RSES member Floyd “Butch” Azbell was awarded first place in the 2008 Best Instructor Contest, co-sponsored by the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration NEWS and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), while RSES member Richard Hoke finished in second place. The ninth-annual Best Instructor Contest recognizes and rewards a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration instructor from a vocational school, community college, apprenticeship or adult education program whose hard work and dedication to teaching HVACR has made an impact on their students’ lives.

Azbell’s teaching style is unique because he believes in having fun while learning. He captivates his students in such a way that they are excited about starting a career in HVACR, while they learn to become dependable employees. Hoke teaches heat pump, commercial refrigeration and commercial air conditioning classes in the evenings, and he has revitalized the RSES Fox Valley Chapter, where he coordinates several classes and seminars. For winning the 2008 Best Instructor Contest, Azbell received a trophy and Hoke a framed certificate, respectively. According to the entity’s press release, the awards will be formally presented to Azbell and Hoke during the 2009 HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop in Lansdowne, Va. on March 13, 2009.