Null judges 1st, 25th apprentice contests

SERVING AS A judge for the 25th annual Boilermaker National Apprenticeship Competition this year carried a special significance for Ken Null, a retired Local 549 (Pittsburg, Calif.) member and former Babcock & Wilcox project manager. Null, who resides in Redding, Calif., was one of the 12 judges who participated in the very first apprenticeship competition, held in Kansas City, Kan., in 1988. He said he has enjoyed judging in various Western States area competitions and one other national event, but the 25th anniversary seemed a special honor, since he was also one of the original judges. “I lobbied hard for an invitation to that one,” he said.