design for a facility's plumbing-related systems considered to be special or of unique significance.

The level of significance may derive from, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: scale of the accomplishment, uniqueness of the accomplishment, degree to which the technology or state of the art of the plumbing engineering and design is advanced, the quantity and quality of designs produced, utility of the designs produced. Any direct or ancillary value to the Society due to the product, system, or facility also shall be considered. If the work is part of a group effort, it must be shown that the candidate was a driving force, key participant, or recognized leader of the group and that his or her role significantly contributed to the success of the overall effort.

Plumbing Industry Product or Service Application:

Acknowledged contribution(s) within the plumbing industry to the engineering, operations, design, or research identifying a technical need and assisting in conversion to an engineered or technical product benefiting the plumbing industry and the needs of plumbing engineers and designers.

Individual should be an acknowledged expert in the engineering and technical aspects of the product or service and should show a high degree of dedication to educating both plumbing engineers and designers and the plumbing industry's technical workforce in the benefits, use, and application of the product or service.

Individual may be selected on the basis of advancing the technology or state of the art for plumbing engineers and designers or through the introduction of the product or service into a new area of application or making a major improvement in existing technology.

Research and Development:

Generally accepted as having made noteworthy invention, discovery, or advancement in the the technology or state of the art for plumbing engineers and designers or the plumbing industry's technical workforce. Acceptable evidence of such may be by publication in industry publications, widely distributed technical materials, receipt of patents, or having products or processes available for use in the marketplace.

The accomplishment can be a single contribution of extreme importance or for an accumulation of smaller contributions that have led to the development of a body of knowledge in a field of plumbing engineering and design practices.

Education:

Recognized contributions to the development and implementation of new and innovative technical or academic programs. Demonstrated leadership role in the creation of technical presentations for plumbing engineers and designers (including curriculum development), presentation of technical materials (including teaching), exploration of new concepts, and utilization and dissemination of research.

Have documented recognition (formal or informal) from students and colleagues as an outstanding presenter of technical material. May have an established national or international reputation as speaker/presenter, writer/author, or recognition as a researcher.

Leadership/Management in the Industry:

An executive or top-level manager who has achieved national or international prominence and is professionally recognized as a leader, innovator, and spokesman for plumbing engineering and design or the plumbing industry. Leadership will be indicated by  the individual being recognized for innovative approaches, the ability to accomplish difficulty tasks, or for breakthrough advances in organizational development or motivation.

Have a documented history of successful major accomplishments that have contributed to the growth and success of a company, products, or services under his/her direction. Have received recognition for significant plumbing engineering and design or plumbing industry achievements.

Leadership in the Profession:

Significant and sustained contributions to the plumbing engineering and design profession, including leadership in Society and chapter activities, receiving peer distinction, including honors and awards or other recognition regarding specific contributions to the plumbing engineering and design profession and the plumbing industry.

Leadership will be indicative by individual's service to the Society and its chapters. Individual must have served for the betterment of the Society at the national and/or chapter level. Should be or have been active in chapter committees performing community service or for the advancement of the chapter; should have been a chapter board member not less than four years. Should have been in service in a Society's national committee that advanced the goals and objectives of the Society. Service on the national board of directors will have significant relevance for consideration .

Legislative--Codes and Standards:

Recognized by peers as having extraordinary technical knowledge in the activity of plumbing codes and standards. At one time will have served on the Society's Legislative Committee. Must have utilized his/her knowledge to further the activity of the plumbing engineer profession and the plumbing industry in developing new codes or standards, in making significant revisions to existing ones, in initiating important procedural changes for the acceptance of new codes or the changing of existing codes or standards. Shall be recognized by peers as a futurist, promoting, coordinating, and developing modifications to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of codes or standards by adapting them for accepted and practical engineered and integration of new and emerging technologies. Minimum of 10 years of active service on codes and standards committees. In all committee work has demonstrated exemplary dedication to protection of the public safety and to the convenience of consumers.

Political Statesmanship:

Individuals selected must have some local, national, or international recognition as a leader for promoting plumbing engineering and design or the plumbing industry. Evidence of such recognition would be letters, speeches, articles, testimony, and/or sponsored codes or legislation, and promoting the technology, science, and benefits of plumbing engineering and design.

Individual with a history of promoting plumbing engineering and design through work in community public service and who has raised public awareness of the plumbing engineering and design in meeting societal needs will have demonstrated significant relevance for consideration.