Lea Smith, who has played a major role in raising the status of the plumbing profession in South Africa, has been elected president of Master Builders Association North.

Smith, who was president of MBA North (then Gauteng Master Builders Association) in 2008-9, is chairman of the Plumbing Industry Registration Board, and Treasurer of the Institute of Plumbing of SA.

In a long and arduous campaign spearheaded by Smith, the SA Qualifications Authority at the end of 2012 finally formally recognised the Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB) as a professional body – a move that was widely welcomed and regarded as the return of true value and professionalism to the plumbing industry.

Smith’s father’s family business, Derek Smith & Sons, played a pioneering role in plumbing in South Africa and has been in operation in Pretoria for many decades. Lea, 41, owns the plumbing company, 0860Plumber; and the heat pump and solar installation firm, 0860Heatpump and 0860Solargeyser. He also owns Watersmith Training Centre, which offers building-related training; and the consultancy, VER Strategic Consultants.

He serves on key committees of MBA North and Master Builders South Africa.

Charl Venter, 39, director one of Pretoria’s largest building contractors, JC van der Linde & Venter Projects, has been re-elected as MBA North vice-president.

Venter, who holds a BSc (Construction Management) degree from the University of Pretoria, has been a MBA North executive committee member since 2011.

He started his career as a student at Shoredits Construction in 1996 prior to joining Van der Linde& Venter as junior construction manager in 1997 (both appointments formed part of his practical training). He then worked in London as quantity surveyor at TLC Granby between 2000 and 2003, before returning to Van der Linde& Venter, initially as construction manager before being appointed as director and shareholder in 2007.