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Aug 25

Safety Experts Offer In-Depth Training at NECA 2015 San Francisco

NECA is the leading source for the industry on electrical standards and safety—and we’ve got you covered with five preconvention workshops at NECA 2015 San Francisco!

REGISTER FOR NECA 2015 SAN FRANCISCO TODAY!

Leading the courses are five of the best in the business, including NECA’s Michael Johnston and Wesley Wheeler, as well as James T. Dollard, Philadelphia Electrical JATC, James McGowan, Quanta Services, and Palmer Hickman from the electrical training ALLIANCE. Their combined experience in the electrical industry will benefit attendees at several key sessions.

2014 NEC Significant Changes

On Friday, October 2, Johnston, Executive Director of Standards and Safety for NECA, and Hickman will present 2014 NEC Significant Changes. The session provides a thorough look at changes in the 2014 National Electrical Code® (NEC), the most widely recognized electrical standard in the world, including new articles and revisions to existing requirements that have an impact on your daily business.

Michael Johnston is the chairman of the National Electrical Code Technical Correlating Committee and serves on the NFPA NEC Smart Grid Task Force. He is also an active member of IAEI, NFPA, ASSE, the NFPA Electrical Section, Education Section, the UL Electrical Council, and National Safety Council.

Palmer Hickman is the Director of Safety and Code Training and Curriculum Development for the electrical training ALLIANCE (formerly the NJATC). He represents the industry on the National Electrical Code (NEC) Correlating Committee, Code Panel 1 of the NEC®, and on the Technical Committees for NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, and NFPA 70B®, and NFPA 79®, Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery. In addition to his Codes and Standards involvement, he is an OSHA Construction Industry Master Instructor. He is a 34-year member of the IBEW with additional memberships including IAEI, NFPA, IEEE, NETA, and the UL Electrical Council. In addition to completion of the IBEW/NECA/NJATC apprenticeship, his educational background includes a B.A. in Labor Safety and Health.

Creating and Maintaining Effective Safety Programs and Policies

Also on Friday, Wesley Wheeler, NECA’s Director of Safety, will lead Creating and Maintaining Effective Safety Programs and Policies, which will detail how to access the status of a company safety program and the understanding and retention of your company’s safety training with employees.

Wheeler has over 33 years of electrical experience. Prior to joining NECA, he focused on safety as an OSHA instructor and safety director for a large industrial-based electrical contractor in Florida. Wheeler has taught OSHA instructor classes for NJATC and has participated in safety training at the annual NTI for the last 5 years. He has served in many capacities in his career, including electrician, foreman, superintendent, estimator, project manager and safety director.

OSHA ET&D Train the Trainer

The two-day OSHA ET&D 10-Hour Train-the-Trainer Course takes place Friday and Saturday. James McGowan brings his expertise to this course geared towards those who want to provide training on safety-related topics specific to electrical line construction. Those who complete this course will earn an OSHA 10-Hour Card.

McGowan is Director, Safety Training for Quanta Services Inc., a Houston, TX based corporation. He has over 15 years of field construction experience and 18 years of safety and training experience.  McGowan is a journeyman lineman and has worked in all phases of the power-transmission and distribution field. He is the chairman of the training task team (Task Team II) for the OSHA Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Partnership, and played a role in the development and subsequent implementation of the ET&D Partnership 10-Hour OSHA course and the ET&D Partnership Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Training course.

Temporary Power Installations

Installing and maintaining temporary construction power that is integrated with electrical safety is an essential component of an electrical contractor’s work. On Saturday morning, James T. Dollard will present Temporary Power Installations and provide information on efficient and safe designs and installations of temporary construction power. He will also review the OSHA and NEC requirements for temporary power.

NFPA 70E Significant Changes

Dollard’s Saturday afternoon session Significant Changes in NFPA 70-E-2015 and Employer’s Responsibilities will help those who want to stay in touch with significant revisions to NFPA 70E and how 70E impacts employees and employers.

James Dollard is Safety Coordinator for the Philadelphia Electrical JATC. He is a master OSHA 500 Instructor and works closely with the Penn-Del-Jersey NECA Chapter towards safe working conditions on all jobs. As a member of the NEC, TCC, CMP-10, CMP-13, NFPA 70E, NFPA 90A and the UL Electrical Council, he plays a significant role in the development of electrical standards. Jim is the author of the NJATC Codeology textbook, the 2008 NJATC NEC Significant Changes and co-author of the 2011 NJATC NEC Significant Changes.

In-depth preconvention sessions are slated for Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3. There is an additional fee for preconvention workshops. To register for a session or for the convention, please visit www.necaconvention.org.

 

Aug 12

Take Advantage of Unique Educational Opportunities at NECA 2015 San Francisco

Don’t wait until the convention starts – amp up your education schedule today!

NECA2015SanFran-fbThe learning starts even before NECA 2015 San Francisco gets fully underway! Pre-convention sessions are offered on the Friday and Saturday before the main event.

Attending pre-convention workshops is a great way to get a chance to attend in-depth educational sessions on the most in-demand content available with the top experts in their field. You can expect engaging presentations and thought-provoking discussions as you learn how to stay connected and grow your business.

REGISTER FOR A PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOP TODAY!

Back by Popular Demand

At this year’s NECA Now we saw that personal health—and in particular stress—is a major issue for NECA members and we’ve brought Alice D. Domar, a pioneer in the field of mind/body medicine, back for more sessions—this time on psychological and physical strategies to reduce stress.

Zack Armstrong of McCoy Electric Company, based in Portland, Oregon, praised Domar’s courses.

“Alice was very present and engaged as a speaker and presented her topic in a meaningful and understandable way,” Armstrong said. “The entire industry would be very well served to have more classes in this genre at future events.”

Armstrong, who works with McCoy Electric Company, based in Portland, Oregon, said it was the single best class he’s attended with NECA.

Added Armstrong: “The mechanics of running our businesses are very important, but the mechanics of taking care of ourselves so we can fire on all cylinders should be our first priority. Alice’s class helped point this out in a very beneficial way.”

Expect engaging presentations and thought-provoking discussions as you learn how to stay connected to the industry at NECA 2015 San Francisco!

To register for NECA 2015 San Francisco, go to http://www.necaconvention.org.

Oct 13

Welcome to NECA 2013 Washington DC!

The rainy weather hasn’t dampened spirits so far at the Board of Governors meeting, Energy Forum and pre-convention workshops – and especially last night’s Opening Reception at the National Building Museum!

I’m Beth Margulies, NECA’s communications director, and I’ll be live-blogging all the great programs and events at NECA 2013 DC. My personal favorite so far has been the Green Energy Challenge student design competitions – the three finalists teams from Iowa State, Penn State and the University of Washington gave outstanding presentations yesterday an intimidating “Board of Directors” made up of NECA contractors and industry experts. Those jurors will evaluate the presentations and the winning team will be announced Sunday at the NECA Student Chapter Summit.

Student teams were charged with creating a bid package for lighting retrofits, EV charging station installations and a renewable power source for a parking facility in their campus communities – everything from the types of lighting controls to financing options.  Pretty impressive stuff, and each student team thanked their sponsoring NECA chapter and local contractors for helping them create their comprehensive presentations.

Stay tuned to find out who won this year’s Green Energy Challenge, plus recaps from the general sessions and photos and videos direct from NECA 2013 DC! Leave a comment if you have any questions or thoughts about what you see and experience.

Proud Penn State Green Energy Challenge finalists + their green garage retrofit

Sep 20

Pre-Convention Workshops Give an Education Head Start for NECA 2013 DC

NECA 2013 Washington DC, the electrical industry’s largest convention and trade show, will include displays from 300 exhibitors, insightful speakers and 19 free technical workshops on the Show floor, Oct. 12-15 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

However, the educational opportunities start before the opening festivities on Saturday, Oct. 12. Special pre-convention workshops starting Friday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 12 offer an in-depth look at the trends and technology shaping the electrical construction industry. Each workshop is led by the leading experts in the areas covered, and training materials will be provided with course registration. Continuing education units (CEUs) can be earned for each pre-convention workshop.

Pre-convention workshops are generally run longer than convention management seminars and technical workshops. Price varies based on the program. Check the full listing on www.necaconvention.org for prices, dates and times. Instructions for adding a pre-convention workshop to your current registration can be found on blog.necaconvention.org. Popular programs this year include in-depth forums, can-do technology demonstrations, and safety training.

FORUMS

2013 NECA Energy Forum – As our nation strives for energy independence and consumer demand for renewable power and energy conservation continues to rise, electrical contractors are constantly updating their expertise in green energy trends and technology. The NECA 2013 Energy Forum will bring electrical contractors together with leading policy-makers and industry leaders shaping the energy solutions market today.

The speakers and panel discussions at the 2013 NECA Energy Forum are the best source for practical information about the trends, technology, and economic factors affecting the energy market today. Discover the latest advances in emerging technologies, energy efficiency, renewables, energy storage, combined heat and power, and the projected abundance of natural gas can mean for the electrical construction industry.

The Energy Forum will wrap up just in time for the finalists’ presentations for NECA Green Energy Challenge, the annual NECA Student Chapter design competition.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 12-4 p.m. (lunch included)
$145/$75 with full Convention registration/Included with Weekend Package registration

Safety Forum – When it comes to electrical construction, safety is everyone’s job. However, it takes a real leader to make safety a company priority. If you manage a workplace or jobsite safety program, enforce or develop safety standards, supervise workers, oversee a facility, or simply strive for a safe work environment, you need to attend the second annual Safety Forum at NECA 2013 Washington DC.

The Safety Forum goes beyond the basics. It is your opportunity to network with your industry peers, share best practices, and hear directly from the leaders developing and enforcing U.S. safety practices.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.– Sunday, Oct. 13, 8-10 .m.
$250 member/$599 non-member/Included with Weekend Package registration

TECHNOLOGY

The Crazy World of LEDs and Controlling Them – Light Emitting Diodes are the current darling of lighting efficiency experts, but LED lighting controls can get complicated. This two-hour workshop explains troubleshooting dimmers, wireless controls and sensors, as well as their integration into larger systems. Lighting expert Jim Benya will demonstrate some of the latest products from manufacturers and how to keep up with LED innovations that seem to move at the speed of light.
Saturday, Oct. 12
10 a.m.-12 noon
$95

Leveraging BIM to Drive Scalable Prefabrication – Two industry buzzwords for productivity, “Building Information Modeling” and “prefabrication” will join forces in a two-hour course on how BIM can be integrated into an electrical contractor’s prefabrication operation. See how BIM allows contractors to use a virtual 3-D prototype of the project and map options for prefabricated components, then work with supplier to increase job site efficiency.
Friday, Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m.
$95

SAFETY

OSHA Train-the-Trainer 10-Hour Course – Registrants must have current OSHA 500 or 501 certification to participate in this course on becoming an OSHA 10 Hour trainer. The OSHA 10 Hour is the foundation of safety training for the high-voltage line industry, and the growth in line work nationwide means more trainers are needed to help get all workers safety-ready. This course is offered in cooperation with the OSHA ET&D Partnership.
Friday, Oct. 11, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.– Saturday, Oct. 12, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
$250

2014 National Electrical Code Significant Changes – NECA is an active participant in the NEC development process with representation on each of the 19 National Electrical Code (NEC) technical committees. This four-hour course is an extensive overview of significant changes to the National Electrical Code for the 2014 cycle. Learn what is new and revised, and how these changes may impact your business. Stay ahead of the game by catching a glimpse of some interesting and important NEC revisions in the next edition.
Friday, Oct. 11, 1-5 p.m.
$150

Additional pre-conference workshops are posted online. Instructions for registering adding a pre-convention workshop are posted on the NECA 2013 DC blog, blog.necaconvention.org.

All educational offerings above are fee-based. However, FREE admission to the Show is available. To receive FREE admission to the NECA trade show:

  1. Go to www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c4
  2. Use “PR6F” when asked for your SPECIAL ADMISSION CODE

Sep 17

It’s Not Too Late to Add a Pre-Convention Workshop to Your Registration!

Kudos to you for taking full advantage of the education and special opportunities available at NECA 2013 Washington DC! It’s easy to add a pre-convention workshop, Energy Forum or Safety Forum, additional Opening Reception tickets or a tour to your existing registration. Pre-convention workshops run Friday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 12, and local tours are scheduled throughout NECA 2013 Washington DC.

You can easily add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Visit the 2013 Washington registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c4/. (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website.)

2. Scroll down to “Already Registered?” You will be prompted to enter the confirmation number and email address included in your registration confirmation you should have received by email. Click “Resend Your Confirmation” if you can’t locate your original confirmation email.

3. Click “Review or Change Your Registration.” Your registration contact information will be displayed.

4. Click through the pages until you reach “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Select any workshops you would like to add to your registration. Please note that not all workshops may be available at this time; class size may have maxed out, or the class may have been cancelled.

5. Click through the pages to see if you need to update any other information. The cart at the top of the page will display any items you have added.

6. Click “Update Registration” once you’re finishing reviewing. You will receive an email confirmation of your additional registration items and billing information.

That’s it!

Aug 08

Safety Forum Sessions Schedule

Second Annual Safety Forum at NECA 2013 Washington DC

Saturday, Oct. 12 – Sunday, Oct. 13

$250 member/$599 non-member/Included with Weekend Package registration

Here’s the finalized schedule for both the inside and outside sessions at the 2013 Safety Forum on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13  at NECA 2013 Washington D.C. The Safety Forum kicks off with pre-convention workshops of Friday and Saturday, including the popular OSHA 10-Hour Course, led by James McGowan, Director, Safety Training for Quanta Services Inc, and chairman of the training task team (Task Team II) for the OSHA Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Partnership. He helped develop the ET&D Partnership 10-Hour OSHA course and the ET&D Partnership Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Training course and is excited to bring this course to this year’s Safety Forum.

Sunday sessions at the Safety Forum will follow inside and outside tracks. Check out the table below to find the courses that will help you be a safety super-hero!

Safety Forum – Saturday 8/12 and Sunday 8/13

safety conference sessions 1

Safety conference sessions 2

NOTE: The ET&D 10 hour course has an additional fee – to learn more click here >

Sep 19

No, It’s Not Too Late to Add a Pre-Convention Workshop to Your Registration!

Congratulations to you for taking full advantage of the education available at NECA 2012 Las Vegas! It’s easy to add a pre-convention workshop, special session, extra Opening Reception tickets or a tour to your existing registration. Pre-convention workshops run Friday, Sept. 28-Saturday, Sept. 29, and tours are scheduled throughout the event.

You can add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Visit the 2012 Las Vegas registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c3/ (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website.)

2. Scroll down to “Already Registered?” You will be prompted to enter the confirmation number and email address included in your registration confirmation you should have received by email. Click “Resend Your Confirmation” if you can’t locate your original confirmation email.

3. Click “Review or Change Your Registration.” Your registration contact information will be displayed.

4. Click through the pages until you reach “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Select any workshops you would like to add to your registration.

5. Click through the pages to see if you need to update any other information. The cart at the top of the page will display any items you have added.

6. Click “Update Registration” once you’re finishing reviewing. You will receive an email confirmation of your additional registration items and billing information.

That’s it!

Aug 22

Latest NEIS on PV Installation Featured at NECA 2012 Las Vegas

When NECA 412-2012, Standard for Installing and Maintaining Photovoltaic Systems (ANSI), was released earlier this summer, it quickly proved one of the most popular NEIS ever published.  The pre-convention workshop, Installing & Maintaining Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, will be led by Gregory Massey, P.E. , author of NECA 412 and several other NEIS.

The highly anticipated standard describes the application procedures for installing photovoltaic (PV) power systems and components. NECA 412 complements the National Electrical Code (NEC) rules with essential information about quality and performance aspects of the photovoltaic equipment that transforms solar energy into electric power.

The workshop gives additional insight into PV installations, including how to perform effective site assessments and providing customers with Code-compliant installations of PV systems and equipment in residential and commercial occupancies. Attendees will receive their own copy of NECA 412.

Installing & Maintaining Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Friday, September 28, 2012
1-3 p.m.
Session Type: Pre-Convention Workshops
Location: Mandalay Bay
Speaker: Gregory Massey, P.E.
Fee: $89

Jul 05

More about Mandalay Bay

It’s been 14 years since NECA brought its annual convention and trade show to Las Vegas, well before Mandalay Bay opened its doors. We thought you’d like to know a little more about where you’ll be for the electrical industry’s favorite annual event!

NECA 2012 Las Vegas will be the first convention held in a single location, with housing and meeting facilities under the same roof – but what a location it is! Two hotels, the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and TheHotel, book-end the convention center. Each hotel tower is magnificent with its own unique style and room accommodations. Both hotels are large enough to host industry events like NECA, but intimidate and family-oriented so that everyone will enjoy their time at NECA 2012 Las Vegas.

The Mandalay Bay Convention Center opened its doors as the fifth-largest convention facility in the United States, and the largest meeting facility located on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

The entire Mandalay Bay complex – from hotel to special resort features to meeting and event rooms – are luxurious without pretention. The clubs, restaurants, casino and outdoor water activities are amazing here.  Owing to the outsized nature of Mandalay Bay, it’s possible to really never leave and yet be fully entertained.

If you do want to hit the Strip or check out some of the city’s other sights, see visitlasvegas and Las Vegas Monorail website on getting around the city. You should also check out the NECA 2012 Las Vegas special tours and excursions.

Oct 28

Energy Forum Featured in San Diego Daily Transcript

Mir Mustafa, NECA Director, Business Development, and other speakers and participants from NECA’s first Energy Forum held Oct. 21 in San Diego, immediately prior to NECA’s convention and trade show, was quoted extensively in an article about the event by James Palen in the San Diego Daily Transcript. From the article:

After opening remarks from Stan Lazarian, president of Pasadena’s Electric Service & Supply Co. as well as vice president of NECA’s ninth district, several high-profile names from both in and out of the immediate NECA family took to the podiums and convention halls, touching on everything from opportunities to challenges facing the crowd.

“Is there anyone here that doesn’t think that this energy solution market does not represent an opportunity for them?” Mir Mustafa, NECA’s director of market development, asked the crowd at the last of Saturday’s general session addresses.

Not a single one of the hundreds in attendance raised a hand.

Mustafa then asked how many of them were confident they knew how to go about seizing that opportunity. Just three hands flew to the air.

“It is very confusing,” Mustafa responded.

He then went on to explain how his interest in green energy was brought on by chance through a conversation with a client — Mustafa was previously a lawyer — about energy efficiency. Despite his lack of working experience as an electrician or engineer, he and the client wound up starting a company together doing energy retrofit work.

“We didn’t know what we were doing when we started, but we learned quite a lot along the way, so it’s quite possible for all of you to become quite efficient at it,” Mustafa said.

And so set the tone for the forum. Through six morning breakout sessions and three in the afternoon, electricians learned how to incorporate detailed energy financial analyses in their proposals, listened to what their place may be in the emerging electric vehicle infrastructure market and learned about options regarding the financing of energy projects so they can better approach potential customers.

>>Read the full article from the San Diego Daily Transcript online or NECA’s recap of the event on blog.necaconvention.org.