Click this link to watch! Interview with Philip Peterson, Andy Berg (San Diego Source)>>

“We’re thrilled to honor these innovations selected by electrical contractors around the country,” said ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR publisher John Maisel. “They represent the best in emerging technologies for our industry and add excitement throughout the show, and they will most likely become the new standard for electrical contractors’ product expectations.”

Displayed at the front of the show hall with blue ribbons and awarded commemorative plaques, this year’s Showstoppers represented diverse products, equipment and systems from a range of manufacturers and systems developers.

More information about the 2011 Showstopper products will be published in the January 2012 issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR.

 2011 SHOWSTOPPER AWARD WINNERS 

Published by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine is the electrical construction industry’s leading publication, with more than 86,000 subscribers. For more information, visit www.ecmag.com.

McDonough started the discussion off on an extremely positive note, talking about how, as a female lobbyist for the construction industry, she is often the only women in the room when speaking with Members of Congress. “I find it terrifically empowering,” McDonough said. “I know they’re going to listen to me because I’m different from what they’re used to.” McDonough backed up her observation with facts about how women control 80 percent of their household income and annually start up double the number of small businesses. “Basically, women are going to dream bigger,” she said.

McDonough challenged the women to get involved with advocacy, both through NECA’s political action and their communities. “If you’re not at the table, it means you don’t care,” she said. “This is the way you can make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you.”

NECA will host its annual Legislative Conference in May 2012, and McDonough encouraged more women to join the meeting. “Congressional leaders want to talk to more women, because they know the kind of change they can make happen. You’re only going to be intimidated once – the first time you go into meeting your legislator. After that, you can do anything.”

Becky Clark added her expertise and tough talk on Davis-Bacon enforcement as an enforcement agent for the U.S. Dept. of Labor. “If you want to know why we are so tough on Davis-Bacon now, it’s because the current administration believes in the philosophy that if you put a living wage in the hands of workers on a weekly basis, they will put that money back into the economy,” she said.

Clark also echoed a popular sentiment among electrical contractors: “When I get a company coming in to tell me they deserve an exclusion on a solar project, I ask them to the describe the work. And when they do, I tell them, “you know, that sounds a lot like electrical work. And that IS covered under Davis-Bacon. So you’re going to have to honor the prevailing wage.”

She asked that contractors assist DOL with the prevailing wage surveys. “This is where we get the information that makes enforcement possible. I spend a lot of my time explaining to contractors how it’s in their best interest to facilitate our surveys.”

Alexandra Harrison wrapped up the discussion with three primary points about women moving into executive management positions within the male-dominated construction industry. “If I had to break it down into three things – how I went from entry-level to EVP in six years – it’s accepting three things. One, life isn’t fair. Two, don’t shrug off compliments. Own what you’ve done well. And three, you have to show up. You have to work hard. You have to be at the table to take the risks to get ahead.”

The group also gave a standing ovation to Kathy Mazzarella, Executive Vice President and COO, Graybar, a panelist at last year’s first NWPG Roundtable. Mazzarella was recently announced as the successor to Graybar company president, and offered her famously frank counsel to the group: “Be who you are. It’s your best leadership strength.”

“Founded [in 1920] when the total San Diego County population was 112,000, the Electricians [in IBEW Local Union 569] have played an integral part in the development, construction and maintenance of major buildings and attractions, iconic landmarks, manufacturing and retail centers, schools, hospitals and homes … As you visit downtown, you can see IBEW members at work on the new Downtown Library — creating a state-of-the-art facility. And at the Convention Center, IBEW members, along with other Building Trades craftsmen and women, work on every tradeshow that comes to town.”

The above is quoted from an article in the June 29, 2011, edition of The Daily Transcript, which publishes San Diego business news. It was written by Tom Lemmon, the business manager of the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO. READ More about the NECA/IBEW San Diego project on NECA’s website>>

Read more on NECA’s website >>

Former soldier and acclaimed author Michael Durant offered the event’s keynote speech. He walked the audience step-by-step through the catastrophe that changed his life 17 years ago when the Blackhawk helicopter he was piloting crashed in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Durant shared the insight about how small missteps and miscalculations can lead to great tragedies. He compared the U.S. volunteer armed services to the training and preparation performed by NECA contractors.

“When facing a tough task, practice is all the more important,” Durant said. “Dangerous things should never become routine, but they must be practices to avoid that potentially fatal hesitation – something the workers in your industry can understand.

“There’s a window of opportunity in everything we do,” he concluded. “But we should never sacrifice our credibility to go through that window. It’s a precious asset. I know you see that in your work.”

2010 NECA Award Winners

• 2010 Coggeshall Award ~ Howard D. Hughes

• 2010 Comstock Award ~ John Negro

• 2010 McGraw Award ~ Jonathan “Russ” Borden

• 2010 Association Executive Distinguished Service Award ~ James Willson, Los Angeles County Chapter

• 2010 Wendt Award for Exemplary Leadership and Service to the Electrical Industry ~ Michael Mazzeo