October 5, 2007

Daily Cable -- NECA 2007 San Francisco

NECA members from all around the country have converged in San Francisco for the 2007 NECA Convention and Trade Show, and this year, we're bringing all the excitement and news straight to you in the Daily Cable.

Daily Cable e-updates will feature highlights, events and smiling faces from San Francisco. Whether you're with us in San Francisco or want to join in the fun from home, check in every day to see what's new!

Photo by Chief Flora, USN Retired Blue Angels Admin Chief

San Francisco has offered up gorgeous weather so far and promises clear, sunny skies for the weekend. And in a special stroke of good timing, Fleet Week is being hosted in San Francisco this weekend, and the U.S. Air Force Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron is in town, too. They'll be streaking across the sky Saturday and Sunday, and if the practice runs we've seen so far are any indication of what's to come, it's going to be a spectacular show.

NECA is very grateful for all of our wonderful 2007 sponsors, who generously support the events and provide the gear that make NECA 2007 San Francisco special.

A complete list of sponsors is available online, and today, on the eve of our Opening Reception, we want to give a special "thanks" to Autodesk and Autodesk Subcontractor software, sponsors of tonight's Circle Bar. The Circle Bar is the first of its kind at a NECA event, and with its inviting circular shape – staffed by plenty of bartenders – is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Autodesk® Subcontractor is the leading project documentation software solution in the electrical contracting industry, allowing for all documentation and report generating from a central location.   

2007 NECA Board of Governors Meeting Concludes

The 2007 Board of Governors Meeting was held today at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Following a welcome from San Francisco Chapter Manager Ken Paganini, Fellows of the Academy of Electrical Contracting and former NECA Presidents were recognized. Presentations included reports by President Milner Irvin, CEO John M. Grau and Secretary-Treasurer J. Michael Thompson. Geary Higgins, NECA’s Vice President of Labor Relations, gave an update on NECA’s Labor Relations. Guest speakers included Brigadier General David E. Baker (ret.), David Kruse, president of MCAA and Richard J. Cramer, Sr., president of SMACNA.

Codes and Standards Chairman Bob Rydalch delivered a moving tribute to H. Brooke Stauffer, NECA executive director of codes and standards. Stauffer is presumed to have died in a plane crash in Lake Huron in late August.

Summary of Board of Governors Actions

Bylaws Proposals  (requires two-thirds majority)

• Amendment # 1, Proposal to amend Section 8.6 (c) re Ballot Voting (Submitted by the NECA Executive Committee) – PASS
• Amendment # 2, Proposal to add Section 12.2 (f) re Committee Appointments (Submitted by the Arizona Chapter, NECA and Supported by Majority Vote of the District 5 Council, NECA) – FAIL
• Amendment # 3, Proposal to amend Section 16.2 re Indemnification (Submitted by the NECA Executive Committee) – PASS

District 7 Vice President John Negro

Ordinary Proposals (requires simple majority)

• Proposal # 1, Re: Category I Language for Code of Excellence (Submitted by the NECA Executive Committee) – PASS
• Proposal # 2, Re: Emerson Hamilton Scholarship Fund (Submitted by the District 6 Council, NECA) – PASS
• Proposal # 3, Re: Optional Shift Premium Language (Submitted by the NECA President) – PASS
• Proposal # 4, Re: Composition of CIR Panel Hearing IBS Cases (Submitted by the District 9 Council, NECA) – PASS

Following the voting, Rex Ferry of Girard Ohio was elected as NECA’s first-ever President-Elect. 

2008 President-Elect Rex Ferry

This new position holds a one-year term that will commence January 1, 2008. As President Elect, Ferry will provide support for current NECA President, Milner Irvin, while he gains understanding of the NECA President’s role and responsibilities as he prepares for his upcoming term as NECA President. 

The Election of Vice Presidents occurred, with David MacKay of Weymouth Massachusetts being named as the new District 1 Vice President. Franklin D. Russell of Mobile Alabama was re-elected as the District 3 Vice President. John M. Gueldner of San Antonio, Texas was re-elected as District 5 Vice President. Also re-elected were John J. Negro from Cedar Rapids, Indiana as District 7 Vice President and Richard Nogleberg from Citrus Heights, California as District 9 Vice President. The newly elected and re-elected District Vice Presidents will begin their two-year terms January 1, 2008. Profiles for the NECA Vice President are available online.     

John R. Colson was once again selected by the Executive Committee to serve as Vice President at Large for a two-year term to commence on January 1, 2008.   

Glavinich Wins Industry Partner Award

Tom Glavinich, 2007 Industry Partner Award Winner

Calling it the "highlight of his career," Tom Glavinich, University of Kansas engineering professor, MEI instructor, and ELECTRI International researcher, was honored with the annual NECA Industry Partner Award today.

The NECA Industry Partner Award recognizes the contributions of organizations or individuals to the success of the electrical contracting industry through their decisions, actions, or cooperation with NECA.

Tom Glavinich, 2007 Industry Partner Award Winner

Glavinich has been a key contributor to NECA's research and management education initiatives for 15 years, including the notable "Transmission and Distribution Worksite Shock Protection Study." This research complements the work currently in progress as the result of a strategic partnership with OSHA and major participants in the line industry and is expected to result in the development of new tools, workforce training, best practices and field techniques to enhance safety.

"NECA has been a remarkable partner in both research and innovation for this industry," Glavinich said. "It's been a wonderful 15 years, and I'm looking forward to the things we will continue to accomplish by working together."

Pre-Convention Workshops Appeal to Contractors, Electricians

Creating a lighting prototype

NECA, in cooperation with the NJATC, hosted four special pre-convention workshops, each tailored to an emerging market or issue in the electrical construction industry. Two workshops in particular caught our eye today.

Participants in Lighting Design Basics gained hands-on experience by building their own lighting fixture as part of a lighting design project. "Attendees walk away from this class with all the fundamental skills they need to facilitate their own lighting design projects," instructor Fred Oberkircher said.

Jan Carradine, Baker Electric Inc.

Lighting was also the focus of a course for the eco- and economy-conscious contractor, "It Isn’t Easy Being Green: But it’s Profitable," led by James Benya P.E., Benya Lighting Design. The course taught participants how to “Green their practice,” and offer customers a profitable new approach to electrical construction. They learned about factors driving the LEED rating system, “green” lighting systems and transformers, and what the “green” contractors in the industry do in their daily practice. 

"Green is the color of the future," commented workshop participant Jan Carradine. Carradine is the director of engineering with Baker Electric, Inc. Escondido, Ca., a long-time NECA member company. "This course prepares me to better communicate with my customers when it comes to design-build and green construction."

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