The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has named Patrick Winters its first, full-time paid president effective August 1, 2009. Winters will report to the IICRC board of directors and its chairman.

The newly created position represents a significant change in how the Institute is run. Since its founding in 1972, a volunteer president and CEO has managed the organization, while at the same time running his or her own business.

“The Institute has grown impressively and made an important mark on the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries for more than 30 years thanks to the contributions of volunteers at all levels, who will remain the backbone of the organization,” said Paul Pearce, the board chairman and president. “Combining their dedication and expertise with the exceptional management experience of Pat Winters will ensure that we tap the full potential of the Institute and maximize our contributions to the registrants and the industries we serve.”

Pearce and the Executive Committee, working with the board, will continue to actively provide overall leadership, determine direction, and set policy for the Institute. Winters will be responsible for working with the organization’s leadership to develop and implement a long-range strategic plan to generate growth for the Institute in current and new markets, including outside North America, and strengthen relationships with allied industries, federal and state regulatory agencies, and elected officials. He will also work with the Institute’s management team as it carries out day-to-day operations.

Winters brings more than 30 years of not-for-profit management experience to his new position with the Institute. For the past eight years, he served as executive director of the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals, a 3,000-member international engineering organization. He has previously been president and chief executive officer of the Denver-area Better Business Bureau, the National Association of Credit Management and Chicago Midwest Service Corporation, and the Building Owners and Managers Association of Denver, Colorado.

Winters was named Association Executive of the Year in 1991 by the Colorado Society of Association Executives and, under his leadership, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Denver was named Association of the Year in 1990 by the Building Owners and Managers Association International. In 2008, he was appointed to the Board of Examiners of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards. The Baldridge Awards are given by the President of the United States to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance in the manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care, and non-profit sectors.

Winters has a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University, holds a Master of Public Administration Studies from the University of Colorado, and is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Institute of Organization Management – Center for Leadership Development.

Winters was selected after an extensive search by a committee of the IICRC board. The Committee reviewed almost 100 applications for the position.