Did you know that you can register EXCLUSIVELY for the NECA 2011 San Diego Safety Track programs, without any additional registration or event costs?

Safety professionals can now build on the knowledge they gained at NECA’s first Safety Professionals Conference with a dedicated education track focused exclusively on the training, regulations and policies they need to do their jobs—all for just $500 (price does not include pre-convention workshops).

The Safety Track at NECA 2011 San Diego is an affordable and accessible way NECA supports our inside and outside electrical safety professionals. Safety Track courses at NECA 2011 San Diego include pre-convention workshops, management seminars, technical workshops, and the Safety Roundtable.

PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOPS

OSHA ET&D 10 Hour Train the Trainer Course
Friday, October 21
8 a.m.–5 p.m., PW-3
(Two-day course continues Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Instructor: Joe Branco, Corporate Safety Manager, Quanta Services
$450

OSHA ET&D Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Train-the-Trainer Course
Friday, October 21
8:00 am–5:00 pm, PW-4 (Three-day course continues Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 23, 8 a.m.–12 noon)
Instructor: James A. McGowan, Director, Safety Training, Quanta Services
$500

Changes in the NFPA 70E 2012
Saturday, October 22
8 a.m.–12 noon, PW-8
Instructors: Palmer Hickman, NJATC Director of Codes and Safety Training and Curriculum Development; and James Dollard, Jr., Safety Coordinator, IBEW Local 98
$145

MANAGEMENT SEMINARS

OSHA’s Regulatory Update Impacting Line Contractors
Sunday, October 23
8:00–8:50 am, M-1  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-8

Surviving the Changes to the Crane Standard
Sunday, October 23
8:00–8:50 am, M-2  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-9

Surviving Today’s OSHA
Monday, October 24
8:00–8:50 am, M-3  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-24

OSHA Partnership: What are the Benefits of the OSHA Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Strategic Safety Partnership for All Line Contractors
Monday, October 24
9:00–9:50 am, M-20

TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS

Workplace Efficiency and Safety: What Contractors Should Know about NFPA 70E and Insulated Tools
Sunday, October 23
12-12:50 p.m., Room 1, ET-1

Line & Truck Grounding for Today’s Lineman
Sunday, October 23, 2011
1–1:50 pm, Room 1, ET-2

Understanding the Arc Flash and NFPA 70E
Sunday, October 23, 2011
2–2:50 pm, Room 1, ET-4

Arc Flash Mitigation and NEC Code and Compliance
Sunday, October 23, 2011
3–3:50 pm, Room 2, ET-6

>>Still unsure about attending NECA 2011 San Diego? The $500 Safety Track flat rate is STILL open for registrants! Register now!

Marc Spitzer, Commission to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will speak at the upcoming 2011 Energy Forum in San Diego, Oct. 22. Spitzer replaces FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who was unable to attend due to an overseas meeting. He joins Allen Breeze, Senior Vice President for Schneider Electric – Power Business USA, as a keynote speaker for the event.

The NECA Energy Forum is the only event that specifically addresses the numerous opportunities available for electrical contractors and their customers in renewable power technology and integrated, energy-efficient building systems.

“Electrical contractors are the vital link between energy-efficient technology and cost-efficient construction,” said Stan Lazarian, President, Electric Service & Supply Co., Pasadena, Ca., and chair of NECA’s Energy Solution Task Force. “Our goal at the Energy Forum is to provide contractors and their customers with an opportunity to share what they’ve learned about working on renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency projects.”

“How and where we get our energy has become a serious question for building owners, government leaders and developers. Rising energy prices and energy inefficiencies have everyone thinking about what the smart alternatives could be, but those alternatives have to make financial sense, both for the customer and the electrical contractor,” said Rob Colgan, NECA executive director, market development. “We’re very excited that Commissioner Spitzer will be able share his perspective in these areas with Energy Forum participants.”

Commissioner Spitzer will focus on how FERC is working to ensure America’s ratepayers have safe, economic, and reliable supplies of electricity and natural gas; and transparent, robust and competitive wholesale energy markets.

Spitzer was nominated as a FERC Commissioner by President George W. Bush.  Prior to joining FERC, Spitzer was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in 2000 and in 2002 was elected Chairman by his colleagues. He received recognition for his leadership of the Arizona Commission from 2003-2005. At ACC, Spitzer worked on policies encouraging expansion of natural gas infrastructure, specifically distribution and storage; creating a demand side management policy; enhancing the ACC’s renewable energy standard; and advancing consumer privacy concerns in telecommunications.

At the FERC, Commissioner Spitzer is building on his record in Arizona on environmental issues. Demand response, energy efficiency, and access to the grid by alternative resources were major focuses of Spitzer in retail rate cases and policy decisions before the Arizona Commission.

In 1992, Spitzer was elected to the Arizona State Senate for District 18. There, he served in the Legislature as Chair of the Judiciary and Finance Committees and was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Majority Leader in 1996.

An attorney since 1982, Spitzer represented taxpayers in proceedings involving the Internal Revenue Service. After graduation from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he attended the University of Michigan, School of Law.

Online registration is still open for the NECA 2011 Energy Forum; learn more and register here.

The NECA Women’s Peer Group will be holding a roundtable discussion at NECA 2011 San Diego on Monday, Oct. 24, 3-4:30 p.m. with special guests panelists Kristen McDonough, Director, Legislative Affairs, NECA; Rebecca Clark, Government Contracts Specialist, U.S. Dept. of Labor; and Alexandra Harrison, Executive Vice President – Marketing and Strategic Accounts, Ontility. (We’ve also invited Kathy Mazzarella, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Graybar who inspired so many women at the 2010 NWPG Roundtable to join us for this year’s program.)

The NWPG Roundtable will be a wide-ranging discussion, covering the how NECA women can get involved in legislative action, Davis-Bacon enforcement, and strategies for moving into executive management. NWPG’s Roundtable strives to cover both issues affecting our businesses and the challenges NECA women face in the industry. Each panelist will share her unique expertise and insight, and women attending NECA 2011 San Diego are encouraged to offer their perspectives as well.

NWPG’s Roundtable is an opportunity to meet your fellow women working in the industry and discuss the issues and challenges we all face. If you’re a woman involved with the electrical contracting industry, the NWPG Roundtable wants you to join us for this once-a-year event! Following the NWPG Roundtable, participants are invited to join the Future Leader’s Reception already in progress.

The NECA Women’s Peer Group (NWPG) was established in 2009 and is currently led by the Women’s Peer Group Task Force.  Participation in the peer group is open to all women affiliated with NECA member companies, NECA Chapters and National office, and LMCCs.

The mission of NECA Women’s Peer Group (NWPG) is to offer a forum for women working in all aspects of the electrical contracting industry to discuss the issues they face and facilitate mentoring relationships between emerging and established industry leaders.  The NWPG also works to recruit new talent and demonstrate opportunities available to women in electrical contracting.  NWPG members come together to discuss the issues they face as professional women working in a traditionally male-led industry and association.

Please join the NECA Women’s Peer Group on Facebook or LinkedIn, or stop by the NECA booth #941 on the Show floor and let us know how we can help you be your best in our industry! And make your plans to join us for the 2011 NWPG Roundtable, Monday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. Room assignment will be noted in the on-site program.

Tim McBride, President of San Marcos, Ca –based Southern Contracting Co.and Board President of the San Diego Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), was recognized by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders this week at a citywide press conference as installation began on the new lighting upgrade project which will retrofit 80 percent of the city’s street lights to energy-efficient fixtures. San Diego will save $2.2 million annually from reduced energy and maintenance costs.

Street Lamp Before & After Photos Courtesy: SanDiego.gov

The $16 million retrofit is funded by a financing package that includes a $13 million bond, $2 million in federal grant stimulus funding, and a $3 million low- interest state loan. The $13 million bond is a federally-backed Qualified Energy Conservation Bond, a program that came out of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the original recession stimulus legislation. In addition, San Diego Gas & Electric will provide a one-time $1.2 million rebate for the lighting change.

More than 35,000 induction technology street light fixtures, using broadband light technology, will replace the old sodium vapor lamps. The new light fixtures will be brighter and make colors easier to see at night because they produce a broader light spectrum than sodium vapors. McBride has also pledged to make the job “zero-waste” by recycling all the old building materials rather than hauling them to a landfill.

Read full story on NECA’s website >>

By Beth Ellis, NECA Executive Director, Convention/Exposition

Can you believe that we are now just a month away from the NECA Convention? We have some amazing events and education that we are offering in San Diego, and we’re working hard to make sure every aspect of our convention and trade show offers the best experience for NECA members.

That’s why I want to make sure everyone understands that we are having our Closing Celebration outside the Convention Center by the San Diego Bay, starting at 8 p.m., just as the sun sets. I know the weather will be perfect, the music by Al Jardine and the Endless Summer Band will be fantastic, and the setting will be a ton of fun! We will have an area where you can spread out and dance, or sit on the grassy area on blankets or chairs we’ll have set up. There will be cash bars and cocktails tables for your convenience to have a cold beverage or glass of wine.

To add to the beverage selections this year, we are offering a unique snack box that will have a selection of cheeses, flatbread, fruit and chocolates. The only thing is, I need your orders for snack boxes by Oct. 14! Please download the PDF order form below and fax it to 301-215-4553to order your snack boxes for the Closing Celebration. Boxes are only $9 each and make the perfect  after-dinner snack while enjoying the concert!

Thanks, and l look forward to seeing you in San Diego! If you have any questions about ordering snack boxes for the Closing Celebration, feel free to email katie@necanet.org.

Click here to order your snack boxes for the Closing Celebration!>>

The easiest way to connect with your fellow NECA contractors and convention-goers fits right in the palm of your hand. Use your smartphone, iPad, Android, or tablet device and keep the conversation going!

Use #NECA11 to tweet your San Diego experiences! Win prizes – 2011 San Diego exhibitors tweet exclusive offers, don’t miss out!

@necanet

@necaconvention

Become a fan — stay up-to-date with your interests in NECA:

Association news and Industry Updates /NECAnet

Women of the Industry Exclusive — Network with peers and plan for the 2012 Summit in Chicago, IL! /NECAWPG

Charlie Trout’s CQD, NEC® updates and more! /NECANEIS

Get a jump on NECA 2012 Las Vegas! /NECAConvention

New emerging markets, technology, and project success stories /NECAEnergySolutions

Student exclusive! Network with classmates, and prepare for the 2012 Green Energy Challenge! /NECAStudentChapters

Want to see photos from San Diego and year’s past? View NECA’s Flickr feed at Flickr.com/necanet

Watch a daily digest of video recaps, live from San Diego on YouTube!

Missed a session, technical workshop or just can’t get enough of NECA 2011 San Diego? Read daily posts and exclusive interviews right here on the exclusive blog!

By Andy Berg, Executive Manager, San Diego County Chapter, NECA

Every year at the Association Executives’ Institute, the chapter manager for the NECA Convention host city – AEI is always held in the same city, usually six months prior to the convention – is asked to give a brief introduction to the area.

Most of us have learned to include the phrase, “No, I cannot help you get baseball playoff tickets.”  Of course, this year I didn’t even have to worry about that.

Since you won’t be heading over to PetCo Park to watch a World Series game,  you can spend some of your time in San Diego thinking about what you want your company’s future to look like.  Chances are, it’s going to look a lot different than its past.

San Diego and the state of California have been on the leading edge of the green energy revolution which makes it entirely appropriate that NECA’s first-ever Energy Forum will be held in our fine city.  That’s where I will be on Saturday, Oct. 22, and you should be there as well to learn about everything from Utility Grade Wind Power to Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, and even financing options for your customers that want to “go green.” Starting Sunday morning, Oct. 23, please make sure to spend time at the NECA Show where almost 300 exhibitors will be on hand to show the latest and greatest tools and technological advancements to help make your business more successful.

Don’t worry; you will have plenty of time to explore America’s Finest City and some of its world-famous attractions such as the San Diego Zoo, Sea World and my favorite, the Wild Animal Park.  If you are looking for a great restaurant, San Diego has hundreds of them. Perhaps the easiest way to find one is just to walk up 5^th Avenue into the Gaslamp District and read the menus posted in front.  You cannot go wrong eating at any restaurant on 5th Avenue.  For you golfers out there, no trip to San Diego would be complete without playing a round at Torrey Pines. But if you don’t want to challenge the course the pros play on, there are many other alternatives less than 30 minutes from your hotel.

One other thought on how to spend your free time:  Since the Opening Reception aboard the USS Midway is going to give convention-goers a behind-the-scenes look at the ship you wouldn’t ordinarily get on a standard tour, consider using free time you may have to take the water taxi to visit sites across the San Diego Bay, like the Hotel Del Coronado. You can pick up the water taxi from the terminal right behind the Convention Center or just stroll along the Bay’s pathways and bridges for a breath of fresh air.

Actually, NECA 2011 San Diego promises to be big breath of fresh air for everyone. Our industry has gone through a lot in past few years, and I always appreciate spending time with my colleagues from across the country who can give me a different perspective and some new ways of thinking about our work.  And although the nearest baseball playoff game will be in neighboring Arizona, I am sure that you will still enjoy the Convention and your stay in San Diego.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make that so.

 Check out other special NECA 2011 San Diego tours >>

Allen Breeze, Senior Vice President for Schneider Electric – Power Business USA, will be a keynote speaker at the first NECA Energy Forumin San Diego, Oct. 22. Breeze replaces Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), who was unable to attend due to an overseas meeting.

Allen Breeze, Senior VP, Schneider Electric

Breeze brings a passion for the energy solutions market to the Energy Forum. At Schneider, he has championed new initiatives, such as providing customers with solutions to help solve the energy dilemma and solutions for the changing market opportunities such as electric vehicles. He is also a strong proponent of energy audits as a way into the energy solutions market.

“An energy audit allows us to identify energy efficiency opportunities in a building and make recommendations to optimize energy use through monitoring and control. There is a tremendous opportunity for companies to save up to 30 percent off their energy bill by putting in place both passive and active energy efficiency measures,” Breeze wrote in TED magazine.

Breeze joined Schneider Electric in 1984, as a marketing engineer in the commercial product group while finishing his undergraduate degree. Upon graduation from the University of Kentucky in 1986 with his bachelor’s degree in from electrical engineering, Breeze joined the company full time as a product application engineer for low voltage circuit breakers. Since then, he has worked held several sales and marketing positions within the company.

In 2010, Breeze was named Senior Vice President for the Power Business USA. He is responsibilities include sales and marketing for the Power product and solutions, along with market and customer segments such as residential, electrical contractors, and consulting engineers.

Breeze believes that the energy solutions market is best viewed as a collaboration between industry stakeholders – manufacturers, distributors, electrical contractors, and most importantly, the customers they all serve. “For example, there is a role for distributors and contractors to work with an energy management provider throughout an energy audit process in the private and public sectors, but who they work for – either the end-user or the energy service company – is really determined on a case-by-case basis. That’s why it’s important for everyone to be aware of these new market opportunities,” he said.

Allen is a member of the NEMA Power Equipment Board, a Professional Manager Development Program Alumni, a Trophy Award Winner – Be More Customer Center (TRE Campaign) and Six Sigma Green Belt. 

Come to NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum to hear directly from industry leaders like Allen Breeze about how electrical contractors can make the energy solutions market their own!

The Construction Zone Bar (booth #311) is the perfect gathering spot. Grab a cool drink at the cash bar, enjoy complimentary popcorn, watch the Sunday NFL games, or check the scores of your favorite Major League Baseball play-off teams.  Internet access is available to catch up on email too.  Our sponsor, Schneider Electric, is offering complimentary drink tickets, so be sure to stop by their booth (#1325) early to pick one up and take it over to the Construction Zone Bar. Very limited quantities are available so don’t miss out!  The Construction Zone will be open during all Show hours.

First of all, congratulations to you for taking advantage of NECA’s 2011 San Diego pre-convention workshops and all new Energy Forum. Pre-convention workshops run Friday, Oct. 21-Saturday, Oct. 22.

Second, 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 2011 San Diego registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c2/  (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website, then click again on the Register Now button.)

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.

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.

That’s it!