AIRAH celebrates inaugural QLD awards

AIRAH’s awards season continued on Thursday as the Institute hosted the first annual QLD Member and Apprentice Awards at The Lord Alfred in Brisbane.

It was a night full of laughs, great company, and well-deserved recognition across the industry as more than 60 attendees came to celebrate HVAC&R’s emerging talents, as well as those who have been leading the way for years.

Award winners

The following apprentices were recognised at the event:

• Rising Star: Rylan Coonan from VAE Group
• Emerging Talent: Brenton Ross from VAE Group
• 2025 QLD Apprentice of the Year: Adam Attewell from Fusion Modulair.

The evening was also the perfect opportunity to recognise experienced Queensland-based HVAC&R professionals for their contributions to the industry:

• Educator of the Year: Carl Balke, Affil.AIRAH
• Technical Leadership Award: Dr Claire Bird, M.AIRAH
• Industry Transformation Award: Ken Thomson, F.AIRAH
• Professional Development Award: Sonia Holzheimer, M.AIRAH
• Community Building Award: Campbell Williams, M.AIRAH.

Member milestones

One of the highlights of AIRAH’s state awards events is the opportunity to recognise long-serving members of the Institute.

The following members received certificates at the Queensland event:

• 60 years of AIRAH membership: Len Taplin, Affil.AIRAH
• 40 years: Stefan Jensen, L.AIRAH, and Grant Charles, F.AIRAH
• 20 years: Kevin Dawson, M.AIRAH
• 10 years: M Mahmudul Hasan, M.AIRAH.

AIRAH thanks Daikin for being the major sponsor of the 2025 Queensland Member and apprentice Awards.

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