Board
President
Natalie Houghton, CPD
Voltair, Inc.
Natalie is a senior plumbing designer and has 32 years experience in plumbing design for commercial projects including airports, multi-family, healthcare and institutional facilities. She has served on the board in many positions in the past, and is currently president of the chapter for the second time. She is married and has three children and one grandchild.
VP Technical
Chase Freeman
Spirit Group, Inc.
Vice President at Spirit Group Inc. – 10 Years Industry experience - 7 Years at Spirit Group Inc. – Manufacturers Rep for Plumbing/Mechanical Manufacturers, 3 Years at Plumbing Wholesale Distribution.
VP Legislative
Eric Knauth, (Pronounced Ku-nout) PE, LEED AP
Exp.
Eric has been within the plumbing industry for 20+ years with design and engineering experience in multiple market sectors to include hospitality, entertainment, and healthcare, with projects located all around the globe. Eric is the Department Manager for exp responsible for QA, QC, and overseeing production on projects from multiple offices. He has been active with the local Central FL ASPE chapter for the majority of his career and has held multiple chapter board positions.
VP Membership
Cristobal "Toby" Diaz
NH YATES & Co. Inc.
Toby joined Yates LLC in 2021 as Senior Territory Manager for Florida, after being in the industry for over 28 years. He has worked for Viega LLC in several roles, including Technical Manager, and Regional Sales Director, responsible for developing markets in Latin America and Florida, for over 16 years. Toby also has an extensive field, and Project Management background, from his early years at two of the top mechanical contractors in South Florida.
He also, enjoys traveling with his family, has a special love for the Bonsai art, sport cars, good food, wines, cigars, and great conversations among friends and colleagues.
Toby’s favorite quote, “Let your work speak for you”
Education Chair
Edwin Gonzalez, CPD
Georg Fischer
Edwin Gonzalez has been in the industry for 35 years, he started as a drafter for an engineering firm in CT and quickly began learning plumbing design. His experiences include plumbing systems design for major commercial work, multi-family, hospitality, health care, and institutional facilities. He also has 15 years’ experience working for a mechanical contractor in Central Florida. He is experienced in CAD and REVIT design software systems. He attended Hartford Technical College in Connecticut and Seminole State College in Central Florida. He attained ASPE’s CPD Certification in 1996. He is a former chapter President and current board member on the Central Florida ASPE Chapter. Edwin is now a GF Piping Systems Specialist for Georg Fischer Piping.
Treasurer
Melissa Green
Moen
I am a Business Development Manager in Central and north FL for Moen Inc, specializing in multi-family and hospitality projects.I have been a plumbing manufacturers rep in the central Florida market for 20 years, and this is my 10th consecutive year as a board member of the central Florida chapter. I started with Moen in 2012, and have been involved in all aspects of the plumbing channel.
Affiliate Liaison
Jorge Megias
Viega
Jorge L. Megias is currently the Technical Manager for Viega LLC. Jorge attended Miami-Dade College for studies in Architecture and Construction in from 1970 to1975.
Jorge started his plumbing career in 1973 working for a plumbing contractor in estimating and purchasing. Over the next 32 years he served various positions in sales and branch management with wholesale distributors in addition to serving as factory and manufacturer sales representative.
In 2005, he joined Viega LLC as SE FL District Manager and in 2010, was promoted to Technical Manager. Jorge is responsible for specifiers, designers, AHJs, education, training, and trade organizations in Florida. To date his experience spans 43 years.
Jorge is also a registered continuing education instructor with the State of Florida CILB, and Miami-Dade County for Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors. He is also an approved continuing education provider for Florida Board of Professional Engineers and ASPE.
Married to wife Vicky, they have four children, their spouses and eleven grandchildren.
Secretary
Christina Salido, CPDT
Ingenuity Engineers
Cristina Salido has been in the industry for about 20 years. Most of her experience has been in large construction on the contractor side, but has 7 years experience in design now. She’s currently a CPDT certified Senior Plumbing Designer at Ingenuity Engineers in Baldwin Park and responsible for high rise apartments, hotels, Disney projects, Universal projects and any complex or custom project that comes into the office. Cristina has been an ASPE member for almost 4 years now and is on the board as the WOA Liaison. Her favorite things to do when not working or studying for her CPD exam, is going to the movies, camping or training for her next triathlon.
Women of ASPE
Aimee Fernandez, CPDT
Matern Professional Engineering
Aimée has 6 years of plumbing design experience and earned her CPDT in 2019. In the coming year Aimée is studying to obtain her CPD certification. Her experiences include design for commercial work, higher education, K-12 schools, and fire stations.
As your typical childless millennial Aimée enjoys traveling, weekends at Disney Parks, and her four legged child Penny (follow her on Instagram _PennyThePomeranian_).
ASPE Young Professionals Liaison
Antoine Sturges
Moen, Inc.
BIO Forthcoming-
Website editor
Chris Farr, CPD, CET
RLF
Chris has more than 28 years of experience in fire sprinkler and 30 years of experience in plumbing designs throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) as administered by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. He is NICET Certified Level III in Fire Suppression Layout for Water based Sprinkler Systems. Designs have included plumbing solutions for sanitary, storm, domestic water, gas, compressed air, medical gases, solar, grease/oil waste and water treatment. Military projects have included hangars, kitchens, central sterile, museums, hospitals, dental clinics, barracks and central energy plants. He has served on the Central FL ASPE Board in many of the local positions including President (2 terms). He is married and has 4 children and works at RLF, Inc.
Newsletter Editor
Jonathan Kennen
RLF
With 21 years of experience, Jonathan designs plumbing systems for hospitality/entertainment, healthcare, military, and educational projects of every scale and type. He has experience pioneering drafting departments and managing drafters to develop, implement and maintain Corporate CAD standards and standardized drawings. Jonathan understands project budgets and costs, strategic planning, technical support, and expert level production for Building Information Modeling and construction of hospital complexes, prisons, hotels, condominiums, military installations and educational facilities.