New Fellows Selected by Academy of Electrical Contracting
Academy Meeting Includes LEED Discussion, White Paper Presentation
Six electrical contractors will be joining the industry’s most esteemed organization as Fellows of the Academy of Electrical Contracting in September at the annual convention of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). In addition to selecting the 2009 class of Fellows at its recently annual meeting, the Academy held a working group focused on the role of electrical contractors on LEED construction projects.
Since its founding meeting in 1968, the Academy has served as the “voice of experience” for NECA and ELECTRI International – The Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc. Fellows of the Academy are invited to join the organization based on their exceptional service to the electrical contracting industry. Each Academy Fellow authors a white page on their area of industry expertise, and they participate in issue analysis to determine trends within the industry and make recommendations.
The incoming Fellows for 2009 are:
Fellows Thomas Curran and Richard Manrod presented papers at the meeting. Curran’s paper, “Patience+Presence+Partnerships = Payback,” focused on California’s successful l Labor-Management Cooperation Committee. Manrod presented “The Transition from Electrician to Electrical Contractor,” a step-by-step guide for prospective electrical contractors. Copies of their papers can be downloaded as PDFs below. A complete archive of Academy white papers is available online.
Global economics forecaster Jeffrey Rosenweig delivered the meeting’s well-received keynote speech. He focused on importance of electrical contractors maintaining positive goals during the current economic downturn and offered his insights on the financial trends that will shape the recovery in the U.S. and globally.
Electrical Contractors and LEED
The new Fellows will join the Academy at a critical time for the electrical construction industry. The economic downturn and rising demand for green energy solutions are affecting nearly every aspect of electrical contractors’ work, and the Academy draws on decades of shared industry experience to ascertain future requirements of the industry. The working group program at the recent Academy meeting yielded some compelling results.
Matt Syal, associate professor and research director at the Construction Management School of Michigan State University, facilitated the program. Syal is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and leads a research initiative on the role electrical contractors have in constructing LEED-certified buildings and the ongoing development of LEED standards.
The U.S. Green Building Council believes that 1 million buildings will be LEED-certified by 2020, and Syal pointed out that electrical contractors contribute to nearly half of the certification credits for LEED projects. The Fellows determined that electrical contractors also have the responsibility of working with general contractors and owners to demonstrate the value and overall savings LEED offers. “We need to properly commission our systems towards LEED,” one participant remarked.
The group agreed that workforce training in LEED remains the top priority for the industry, followed by increasing their own knowledge of LEED and becoming LEED certified. Syal’s full report on the role of electrical contractors in LEED will be available from NECA/ELECTRI International later this year. To learn more about NECA’s green energy work, visit energysolutions.necanet.org.
Contact Information
Beth Margulies, Director, Public Relations
301-215-4526, beth.margulies@necanet.org
Why Join NECA?
Electrical contractors count on NECA to deliver the resources that help them make better business decisions, provide excellent customer service, and take advantage of innovative technology. NECA’s national office and local chapters advance the electrical construction industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development.