Ralph Pate and Dr. Mark Lower to Receive Honorary Membership

The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI) is pleased to announce that Ralph Pate and Dr. Mark Lower will be awarded honorary memberships.

Ralph Pate

Pate will be honored on May 12 at the 94th General Meeting in Denver. Lower will be recognized at this year’s meeting and formally receive the distinction at the 95th General Meeting.

Honorary membership is one of the National Board’s highest distinctions, recognizing individuals who have made outstanding and noteworthy contributions to the development, implementation, and enforcement of safety principles within the boiler and pressure vessel industry.

Pate’s career in inspection and public service spans decades, beginning with his training as a heating systems technician in the U.S. Air Force and continuing with Hartford Steam Boiler Company and the state of Georgia.

In 2003, he assisted the state of Alabama in establishing a new boiler program, then became the state’s first chief boiler inspector, serving until his retirement in 2016. Pate also served on the NBIC Subgroup and Subcommittee Inspection for three years.

Mark Lower

Lower has spent more than 30 years in operations and energy-related research and development, including over two decades working with the ASME Code in the design, analysis, and fabrication of pressure equipment. A program manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lower has served in numerous leadership roles, including chair of ASME Section VIII, vice chair of the National Board NB 131-132 Revisions Task Group, and member of the NBBI Advisory Committee, representing boiler and pressure vessel users.

Lower has also contributed to accident investigations for the U.S. Department of Transportation and authored multiple technical papers. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee and is an ASME Fellow.

The National Board congratulates both recipients for their significant contributions and lasting impact on safety within the boiler and pressure vessel industry.