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.
Patrick Kellett
General Secretary-Treasurer United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry of U.S. & Canada
Three Park PlaceAnnapolis, MD 21401
Patrick H. Kellett began his tenure as a Pipefitter in 1981. After completing his apprenticeship in 1985 with the Murphy Company in Saint Louis, he continued working in the field as a Journeyman, Foreman and General Foreman. His executive duties for Local Union 562 began in 1998 as a member of the Finance Committee.
In 2000, Mr. Kellett was appointed Business Representative for Local 562, and then in 2006, Assistant Business Manager, Chairman on the Board of Trustees. In September of 2007, he was elected Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of Local Union 562.
In addition to his Local Union contributions, Mr. Kellett was also active in various labor organizations throughout St. Louis and Missouri. He was a Trustee of the Executive Board for the Saint Louis Building and Construction Trades, Vice-President on the Executive Board of the Saint Louis Labor Council, and Board Member of PRIDE (Productivity and Responsibility Increase Development and Employment). He was also Co-Chairman for the Gateway Leadership Foundation and an active member of several area Labor Clubs.
Civilly, Mr. Kellett has served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Greater Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA). He is a past member of the Blue Ribbon Committee of Saint Louis County and the Workforce Investment Board of Missouri.
While still Business Manager of Local Union 562, in 2007, he was added as a member of the Mainline Pipeline and Distribution Negotiating Committee and Joint Labor Management UA/MSCA (Mechanical Service Contractors of America) Board for the United Association.
In 2012, as a vision of General President Bill Hite, the U.A. formed a new position to have a more focused, professional outreach to the project owner community. In January 2012, Mr. Kellett began this position as Director of Business Development, Communications and Marketing for the U.A.
In 2013, Mr. Kellett was then appointed as an Administrative Assistant to the General President. He worked closely with the General President on various projects, reviewing Local Unions bylaws, answering questions with regards to the Constitution and still continued the work in the Marketing and Communications area for the UA.
In 2016 Mr. Kellett ran unopposed for the Office of General Secretary-Treasurer and won. He assumed the position of the General Secretary January 1, 2017.
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.
Participant Representative
Michael Apuzzo
Business Manager UA Local Union 1
50-02 5th St., 2nd FloorLong Island City, NY 11101
Michael Apuzzo is a fourth generation Union Plumber in the City of New York. Mr. Apuzzo was initiated into Plumbers Local Union No. 1 in August of 1982. He completed the Apprenticeship Program to become a Journeyman Plumber, a General Foreman and Project Manager. Mr. Apuzzo graduated from the Mechanic’s Institute-New York City-Plumbing Design, Sizing, Code Requirements and Plan Reading. He is certified in Auto-CAD and served on the New York City Department of Buildings Plumbing Code Committee in 2011.
Mr. Apuzzo was elected to the Plumbers Local Union No. 1 Executive Board from 1996- 2001. He was elected as a Business Agent in 2004. He was appointed as the Business Agent-At-Large in 2012 and was elected as the Financial SecretaryTreasurer in 2015. Mr. Apuzzo ran unopposed and was elected to become the Business Manager in January 2017 through the present. He takes tremendous pride in representing the hard working members of Plumbers Local Union No. 1.
Mr. Apuzzo is a sitting member on the Executive Boards of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the New York State Pipe Trades Association. He is the Labor Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Plumbers Local Union No. 1 Benefit Funds. In 2018, he was appointed as a non-fiduciary Participant Representative to the PPNPF. He sits on the Labor Advisory Board of Queens DA, Melinda Katz and is a member of the COVID-19 Protocol Committee for NYC Essential Workers.
