A four-decade veteran of the trades, newly elected South Region District Director Alfred Ortega again finds himself in familiar territory — following in the footsteps of outgoing board member John Roth.

“I was John’s apprentice when I first started in plumbing, so I’ve known John now for 40 years,” Ortega says. “The first job they sent me out on, John was welding on that job and they assigned me to help him. That’s how we met. We have not only worked together for years, but also have been good friends.”

Following his honorable discharge from the United States Army, Ortega began his apprenticeship with Plumbers Local 68 in Houston, Texas, in 1969, turning out as a journeyman plumber in 1974. He worked as ajourneyman/foreman for Natkin & Co. in Houston until 1980. From then until 1987, he was general foreman with Carl P. Wallace of Houston. He continued working in the trade during the Houston economic downturn until 1992.

In 1992, Ortega went to work for the City of Houston as a Plumbing Inspector and achieved his IAPMO Plumbing Inspector Certification. He further held the position of Supervisor, then promoted to Assistant Chief Plumbing Inspector from 2001 through 2007. In 2008, Ortega was promoted to Chief Plumbing Inspector, the position he holds today.

A government member of IAPMO since joining the City of Houston and an individual member since 2006, Ortega began serving on the Uniform Plumbing Code® Answers and Analysis Committee in 2008.

In addition to his work with IAPMO, Ortega has served on the Local 68 Finance Board Committee for 10 years. Since its inception in 2007, Ortega has held the position of Chairman of the Texas State Gulf Coast Chapter of IAPMO. He is a member and current President of the Texas State Association of Plumbing Inspectors and a member of the ASSE Houston Gulf Coast Chapter.

He and his wife, Sandra, have been married 40 years and have three grown children and five grandchildren. Daughter Caprice works for the City of San Antonio Fire Department in the office of the assistant fire chief. Son Adam and daughter Rachael’s husband, Casimiro, both graduated from Plumber’s Local 68 Apprenticeship Program and are working as journeyman plumbers, keeping the plumbing tradition in the family.

Ortega is an avid baseball fan and enjoyed coaching his son and grandsons in Little League and Select Baseball over the years. He and Sandra enjoy traveling and spending family time with their children and grandchildren.