Air Conditioning Contractors of America gave the Spirit of Independence Award to children’s book author Ryan Kiscaden. This recognition is bestowed occasionally to an individual who is making an impact toward the overall success of the professional contracting industry.

Kiscaden's book, “The Air Came To A Stop”, teaches children about teamwork, HVACR technology, and having an appreciation for the skilled trades technicians. This book was created to inspire the next generation of HVACR professionals and to overcome misconceptions on blue-collar industries such as the skilled trades.

“'The Air Came To A Stop' was written to educate youth about our everyday heroes of comfort; HVACR technicians," said Kiscaden. "When you showcase how technicians help others while introducing children to new vocabulary, provides a perfect recipe to demonstrate how exciting this technology-driven field really is." 

“We are proud to have Ryan as a vital member of the HVACR community. Recognizing his contributions to bettering the HVACR industry and our ACCA membership was an easy decision," said Barton James, president and CEO of ACCA. "He is an incredible partner to work with. As we continue the momentum and grow workforce development outreach tools for ACCA members, we couldn’t think of a better plan than to utilize resources such as The Air Came A Stop to accomplish our objective.”