The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association reports the passing of Past National President (2007-2008) James “Jim” Carl Finley Sr., Destrehan, Louisiana.

“Jim Finley was a very well-respected and well-liked leader who facilitated many important advancements for the association and industry, particularly those protecting public health and safety and the environment,” said PHCC-National Association President Ken Nielsen.  “Everyone will miss his big heart, quick wit and willingness to roll up his sleeves and work hard to get a job done right.”

A master plumber, master gas fitter, master air conditioning contractor, certified medical gas inspector, and certified backflow specialist, Finley held numerous volunteer positions within PHCC’s local, state and national levels. Most notably, he was a member of the PHCC Board of Directors (twice), national convention chairman, vice president, president-elect and president. In 2012, Finley received the prestigious Col. George D. Scott Award, presented to a PHCC member who has provided years of service and unselfish devotion to the industry.

Finley was a former president of the PHCC of Louisiana and is a recipient of that organization’s prestigious President’s Award for meritorious service. In 2007, he helped develop the Louisiana State Plumbing Board’s continuing education program. His other roles included serving as the PHCC representative on the ICC Plumbing Code Committee and the Plumbing Code Committee of the City of New Orleans; sitting on the New Orleans’ Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Plumbing Code Revision Committee; and serving on the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) Seal Control Board.  He also assisted in obtaining a Master Plumber License for the state of Louisiana in 1990.

After Hurricane Katrina, Finley assisted Habitat for Humanity in managing volunteers, and he later organized a volunteer day for attendees following the PHCC Annual Convention in New Orleans. Organizations ranging from the American Legion to the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge have honored him for his many service contributions.

Finley’s father, C.N. Finley, was a PHCC Past National President (1960-61).