Ken Gordon has been involved in the electrical construction industry since 1974, starting with a family electrical firm owned primarily by uncles and cousins. First driving material delivery trucks, he was soon introduced to doing takeoffs and the estimating process. Ken became involved in project management, with a good deal of guidance from cousins Phil and Jim Gordon. Ken passed his Chicago Electrical Contractor's License exam in 1987.

Ken is the Chief Estimator at Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors, Inc., a large commercial / industrial electrical contractor, primarily in the Health Care industry, but also involved in a variety of data center and other specialty projects. Previous work experience as an estimator / project manager at other firms also included preparing AutoCAD drawings for design/build projects and 'As-Builts'. Ken participates in the forums at MikeHolt.com, which he says have been essential to finding Code references and solutions to unusual problems.

Ken developed an interest in teaching when he became a trainer with Trade Service Corporation for their A.L.E.C. Estimating System, travelling nationwide to conduct hands-on training classes for 3 years. He worked as a sales rep, did technical support, onsite training, and system installations for TRF Systems for 7 years. He continues to teach estimating and AutoCAD night classes at the Electric Association of Chicago, where he has for nearly 15 years.

Ken has been happily married to his wife Maryann for 30 years, and they have four children together, Andy, Amy, Sean, and Megan. An ongoing project has been remodeling their home where they have lived for 25 years, doing much of the work themselves. Other interests include hypermiling (driving for maximum mpg), computer gaming, working on his 1965 Amphicar. and restoring an antique wooden runabout.

Mike Holt worked his way up through the electrical trade. He began as an apprentice electrician and became one of the most recognized experts in the world as it relates to electrical power installations. He has worked as a journeyman electrician, master electrician, and
electrical contractor. Mike’s experience in the real world gives him a unique understanding of how the NEC relates to electrical installations from a practical standpoint. You’ll find his writing style to be direct,
nontechnical, and useful.
Did you know that he didn’t finish high school? So if you struggled in high school or if you didn’t finish it at all, don’t let this get you down, you’re in good company. As a matter of fact, Mike Culbreath, Master Electrician, who produces the finest electrical graphics in the his-
tory of the electrical industry, didn’t finish high school either. So two high school dropouts produced the text and graphics in this textbook! However, realizing success depends on one’s continuing pursuit of
education. Mike immediately attained his GED (as did Mike Culbreath) and ultimately attended the University of Miami’s Graduate School for a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).
Mike Holt resides in Central Florida, is the father of seven children, and has many outside interests and activities. He’s a six-time National Barefoot Water-Ski Champion (1988, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, and
2008), has set many national records, has competed in three World Championships (2006, 2008, and 2010) and continues to train and work out year-round so that he can qualify to ski in the 2012 World Barefoot Championships at the age of 61!
What sets him apart from some, is his commitment to living a balanced lifestyle; placing God first, family, career, then self.

Michael Holt, Jr. is the son of Charles M. Holt (aka Mike Holt) and has been exposed to the electrical trade his whole life. He is a master electrician and Florida Certified Electrical Contractor.

Michael enjoys jet skiing, motocross racing, and stand-up comedy, both as a performer and a member of the audience. He is very much a “people person” and very active socially.

Michael has a daughter, Haylee, whom he absolutely adores.

Brian House is a high-energy entrepreneur with a passion to do business the right way. Brian is currently the CEO of Dan House Electric, Inc., an unlimited electrical contracting company based in Florida and
working throughout the SE United States.
Brian has been involved in varying aspects of alternative energy and energy conservation since the 1990s and has had a passion to constantly improve the combinations of technology offered to his custom-
ers, whether designing energy-efficient lighting retrofits, exploring “green” biomass generators, or partnering with solar energy companies as their preferred installer. He has experienced the laughs and tears of “the growing up of” alternative energy and looks to the future
for more exciting developments.
Currently, Brian is preparing for his NABCEP certification and exploring the future of cutting edge “green” technologies with a new start-up company. In addition to managing his growing company, Brian also speaks at various training and motivational seminars and classes.
Passionate about helping others, he regularly engages with the youth of the local community to motivate them into exploring their future.
Brian and his wife Carissa have shared the joy of their four children and over 30 foster children during a happy 13 years of marriage. When not at work or church, he is an avid fly fisherman preferring the action-packed intercostals for his angling venue.

Tom Landa is a Project Manager/Estimator and has been involved in the electrical industry for the better part of 30 years. He worked his way up through the electrical field, starting as an apprentice at an early age, following his family’s preceding path. Tom has been intrigued in this ever-changing business since day one and he’s continually striving to be the best at what he can do. Electricity and this business are his life and he feels that he’s been educated from an early age to provide a quality end result for his customers, family, friends, and everyone he’s had the benefit of coming into contact with in this industry. Tom feels that this can be accomplished through dedication to your trade, along with a strong education base, honesty, and integrity. Tom continues to put forth everything he has every day of every week for his beautiful wife TinaAnne and their two amazing sons (Tommaso and Antonio) she and God have allowed him the luxury of having. Without the aforementioned, he could not be where he is in life today.

Gary Newton entered the U.S. Army after completing high school. His time in the service of his country included a tour in Vietnam as a Combat Engineer. After the Army, Gary worked for telephone and cable TV companies. He completed an apprenticeship as a land surveyor, then a stint in the San Diego shipyards as a journeyman maintenance electrician. Gary spent 3 more years as a small, independent Electrical Contractor and estimator.

In 1980, he went to work as an electrical designer for a local consulting engineering company. Since then, Gary has worked for consulting engineering companies in California, Nevada, and Colorado. Projects have included commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental, and public agencies. The past 7 years have been mostly school design for the State of California.

Gary has worked on over 1,000 projects with development of over 18 million sq ft of space. His completed projects include: overhead and underground distribution systems (including sub-stations), building lighting and power layouts, telecom and data centers, large scale communication backbone systems, UPS and power conditioning projects, power generation with multiple generators and paralleling switchgear, special engineering projects, and graphics applications. Cost estimates have been an integral part of all projects; working with established budgets, setting construction budgets, or responding to change order and value engineering requests. In 1987, Gary was awarded the Certified Professional Estimator certificate by the American Society of Professional Estimators.

He presently lives in Sacramento, CA, with his wife of 31 years, his two grown children, and a grandson. Gary has an older daughter living in San Diego, who has his other three grandsons.

Bill Ruffner is the founder and CEO of the award-winning TurboBid estimating software program. It was introduced to the marketplace in 2006 and has become one of the leading estimating software programs in the industry. TurboBid is designed to help contractors win more profi table business by providing a systematic process to identify all costs, maximize crew productivity, and present a professional image.

In 1991, Bill started working as an apprentice for one of Chicagoland’s largest electrical contractors. During a 10 year period, hard work and dedication allowed him to quickly advance through the company. In 1997, Bill was offered and accepted the position of Vice President. During his four years in that position, he was responsible for increasing the company’s annual revenue from eight million dollars to over twenty two million dollars a year.

In 2001, he started his own electrical contracting company. Bill knew that the company’s success would ultimately depend on his ability to quickly generate accurate estimates. He also understood that his customers would form an initial opinion of his company based on the quality and professional appearance of the proposals and bid package documents he presented to them. Bill believed that the fastest and most accurate method to estimate electrical jobs was undoubtedly with the use of a computer. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find an estimating program that met his requirements. The available programs were either far too complicated, didn’t generate a quality bid package, or were much too expensive. “That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands,” says Ruffner. “The only way that I was going to get an estimating program that met all of my needs was if I created one myself.” Enter TurboBid.

In 2003, Bill hired the best software programmer in the industry to help take his estimating program from the design stage into a fully functioning software program. While he used his 20+ years of experience as an electrician and contractor to design the software, his skilled programming team brought the software to life in a powerful yet easy to use format. The end result was simply amazing. It quickly became one of the best-selling estimating programs available at any price.

Currently, whenever Bill isn’t busy conducting live on-line training classes with TurboBid users, he continues to design and add amazing new features to the program. He enjoys spending any free time that he may have with his beautiful wife of over 20 years. His son is currently enrolled in Arizona State University’s (ASU) School of Business with plans of joining the company upon graduation.

Perry Vogler is a State certified Master Electrician in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Missouri, and is NABCEP solar certified.

He and his family moved to Central Florida in 2001 and started Done Right Electric shortly after that. They work on custom residential and small to mid-size commercial jobs, design/build and electrical engineering, and also specialize in solar power and building efficiency. Perry has spent his entire life in the electrical and building trades, learning work in all trades so he can incorporate this with building efficiency. This often gives him the edge he needs to win the job, and expand the work he does for his customers.

Perry is happily married and has two boys. He is currently training his oldest to be an electrician and a solar installer. His hobbies are solar and building efficiency as well as playing and coaching fast-pitch softball, playing guitar, and studying electric and solar power.

Jim Wescott, after serving for 4 years in Germany (1960 through 1964) with the Signal Corps, returned home and worked in the family business for 2 years as an electrician doing commercial and industrial electrical work. From 1966 to 1978, he worked for four large electrical contractors in Philadelphia learning estimating and project management skills by day and attending school for Business Administration at night. Jim attained his Associates degree in Business Administration in 1974.

In 1978, he formed a partnership with his father and a brother. While they continued doing commercial and industrial work, they decided to turn their greater efforts to the Public Works market, which is their niche today. They currently have about 50 employees and work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

Jim learned estimating at a NECA estimating course in 1967. In 1978, he and his family purchased the fi rst desktop Electrical Estimating program on the market developed by Trade Service, which ran on a Radio Shack Model II desktop computer. James taught an estimating course for the Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.

The first lesson he learned from a trade organization at the age of 15 was that, “your best friends in the construction industry are your competitors.” That experience prompted him to live with the philosophy that the more you help your peers, the better the industry, and the more you educate the competition, the more competitive you become. James has a strong desire to help educate young contractors so they can be legitimate, successful competitors. An ignorant, uneducated competitor is our worst enemy.