Speakers

Stockton, California native, Amanda King is a professional leadership coach and trainer. She holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, and a Master’s degree in Education from University of the Pacific.
 
As the owner of Wired Leadership, Amanda travels all over the country providing leadership training to frontline leaders. She works primarily with Foremen, General Foremen, and Superintendents, but you may find her at your local JATC, encouraging apprentices to reach their goals, or working with project managers to help them deliver a successful project.

For the past 8 years, Amanda has been instrumental in developing great leaders within the electrical industry. She has a unique ability to connect with people, helping them unleash their true potential.

Ryan Courtney embarked on his journey in the electrical contracting industry upon completing his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Technology at Southeastern Louisiana University. With a rich and diverse background encompassing technical support, industrial IT, education, and industrial fabrication and assembly, Ryan has amassed invaluable experience across multiple domains.

Over the past decade, Ryan has dedicated himself to the trade association sector, leaving a lasting impact at every level. He began his career as the Chapter Manager for the Kansas Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), where he showcased exceptional leadership abilities and developed a solid foundation in labor relations. He then served as the Executive Director of Labor Relations for NECA and later served as the Assistant Manager for the Southeastern Line Constructors Chapter of NECA, allowing him to deepen his expertise and expand his industry knowledge.

Currently serving as the Executive Director of National Labor Relations for NECA, Ryan holds a pivotal position in shaping and guiding labor relations strategies, actively contributing to the association’s continued success and growth.

With an unwavering passion for the electrical contracting industry, combined with his technical acumen and extensive experience, Ryan Courtney stands in a unique position to drive positive change and advancement within the field.

Anna is responsible for implementing programs and resources that introduce students and young professionals to career opportunities in the EC industry. Some of these programs and resources include: the National Project Management Apprenticeship, NECA Student Chapters, ELECTRI’s Industry Connect, and several toolkits to help contractors achieve their workforce development goals. Her focus is energizing and connecting students, educators, and contractors through all phases of the learning and development journey.

Andy Netzel is the Business Manager for Altec Sentry and has over 13 years of leadership experience leading teams. Altec Sentry helps employers train and certify Altec equipment operators on safe and proper operation and believes that industry-leading equipment deserves industry-leading training. Andy learned the value of training during his time as a United States Army UH-60 Blackhawk pilot and company commander and continues to emphasize the need for realistic and thorough training in all walks of life. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University. Andy is scheduled to complete his Doctor of Business Administration in January of 2024. Andy resides in Houston, Texas and enjoys golfing and camping in his free time.

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.

Mike joined ABB in 2021, as U.S. Product Marketing Director for the EL Digital portfolio. Prior to coming to ABB, Mike was the product leader for building controls at Daikin, and prior to that, he was a senior product marketing manager for the Home Comfort business line at Honeywell.

Joe Barnard is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ArchKey Solutions/Sachs Electric as well as the Corporate Vice President of Special Projects for ArchKey Solutions.

In his 30-plus-year career (all at ArchKey Solutions/Sachs Electric), he has been the executive, directed and/or managed projects in commercial, institutional, manufacturing, retail, industrial, and healthcare facilities including data centers, commercial and retail developments, airports, power plants, hospitals, and medical facilities. He has both regional and national experience in all project delivery types. Joe specializes in operational process improvement, contract management, labor relations, resource management and business strategy.

Joe has served on many industry organizations and committees. He is currently an Executive Board Member and Treasurer of the St. Louis Chapter of NECA. He sits on the IBEW-NECA Joint Labor Management Committees for IBEW Local 1. He is a trustee for IBEW Local 309 Pension Trust as well as IBEW Local 1 Health and Welfare Fund. Additionally, Joe is on the Board of Directors for the Gateway Region YMCA.

Joe holds Master Electrician and Electrical Contracting licenses in numerous jurisdictions across the country. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.

Nic Bittle is the founder of Work Force Pro and works with organizations and leaders who want to prepare and develop their workforce to lead with impact, act like a pro, and perform at their very best on a daily basis.  He does this in a variety of ways, from presentations and workshops, to books he’s written, or through other solutions he has created. 
He is the architect of multiple performance improvement process curriculums which are specifically designed to prepare and develop current leaders, as well as our next generation work force, for the roles and responsibilities that lie ahead.
Nic is the author of four books.
 

Dave Orman is the Midwest Field Representative serving the snow belt states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Until July of 2023, Dave was the Chapter Executive of the Twin Ports Arrowhead Chapter in Duluth, Minnesota. Among other responsibilities, he is lucky enough to be facilitator for PEER Group 3, otherwise known as the Bull Run PEER Group. Prior to joining NECA, Dave was an entrepreneur and business owner. 

Former CEO of Pittsburgh-based Sargent Electric Company, Fred Sargent has devoted many years towards furthering the advancement of service & maintenance in the electrical contracting industry. Having co-founded a franchising organization for preventive and predictive maintenance, which today has locations in North America and elsewhere abroad, over the past decade he has steered a US network of electrical service & maintenance contractors. His NECA involvement has included a term on the Executive Committee, membership in the Academy, participation in ELECTRI, winning the McGraw Award, and serving on the board of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter, along with sharing the byline in the “Service & Maintenance” monthly column in NECA’s ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine since 2011. He has published two books on electrical service & maintenance.