Harold "Tom" Ingalls, 57, business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 for the last 12 years - and serving for 12 years prior to that as local Business Agent - has been appointed International Representative for Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, effective Feb. 1.

Ingalls graduated from the Local 80 apprenticeship school in 1974. He was elected the local's Warden (1978) and SUB Trustee (1982), and then was elected Business Agent in 1984, serving in that capacity until he was elected Business Manager in 1996.

He also currently is serving as first Vice President of the Sheet Metal Workers Great Lakes Council, President of the Michigan State Joint Apprentice Committee and member of Detroit Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Board (12 years). He is serving as Trustee on the International Officer Pension Fund and has served on several other International committees through out his tenure as business manager.

As business manager, Tom said he is particularly proud of the apprenticeship orientation seminars he developed in which speakers are brought in to educate graduating apprentices on union history, and the struggles of earlier workers in the trade to obtain the benefits now enjoyed.

Ingalls said he also initiated retirement awareness meetings to explain the steps needed to prepare for retirement. Another source of pride: The expansion of the local's Targeting Fund together with the use of TV ads, rebate programs and the highly successful truck logo program where a uniform Union/SMACNA logo appears on company trucks along with their individual names. He said they all have helped increase man-hours.

"It's been an honor to know that the membership has had the confidence in me to keep me in office for the last 24 years as a BA and as Business Manager," Ingalls said.