Two New Members Elected By General Executive Council

Brothers Rick Werner and Chris Griffey were both unanimously elected to the SMART General Executive Council starting November 1, 2015. They replace Bruce Word (Local 104 – Northern California) and Norm Whiteman (Local 68 – Dallas, TX) who both retired in late summer after long and distinguished careers representing members in the sheet metal industry.
Brother Werner has been in the sheet metal industry since his time as an applicant worker in 1984.  He indentured into the Sheet Metal Local 104 apprenticeship program in the spring of 1985 and completed his service in January 1990.  He became a Business Representative on January 1, 2000 and assumed his present position of President/Business Manager in 2015.
During his long sheet metal career, Brother Werner served as trustee and executive board member for his home local before becoming a Business Representative in 2000. In May of 2006 he became the Assistant to Local 104 President/Business Manager Bruce Word and served as Local 104 District 1 (San Francisco/Bay Area) Assistant Business Manager.
This past August, he took over as President/Business Manager of Local 104 upon the retirement of Bruce Word and currently serves as President of the Sheet Metal Western States Council.
Brother Griffey began his career in sheet metal after graduating from Jefferson County High School in Danbridge, Tennessee. He entered into the Local 5 (Eastern TN/North Carolina) apprenticeship program in 1993. After serving a four year apprenticeship, he worked in the sheet metal industry as a journeyman, foreman, general foreman, and job steward for a number of signatory companies.
In addition to the above, Brother Griffey served on the Local 5 Executive Board from 2002-2005 and as an organizer and apprentice instructor until 2008 when he became President/Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer of his home local.