A Reflection on My Friend and Colleague, Bill Sandler

Every industry has its steady hands - those rare individuals who do not just work within a sector but help shape its very character. For the valve world, particularly in North America, that person was my long‑time friend and counterpart, William “Bill” Sandler.  Bill was not simply part of the Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA); he was woven into its very fabric, its history, and its progress for more than four decades.

As became clear when I observed the guests at his last VMA annual meetings, Bill’s career with his association began long before many of today’s valve industry engineers were even born. He worked his way through the organisation in various roles, notably leading its statistics programme - an area where his meticulousness and calm logic served the industry exceptionally well (he most kindly shared some of that immense knowledge with me when I started as a complete greenhorn in the valve industry).  When Bill became VMA President in 1998, he brought with him not just experience but a genuine sense of stewardship.

What always struck me was Bill’s ability to guide his association through some of its most challenging chapters. Fugitive emissions, asbestos issues, economic downturns - none of these were small matters, yet Bill approached each with a steady, thoughtful pragmatism that earned him deep respect across the sector.

He also had a forward‑looking streak that sometimes-surprised people. After a few subtle - indeed, almost imperceptible - enquiries with me about how we had tackled similar topics at the BVAA, Bill went on in 2013 to champion the introduction of a new membership category for distributors and channel partners. It was very much his initiative, driven by his own sense of where the association needed to evolve. The result broadened VMA’s reach and strengthened its community in exactly the way he had anticipated.

And of course, there was the educational work - an area he cared about deeply. When he was shaping what would become the Valve Basics curriculum in 2009, he again took a subtle interest in how BVAA had developed its own training programmes. We were happy to share our own experiences with his ‘ambassador’ to BVAA, Greg Johnson, but the vision, structure, and eventual success of Valve Basics unmistakably bore Bill’s mark. It has since become a cornerstone of industry training, a testament to his belief that education is the foundation of a strong and sustainable sector.

Even after his retirement in 2019, his influence continued. The VMA William Sandler Scholarship Programme - named in his honour - now supports engineering students pursuing careers in our field.  It is a fitting legacy for someone who believed so strongly in nurturing the next generation.

On a personal level, Bill was exactly the sort of colleague you hope to find in this business: steady, fair, quietly humorous, generous and a gentleman, and always willing to share a perspective that made you think. Our organisations often worked in parallel, and in partnership, and always with mutual respect. I valued his counsel, but more than that, I valued above all else his friendship.

Bill’s passing leaves a large space in our industry, but his contributions - and his character - leave an even larger legacy. The valve world is infinitely better for his time in it, and those of us who knew him are better for it too.

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