Speakers

As Executive Director of ELECTRI International, the Foundation for Electrical Construction, Josh Bone guides the Foundation’s research and education agenda to ensure it remains a vital resource for the entire electrical construction industry. He began as Interim Executive Director in April 2020, before being installed as its permanent Executive Director on October 1, 2020.

Bone joined NECA in October 2019 as Executive Director of Industry Innovation. In this position, he was responsible for implementing, training and presenting construction technology solutions to electrical contractors nationwide.

Bone started his career working with design teams, then transitioned into helping construction professionals leverage technology in both the preconstruction and construction phases. He has had the opportunity to work on hundreds of projects throughout his career, where he has delved deep into the VDC process. He has also shared his knowledge with audiences and publications across North America as a frequent professional speaker, guest editorial contributor and podcaster

Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corporate clients around the world. He is the chief economist for several national and international organizations.

Prior to starting Armada in 1999, he was a professor of economics and finance for 15 years – teaching in the US, Hungary, Russia, Estonia, Singapore and Taiwan. He holds advanced degrees in economics, Soviet studies and East Asian studies.

Chris is the writer/editor of Business Intelligence Briefs and a writer for the Black Owl Report – both publications from Armada. He is an economic analyst for the Armada Strategic Intelligence System and is responsible for the Credit Manager’s Index from NACM as well Fabrinomics from the FMA.

Krueger is NECA’s Executive Director of Codes and Standards. He has worked in the electrical industry for over 25 years as an Inside Wireman, AHJ, and Educator. Kyle currently represents NECA on the NEC® Correlating Committee, Code Making Panel-3, NFPA 72 Correlating Committee, NFPA’s Electrical Section Executive Board, IAEI Board of Directors, and the UL Electrical Council.

Luis Suau is co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Sinclair Digital as well as an independent Digital Building Consultant in his own practice, Luis Suau Consulting LLC. A 26-year veteran of Cisco, Luis previously worked as a Technical Leader in Cisco’s IOT Business Unit. He was a key member in developing Cisco’s Digital Ceiling and Digital Building Solutions. After the completion and opening of the highly innovative Marriott Sinclair Hotel, Luis left Cisco to pursue his passion of expanding the scope of Digital Building Systems with a goal of developing a Building as a DC Microgrid.

Dave Keane is a construction industry veteran with over 18 years of experience in leadership roles at MEP contracting firms. For the past 10 years, he has brought his passion for operational excellence in prefabrication, estimating, project management, and construction financials to help Trimble MEP clients achieve field-office synergy and transform their business operations.

Jake Olsen, P.E. has worked in the construction industry as an engineer and entrepreneur for over 20 years both in the USA and abroad performing engineering, building teams, starting companies, launching products, and developing software for the builders of tomorrow. Throughout his career, Jake has worked on projects of all scales from residential remodels to healthcare, manufacturing and mega infrastructure projects. Jake is currently the CEO of STRATUS, the leading software provider for MEP contractors looking to improve their design, fabrication and field construction workflows. Previously, Jake built several successful software companies and platforms including DADO, Hangerworks, DEWALT Design Assist and Powercalc Anchor Design. Jake holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering with a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering and is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in California.

Jay B. Jones earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2000.   While there, Jay was named Captain of his Football Team and then went on to coach the Offensive Line for one season following graduation.  After college, Jay took his leadership off the football field and into the Electrical Construction Industry.  After completing his Apprenticeship, Jay became a Journeyman Wireman with IBEW Local Union 456 in New Brunswick, New Jersey where he worked for 11 years as a Journeyman Wireman, Foreman and General Foreman.  He then had the opportunity to work with the National Electrical Contractors Association as a NECA Field Representative covering the NECA Eastern Region.  He is a graduate of both the VOLT and NEXT Leadership Academies and has served as the Co-Coordinator for the Outstanding Apprentices attending the National Training Institute.  For the past 3-years, Jay has worked with the Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter as a Chapter Field Representative and the Director of Education.

Steve has been in the Unionized Electrical Industry for over forty-two years. Over the span of his career, which began with his apprenticeship in 1981, he has held numerous leadership positions across varied sectors of the industry. He retired from his home local in Los Angeles, CA in 2006, and became a Commercial Electrical Inspector for the City of Los Angeles from 2006 until 2010. He left the City of Angels to work for Rosendin, and return to his first love—prefab and packaging. He prefabbed and packaged the very first job he ran in 1986, and has supported multiple contractors in Los Angeles County over the years with developing/improving their prefab and packaging ventures. He is considered a thoughtful leader and innovator. He is a patented inventor and has many varied and unique inventions that have had a lasting impact on prefab shops and the field. Steve was Rosendin’s Prefab and Packaging Director from 2015 until late 2022. Over the years he has presented at NECA conferences, Advancing Prefabrication conferences, and the ELECTRI Innovation conference, as well as being featured in published trade magazines. He worked for one of the largest apprenticeship programs in Los Angeles as an instructor from 1996 to 2010, and as a Senior Instructor from 2010 until late 2022. As a testament to the continued strength of his leadership abilities, in December 2022, he became the Assistant Training Director of said apprenticeship program, which is currently one of the largest apprenticeship programs in the United States. Steve is utilizing his thoughtfulness and creativity to improve the educational environment of apprentices, encourage and realign the educational trajectory of their careers, and is ensuring that this occurs within a “World Class” facility.

Tyler is an influencer for Intelligent Buildings and Power Over Ethernet. He currently leads PoE Texas making technology accessible to facility owners with his unique mix of technical expertise, construction experience, and project management knowledge.  Having been a Project Manager and VP of Construction for more than fifteen years with ExxonMobil and iFLY, Tyler speaks and trains live and on YouTube about his project management experience and the importance of Power Over Ethernet in the new Intelligent Building.

Stephen Eaves is the founder and CEO of VoltServer and is the inventor of a new technology class for electricity distribution called Fault Managed Power or FMP. FMPs active safety controls make it the first form of electricity that is not harmful when in contact with humans even at hundreds of volts. FMP was recently adopted into the 2023 National Electric Code and is the subject of two new UL safety standards. The company has deployed the technology in over 1,000 large venues like NFL stadiums, conference centers and high rises. Steve has more than 30 years’ experience innovating around electrical energy storage, distribution, and management.

Steve has authored or co-authored numerous industry and peer reviewed papers related to the energy industry that have appeared in academic journals and media outlets such as Newsweek, the Washington Post and IEEE proceedings. Stephen has more than 35 patents and has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Connecticut. He is an Air Force veteran.