UA National Pension Fund Trustees
Established in 1968, the United Association National Pension Fund has grown to become one of the largest multiemployer pension funds in the nation. Under federal law, multiemployer pension funds are governed by a joint board of trustees on which employees and employers are equally represented. The UANPF Board consists of three Union Trustees and three Employer Trustees. The Union Trustees are selected by the General President of the UA, and the Employer Trustees are selected by the employers. The Board meetings are also attended by an Alternate Employer Trustee and a Participant Representative.
The Board is responsible for administering the Fund according to the law and in the best interests of plan participants and beneficiaries. That includes setting plan policy, ensuring the plan is managed and administered appropriately, and prudently investing the plan assets for the payment of pension benefits.
The current members of the Board of Trustees collectively have decades of experience serving in these critical roles at both the UA local union level and the national plan level. This provides them invaluable insight as they plot the course forward for the growth of the Fund to assure that a secure retirement benefit is paid to all participants and their beneficiaries for their lifetime of service to our industry.
Union Trustees
Mark McManus, Chairman
General President
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry of U.S. & Canada
Three Park Place
Annapolis, MD 21401
In August 2016, Mark McManus was unanimously elected General President of the United Association (UA) at the UA’s 39th General Convention and on November 10, 2016, he assumed his new position. General President McManus represents over 375,000 Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters, Welders and HVAC Service Technicians across the United States and Canada.
Mr. McManus began his career with the UA in 1983 when he was initiated into Plumbers Local 24 in Newark, New Jersey. He was elected Business Agent in 1994 and Business Manager in 1997. His talents and leadership brought him to the United Association General Office in 2007 where he has served as International Representative, Administrative Assistant to the General President and General Secretary-Treasurer.
As General President Mark McManus is responsible for supervising the day-to-day affairs of the United Association and for decisions concerning internal union governance, as well as rendering decisions and adjusting disputes and other matters affecting the organization. He is the Chairman of the UA General Executive Board, UA Strategic Planning Committee and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees on multiple UA Pension Funds. Mr. McManus supervises the development and implementation of all major policies and programs of the United Association including the industry leading UA Veterans in Piping®(VIP) Program.
In April 2020, General President McManus was appointed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to serve on his Coronavirus Recovery Team where he worked in part to advise the Governor on the necessary steps for restarting Maryland’s economy and reopening businesses across the state.
Mr. McManus and the UA are extremely active in all aspects of the political world – National, State and Local, in a bipartisan manner.
Mark McManus has had a distinguished career in support of our nation’s hard-working men and women and is unwavering in his commitment to a strong and mutually beneficial partnership between labor and management.
Derrick Kualapai
General Secretary-Treasurer United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry of U.S. & Canada
Three Park PlaceAnnapolis, MD 21401
The General Executive Board unanimously approved Administrative Assistant to the General President Derrick Kualapai on January 22, 2024, to take over the role of UA General Secretary-Treasurer, effective April 1, 2024. Brother Kualapai had been elected unanimously to the position of International Representative at the 40th General Convention in August 2021. He has been an Administrative Assistant to the General President since November 1, 2021, working on projects assigned by General President Mark McManus.
On July 1, 2019, Brother Kualapai had been appointed International Representative. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Derrick Kualapai to join The Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.
Before his position as International Representative, he had been named Special Representative for California and Hawaii, effective September 17, 2018. In 2016, Brother Kualapai was elected Business Manager of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 342 in Oakland, CA. In 2013, he was elected Assistant Business Manager, and in 2012, as a Business Agent.
He also served his local as an Executive Board member of the California State Pipe Trades Council and as a Contra Costa County Building Trades Council Trustee. He has served as an Executive Board member of the California State Building and Construction Trades Council. Brother Kualapai has attended five UA General Conventions.
Derrick Kualapai has been a Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 342 member for 29 years. He completed his apprenticeship as a steamfitter/welder with Local 342. In 2000, he was elected Recording Secretary, and in 2007, he was elected President of his local.
Brother Kualapai worked in refineries and power plants for almost two decades. In 2006, he participated in the UA/EPRI Rigging Certification program and successfully completed this pilot course, which led him to establish a new rigging program in his home local. He later graduated from the Instructor Training Program in 2011.
Michael A. Pleasant
Assistant General President
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry of U.S. & Canada
Three Park Place
Annapolis, MD 21401
Michael A. Pleasant has been a member of the United Association for more than 38 years and throughout those years, he not only learned the skills of his trade, but at the same time, he has risen to the highest levels of leadership in the UA. A native of Robinson, Illinois, Mr. Pleasant completed his apprenticeship with Local 157 in Terre Haute, Indiana and went on to earn an associate degree in applied science from Ivy Tech State College. He gained considerable jobsite experience on projects ranging from small plumbing jobs to major industrial construction, before beginning his leadership career in 1996.
He was elected Business Manager three years later and was re-elected to that position a second time and would lead his local in that position until he was asked to serve at the UA’s General Office in the Jurisdiction Department. He was well qualified for that position because of his already extensive experience in the field and as a Local Union officer, where he dealt with many different issues on a daily basis.
In 2011, Mr. Pleasant was named Director of Trade Jurisdiction by United Association General President Bill Hite. He was chosen because of his broad knowledge of the construction industry, craft jurisdiction, and national agreements the UA and its signatory contractors operate under, and also because of his proven ability to interpret those agreements in a fair and impartial manner. He was unanimously re-elected to that post at the United Association’s 38th General Convention.
In 2012, Mr. Pleasant was elected President and Labor Co-Chair of the National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee (NMAPC), further strengthening the UA’s position in the union construction industry.
In 2013, he was named Administrative Assistant to the General President by General President Hite. In that position, Mr. Pleasant was responsible for interpreting the United Association Constitution, which serves as the law of the UA and thus is critical to the way in which the organization functions. He had many other significant responsibilities, including guiding Local Unions in the implementation of their by-laws. He was also responsible for the enforcement of Section 219(r) Transfer Card Waivers. Among his many other duties assigned by the General President were the handling of AFL-CIO Article XX and XXI cases, the Mechanical Allied Crafts Council, National Maintenance Agreements, Joint National Agreement for Instrument and Control Systems Technicians, and the United SteelWorkers of America Agreement.
On July 1, 2014, Mike Pleasant was unanimously elected by the General Executive Board to the position of Assistant General President (AGP) to finish the term of the former AGP. At the 39th General Convention of the United Association, August 1 – 5, 2016 in San Diego, California, he was unanimously elected to continue to serve as the Assistant General President for the next five years. In addition to his duties as Assistant General President, he continues to serve as President and Labor Co-Chair of the NMAPC and also continues to administer the UA/IBEW Instrument Tech Agreement, and the UA National Specialty Agreement.
Employer Trustees
Smitty G. Belcher
Co-chairman
P1 Group, Inc
13605 West 96th Terrace
Lenexa, KS 66215
As CEO of P1 Group, Smitty G. Belcher has helped establish one of the nation’s premier mechanical, electrical and plumbing contracting and service organizations.
Beginning his career as a craftsman with Pipefitter Local 50 Toledo, Ohio in the field, he brings his 50 plus years of experience in the trades, contracting, and business management into play every day as he oversees the five member companies that comprise P1 Group. Nationally recognized for its safety standards and quality craftsmanship, P1 Group has annual revenue of more than $350 million.
Michael W. Gossman
Executive President
P1 Group, Inc
13605 West 96th Terrace
Lenexa, KS 66215
As Executive President of P1 Group, Inc., Michael W. Gossman directs the overall operations and profitability for the company. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of short and long-term business plans; financial and profitability forecasts; support programs; employee programs and sales and marketing efforts to support the established business plan. He develops client relationships and oversees professional development of the employees reporting to him.
Mr. Gossman has been involved in the construction industry since 1973, beginning his career with a local mechanical contracting firm. After several successful years with the firm, Mr. Gossman began his own consulting firm providing management and accounting services to the construction industry. In 1990, he joined a national, multi-million dollar a year mechanical contracting organization steadily gaining more responsibility within the firm culminating in serving as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Gossman joined P1 Group in 2005.
Kevin T. Armistead
Armistead Mechanical, Inc
168 Hopper Avenue
Waldwick, NJ 07463
Kevin T. Armistead is a third-generation principal owner managing Armistead Mechanical, a successful 100-year-old mechanical contracting business along with two affiliate companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Vermont College and has more than 40 years of industry experience in management, estimating and purchasing. His expertise lies in plumbing, HVAC, and process piping projects.
Mr. Armistead is a graduate of the MCAA Advanced Leadership Institute. He became a Board of Directors member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey in 2012 and served as the MCANJ President from 2018 to 2020.
He serves on the MCANJ Finance, Legislative and Labor Policy Committees. At the national level, he is a member of the MCAA Government Affairs Committee. In addition, he is a Trustee for the Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund as well as a Trustee for UA Local 274 benefit funds.
On a personal level, Mr. Armistead has been married to his wife, Susan, for over 35 years and has three grown children. The couple is and has been active in many civic and charitable organizations in their community. Mr. Armistead currently serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster in New York State.
