He attended one of the first NCI training events in the early 1990s, where he was introduced to testing instruments like balancing hoods and manometers. These tools and the high-performance approach that NCI was teaching showed him that the government and utility side of our industry had a long way to go to accurately rate the performance of homes.

It reinforced his belief that they understood very little about what makes HVAC systems tick.

As one of our influencers, his reached went beyond training, however. Scott became involved with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and their Quality Installation Standard. Some say that Scott single-handedly tested more QI systems in Southern California than were tested across the US.

Eventually, Scott joined the NCI team and focused his efforts on training contractors throughout Southern California via NCI’s current Los Alamitos and Southern California Edison’s Tulare training facilities. Unfortunately, due to serious health problems, Scott has had to step back from active teaching and testing.

For these and many other reasons, Scott Johnson has positively influenced the HVAC Industry in Southern California and beyond.

Laura DiFilippo

It’s a safe bet that anyone who knows anything will tell you that Laura DiFilippo, vice-president of DiFilippo’s Service, Paoli, PA, is one of the key influencers who opened the door to leadership for women in the HVACR Industry.

Laura Howell never had a career in HVAC on her radar as a young woman. She worked as an account administrator for an investment firm and dreamed of a career as a musician and actor. She originally pursued a career in musical theater.

But then she met a young man named Vincent DiFilippo, and everything changed. The two fell in love and were married. She began helping him out in his family HVAC business and made that her career over the years.

Today she is vice president and co-owner of Paoli, PA-based DiFilippo’s Service Company. For more than two decades, she’s been instrumental in running all the company’s operations, including HR, financials, marketing, and supervising the management team.
Vince credits her for much of the company’s growth and the recognition it has earned over the years. DeFilippo’s Service is an NCI member and a participant in the High-Performance HVAC Contracting approach to serving customers.

But like other influencers, Laura’s reach expands well beyond the confines of her family’s HVAC business. She has always been the type of person to get involved. This drive led her to join the local chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).

She began attending ACCA’s Quality College classes with Vince. Later, they joined a group of fellow ACCA members to counter unfair competitive practices brought upon the HVAC marketplace by local utilities.

Her passion for helping HVAC contractors grew from there. Laura served on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACCA for 14 years, holding all officers’ positions, including Chapter President for five years. This involvement led to a path of becoming active with ACCA nationally. She has served as a National ACCA Board Director since 2003.

She is the first woman to serve as an officer of the national association, being Secretary, Treasurer, Senior Vice Chairman, and ultimately Chairman of ACCA for 2012-2013. Her passion for ACCA and the industry is evident in any industry meeting or event she participates in.

If you talk to her, Laura will tell you that such involvement helps not only fellow contractors but also customers. She has been quoted saying that no matter what, HVAC contractors are the front line to consumers and are the critical component of the overall supply chain.

Her industry involvement and influence expanded both within ACCA and out to other organizations – local and national. Some would say Laura DiFilippo opened many doors for other women to become leaders in the industry. It also led to her being named the 2013 Woman of the Year by Contracting Business magazine.

In 2016 she became a board member of North American Technician Excellence (NATE). She eventually became the chairman of that organization as well.

For these and many more reasons, we welcome Laura into our Class of 2022 Influencers.

Click Below for the Next Page