NECA Convention 2009 Seattle: The Blog

Members of NECA’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors convened Oct. 21 to review one proposed bylaw amendment, two ordinary proposals and reports from the organization’s staff officers, committees, and task forces. NECA President Rex Ferry chaired the meeting, the final one of his term as NECA president.

The amendment to NECA’s bylaws regarding the recommendation to sunset the Marketing Committee and reorganize the current committee members as the Business Development Task Force passed by ballot vote.  The Executive Committee recommended passage of the amendment, writing that “[c]hanges in the marketplace are among the most frequent and significant changes the association must face. New products, new competition for installation services and new strategies for the delivery of electrical construction services are being developed constantly. NECA needs to be able to react quickly to these developments. This change reflects efforts to bring greater flexibility and increased relevance to the activities of related taskforces.”

Ordinary Proposal 1 to amend Standing Policy 15: Electrical Industry Contractor Utility Relations  and Ordinary Proposal 2 directing NECA to work with the IBEW to modify the CIR presentation policy and procedure to reflect that the grieved party (defendant) will be allowed to decide who makes the opening argument before CIR both passed unanimously by voice vote.

The Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the nominations of district vice presidents David Pinter (District 1), Alex Owen (District 3), John Lambert (District 5), Dan Schaeffer (District 7), Stan Lazarian (District 9), and Ron Autrey, Vice President at Large.  The officers will begin their two-year terms on Jan. 1, 2012. President-elect Dennis Quebe will begin serving a three-year term as NECA President, beginning in Jan. 1, 2012.

The Board of Governors also recognized Robert Gasperow, former director of the Construction Labor Research Council, as winner of the 2011 Industry Partner Award.

Members of NECA’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors convened Oct. 2 to review two proposed bylaw amendments, one ordinary proposal and reports from the organization’s staff officers, committees, and task forces. NECA President Rex Ferry chaired the meeting.

Neither the amendment to increase NECA member dues or the amendment to NECA’s bylaw regarding the Council for Industrial Relations (CIR) passed by the required majority. An ordinary proposal to update NECA’s standing policy on government affairs was approved by voice vote.

The Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the nominations of district vice presidents Greg Stewart (District 2), George Adams (District 6) and Gary Tucci (District 10). David Hardt (District 4) and Ray Friend (District 8 ) were elected to their second two-year term. The officers will begin their two-year terms on January 1, 2011. Current District 2 Vice President Dennis Quebe was unanimously voted as NECA President-elect, a one-year term that will begin January 1, 2011. Quebe will then serve a three-year term as NECA President, beginning in 2012.

The Board of Governors also recognized Milwaukee Electric Tool as NECA’s 2010 Industry Partner award winner.

The Board of Governors recognized Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. as NECA’s 2010 Industry Partner award winner. Steven Richman, president of Milwaukee Electric, accredited the award on behalf of the company.

“We don’t take this honor lightly,” Richman remarked to the Governors. “We know we have to earn your trust by producing great products and integrated learning.

Milwaukee has generously supported NECA’s educational initiatives for many years, as an exhibitor at the NECA Show, a supporter and platinum level training partner for the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee and as a new member of ELECTRI International’s Partner’s for Progress program. Milwaukee will lead a technical workshop at NECA 2010 Boston’s trade show on “Power Tool Safety and Productivity,” Oct. 3. The company became a NECA Premier Partner in 2008.

NECA’s Industry Partner Award recognizes those organizations or individuals who, though not members of NECA, contribute to the electrical contracting industry’s success through their decisions, actions, or cooperation with NECA. Previous winners of the Industry Partner Award include the National Fire Protection Agency (1996), Graybar Electric Co. (2004), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2008).

“We are extremely proud to receive this exclusive award and consider it an honor to partner with NECA to demonstrate our shared commitment to the electrical trades,” Richman said. “Milwaukee remains committed to disruptive innovation and delivering solutions for electricians that increase productivity and enhance ease-of-use.”



NECA recognized the contributions made to electrical contracting by the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) during yesterday’s Board of Governor’s meeting with the association’s 2009 Industry Partner Award.

NECA Industry Partner Award recognizes those organizations or individuals that, though not members of NECA, contribute to the electrical contracting industry’s success through their decisions, actions, or cooperation with NECA. Previous winners of the Industry Partner Award include the National Fire Protection Agency (1996), Graybar Electric Co. (2004), and University of Kansas professor and ELECTRI International researcher Thomas E. Glavinich (2007). The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and NECA have worked together for more than a century to the mutual benefit of their respective members.

Electrical distributors are essential link between companies who make electrical products and the electrical contractors who put those products to use in projects worldwide. Beyond warehousing and selling electrical products, distributors provide extensive product knowledge, technical assistance, on-time delivery to facilitate productivity, market knowledge, and extend credit to end-users.

NAED is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving and protecting the electrical distribution channel. Much of its work centers on helping electrical distributors develop effective working relationships with their best customers. electrical contractors.

NECA and NAED joined forces in 2009 to fight the growing number of counterfeit electrical products making their way to the market. Since its inception, the Anti-Counterfeit Products Initiative, www.counterfeitscankill.com, has educated thousands of electrical professionals and the public on the dangers and liabilities counterfeit electrical products present. “We’re proud of this initiative with the potential to save lives, and we’re proud of our ongoing partnership with NAED,” said NECA CEO John Grau.

Grau wrote in a recent editorial in Construction Today, “We’re all in this together, and we all share a common goal of keeping buildings, their owners and their occupants safe. When your electrical contractor comes to you with a concern about product quality, hear him out. You could be saving liability, property and lives.”

NECA’s Board of Governors meeting today included passing a new standing policy on safety programs and safe workers and election of five new district Vice Presidents. The new VPs will start their two-year terms on Jan. 1, 2010. District 1 Vice President David MacKay was elected to a second term.

Take a minute to meet NECA’s newest VPs.

• District 3     Lanny Thomas
• District 5     Chris Schoolcraft
• District 7    Daniel Schaeffer
• District 9    Stanley Lazarian
• Vice President at Large    Ron Autrey

NECA NewsCast host, Matthew Walton, reports on Day 1 of the NECA 2008 Chicago Convention and Trade show. This first special installment of NECA NewsCast “Live from Chicago” includes close look at many of the pre-convention workshops, including the LED workshop led by Ruud Lighting.