Manasota Air Conditioning Contractors Association (MACCA) Apprenticeship Program Coordinator Charlie Day has retired from his post after 13 years of teaching in the program and 5 years of being program coordinator.
Charlie was born and raised in Sarasota, FL and began studying HVAC/R when in high school. In his junior and senior years he attended half days at the Sarasota County Technical School’s two-year Air Conditioning and Appliance Program.
“My father was in the refrigeration business in Sarasota in the early 1940’s,” Charlie stated. “I guess refrigeration and air conditioning are in my blood. In 1972, after graduating from the Sarasota Tech program, I started working for HVAC companies and in 1978 opened my own company.”
In 1983 Charlie joined contractor Air Service of Manasota, buying into the company in 1993 when one of the partners retired. Charlie currently owns the company and he and his wife Vicki operate it with the same commitment to integrity and passion for excellence and professionalism as the founders exhibited in 1977.
Charlie was introduced to the MACCA Apprenticeship Program when he joined the Association. Always a believer in the importance of sharing knowledge and educating his employees, he started teaching with the Apprenticeship Program in 2002. He became the coordinator in 2015.
When asked what his biggest challenge was, Charlie stated “Finding people who want to excel in the industry and educating them. The biggest challenge in the industry as a whole is finding enough new people to fill the void in the industry. The reward is seeing people years later that have completed the program and getting a ‘Thank You’ from them for the education you provided them. Also, seeing their success and how well they are doing in the industry.”
“My advice to others interested in getting involved in an Apprenticeship Program is to understand that the rewards for the time and effort put into the program are not monetary. The rewards come from giving something back to the industry.”
“Charlie did a really good job as program coordinator,” stated fellow contractor Paul Stehle of Climatic Conditioning Company in Sarasota. “He started when the program was in a state of flux and steadied things down. The commitment he made to the program was incredible, especially when you consider that he was operating his own business at the same time. He fought for his students and shared a lot of business knowledge with them in addition to the lab and bookwork. We miss him.”
“Having Charlie leave the program is a huge loss,” said Keith Martin, owner of Badger Bob’s Services in Sarasota. Keith also graduated from the Sarasota County Technical School’s two-year AC and Appliance Program. “From the day I met Charlie I could tell how caring a person he was. Through the years he and Vicki treated me like family. Charlie was really personally vested in the Apprenticeship Program. He showed his students that he really cared for them and wanted them to succeed. Some of our technicians are testaments to how effective Charlie was as an instructor as well as a leader. MACCA was fortunate to have him involved in the Apprenticeship Program and he’ll be missed.”
Charlie plans to retire from Air Service of Manasota in early 2021. He and Vicki are turning over the keys to their oldest son, Brad.
“We’re looking forward to Brad strengthening and adding to the relationships we’ve built over the years and continuing the company’s commitment to excellence and professionalism,” Charlie concluded.
