Video Team for 2008 Master/Contractor Intermediate Library DVDs

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Larry Abernathy

Master Electrician/Instructor Ford Motor Company Research and Engineering Dearborn, Michigan

Larry Abernathy entered the U.S. Army after graduating from high school and received training in communications and electronics. He served in Korea, Germany, and three tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded twice. Larry was trained as an Army instructor and taught communications and electronics at the U.S. Army Southeastern Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He then served an IBEW apprenticeship and became licensed as a journeyman in 1976 and as a master in 1979.

Larry was employed in construction, industrial, commercial, and residential work until becoming the Electrical Inspector for the City of Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1986 with a promotion to Supervisor of Building Inspection in 1988. In 1995, he became employed by the Ford Motor Company and works in the Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn, Michigan. Larry has also taught National Electrical Code update classes. He is married with three grown sons, one of whom is an IBEW journeyman electrician.


Victor Ammons

Senior Electrical Engineer Hillsborough, NJ

Victor Ammons was born in North Carolina, but has lived primarily in New Jersey since the age of five. He spent his high school and college vacation times working in a small, family owned electrical contracting firm. Vic married his high school sweetheart after his sophomore year at North Carolina State University, from which both graduated with honors two years later. After four years in the Army, during which time their first child was born in Germany, Vic and Anne alternated getting MBA degrees. They now have three married children and six grandchildren.

After a number of years of running the family electrical contracting business while his father’s health declined, Vic trained and turned the business over to his brother-in-law. He then returned to the engineering field in which he had been trained. Vic is a registered Professional Engineer in New Jersey and has served in an engineering management role for several engineering and architectural/engineering firms. He’s now a senior electrical engineer for Jacobs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Morristown, New Jersey.

Vic and Anne now reside in west central New Jersey in an area with a few dozen families among over a thousand acres of woodlands. Yes, there are still woodlands in New Jersey; we haven’t gotten around to paving them all yet. Vic and Anne, who will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2019, are avid square- and ballroom-dancers, and are presidents of their local cluband the Northern New Jersey Square Dance Association. Vic is also a woodworker and an amateur beekeeper. Both are active in several capacities in their church.

 


Steve Arne

Training Director AETech Electrical Training Center Rapid City, South Dakota www.ElectricianClass.com

Steve Arne has worked as an electrician, electrical contractor, and electrical instructor for 40 years. Nineteen years of his career were spent as a teacher and department head in post-secondary education. Since Steve retired from Western Dakota Tech in 2003, he has provided industry-direct training specializing in continuing education Electrical Code classes and Electrician Exam Preparation classes for Journeyman and Master's level exams.

In 2012, Steve and Deb's son Ryan returned to Rapid City South Dakota to help Steve expand his training business at AETech Electrical Training Center to include a 640 hour full-time pre-employment Apprentice Electrician Training Program. Steve is currently a Board Member of the SD Electrical Commission and serves on the State and Local Chapter Boards of the SD Electrical Council.

Steve worked with Mike Holt as a technical editor and video team participant beginning in 2002, and uses Mike’s books in his classes. He is very thankful to have been associated with an industry leader like Mike who has a real heart to help others and provides excellent training products to help students in the electrical industry.

Steve and his wife Deb live in Rapid City, South Dakota where they’re both active in their church and community, and love to spend time with their children and grandchildren. The highest priority for both of them is putting God first in both their home and business.


Tarry L. Baker
Chief Electrical Code Compliance Officer Broward County Board of Rules & Appeals Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Tarry has been the Chief Electrical Code Compliance Officer for the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals (Florida) for the last twelve years, standardizing enforcement in 30 municipalities and the unincorporated area of Broward County. He has served on the Electrical Technical Committee to the Board of Rules and Appeals for over ten years, and as an advisor to the committee for nine years. He has been a member of National Electrical Code (NEC) Code-Making Panel-13 of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) since 2000 for the 2002 & 2005 NEC. He helped develop the NFPA & IAEI National Certified Residential Electrical Inspector and Master Electrical Inspector examinations. Tarry is currently a member of the Electrical/Alarms Technical Advisory Committee to the Florida Building Commission, and a former member of the Education, Disciple, and Licensing Work Group for the Governor's Building Code Study Commission for the State of Florida. Tarry has been married to his wife Beckie for 34 years. They have twin daughters and two grandchildren.

Dennis Carlson

Master Electrician/Training Specialist
Steamboat Springs, CO

Dennis Carlson has been in the electrical trade for over 35 years, and has held the positions of Project Superintendent, Field Engineer, Start-up-Coordinator, General Fore¬man, Foreman, Journeyman, and Craft Training Manager. He’s certi¬fied with NCCER as a Master Trainer, and is a professor for Victoria University, Australia as a Master Trainer. In April 2013, he graduated from Salem International University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Dennis is a Master Electrician/Contractor licensed in several states, and a member of the NFPA and IAEI. He’s trained thousands of elec¬tricians in the last 25 years using Mike Holt’s material and has been working with Mike for the last 16 years on his Exam Prep courses.

Dennis and his wife, Cindy, live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where they’re both active in enjoying God’s great outdoors, their church, and the community. They have two children, Brandy, a graphics arts designer who lives in Greeley Colorado, and Josh who is an electrical estimator in Denver Colorado. “Life is too short to do only one thing so you have to prepare yourself for the next challenge. Never stop learning and striving to achieve those goals that you have.”

 


Mike Culbreath

Master Electrician, Graphic Artist–Mike Holt Enterprises

Mike Culbreath has devoted his career to the electrical industry and worked his way up from apprentice electrician to master electrician. He began by doing residential and light commercial construction, and later did service work and custom electrical installations. While working as a journeyman electrician, he suffered a serious on-the-job knee injury. As part of his rehabilitation, Mike completed courses at Mike Holt Enterprises, and then passed the exam to receive his Master Electrician’s license. ln 1986, with a keen interest in continuing education for electricians, he joined the staff to update material and began illustrating Mike Holt’s textbooks and magazine articles.

Mike started with simple hand-drawn diagrams and cut-and-paste graphics. When frustrated by the limitations of that style of illustrating, he took a company computer home to learn how to operate some basic computer graphic software. Realizing that computer graphics offered a lot of flexibility for creating illustrations, Mike took every computer graphics class and seminar he could to help develop his skills. He’s worked as an illustrator and editor with the company for over 30 years and, as Mike Holt has proudly acknowledged, has helped to transform his words and visions into lifelike graphics.

0riginally from south Florida, Mike now lives in northern lower Michigan where he enjoys hiking, kayaking, photography, gardening, and cooking; but his real passion is his horses. He also loves spending time with his children Dawn and Mac and his grandchildren Jonah, Kieley, and Scarlet


Doug Douty

D & D Resources, Owner Fresno City College Fresno, California

Doug Douty has been a consultant in the electrical and building fields for many years. Doug’s vision is to help you maximize your talents and abilities and to provide solutions to difficult problems. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, and a 2006 winner of Mike Holt’s Top Gun presentation award.

Doug holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Technology from California State University, Fresno, and California State Contractor’s license in electrical general contracting. He is an instructor in the electronics department at Fresno City College, an Adjunct Professor at California State University, Fresno, and a nationally recognized speaker in the electrical industry.

Doug resides in Fresno in the Central Valley of California with his wife. He has four grown children and five grandchildren. Doug has a passion for helping people reach their full potential in life. He also enjoys cycling, running, reading, and continual learning as well as family vacations. Doug’s motivational style of teaching captures his audience’s attention.

At Doug’s seminars, students not only increase their knowledge, but their confidence as well. Seminar topics include Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E), the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), AC Fundamentals, AC Power Systems, Control Systems, Electrical Certification Preparation, and Continuing Education.


Wes Gerrans

Electrical Technology Instructor Northwest Kansas Technical College Goodland, Kansas

Wes Gerrans, upon obtaining a Bachelor’s degree from Andrews University in 1965, began his career as an Industrial Arts instructor at Eau Claire Michigan High School. After teaching for four years, he worked in the construction trades for the next 23 years. In 1992 he completed an Electrical Technology course at Northwest Kansas Technical School. It was at this time that he first had contact with Mike Holt when he helped with the editing of one of Mike’s earlier books. He then worked for Archer Daniels Midland as an industrial electrician until 2002, when he went back to NWKTC, now a college, as an instructor in the electrical program.

Wes remains happily married to his wife of 43 years, Jacque, who continues to be a source of strength and encouragement. She retired from being a school psychologist this year and is now enjoying a more leisurely pace at home. Their children are both married. Their son, Neil, is a teacher in Seattle, WA; their daughter, Lisa, teaches in Lincoln, NE.

Other areas of interest for Wes have included a commercial fishing business in Alaska, rebuilding wrecked vehicles, and restoring antique furniture. He is an active leader and teacher in his church. He enjoys participating in community projects, has a passion for teaching, and for sharing the Good News of Jesus.


Ryan Jackson

Inspector/Instructor City of Draper, Utah

Ryan Jackson is a combination inspector in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area who began his career as a carpenter while in high school. He began doing electrical work when he was 18 and, at the age of 23, Ryan landed his first job as an electrical inspector and subsequently became certified in building, plumbing, and mechanical inspection (commercial and residential), as well as building and electrical plan review. Two years after becoming an inspector, he was approached by a friend in the area asking him to fill in at an electrical seminar for him. After his first class Ryan was hooked, and is now a highly sought after seminar instructor. He has taught in several states, and loves helping people increase their understanding of the Code.

In 2005, Ryan met Mike Holt in Salt Lake City, and they became friends immediately. He helped Mike with his Understanding the NEC, Volume 2 videos and began editing his books as well. He believes that there are only a small handful of opportunities that change a person’s life and career, and meeting Mike was one of them.

When Ryan isn’t working, he can often be found in his garage turning wood on his lathe, or in the kitchen where he enjoys wine making. Ryan married his high school sweetheart, Sharie, and they have two beautiful children together: Kaitlynn and Aaron.


Jeff Larus

Electrical Inspector/Instructor Rapid City, SD

Jeff Larus started his electrical career by completing programs in Industrial Electronics and Electronics Technology at Western Dakota Vocational Technical School in Rapid City, South Dakota right after graduating from high school. Jeff completed his electrical apprenticeship and two years as a journeyman working in his father’s electrical contracting business. He tested for and received his South Dakota Electrical Inspector’s license as soon as he was eligible to test.

Since 1990, Jeff has worked for the City of Rapid City as an Electrical Inspector. As a combination inspector for the city, Jeff does primarily electrical and mechanical inspections. Over the years, he has acquired many certifications in all aspects of building inspection and plan review. He holds licenses from the State of South Dakota and the City of Rapid City as well as certifications from the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and the International Code Council. Jeff teaches electrical continuing education classes for Western Dakota Tech and local electrical trade groups. He has volunteered with the Pennington County Search and Rescue Team for the past 19 years.

Jeff and his wife Kae of 11 years live in Rapid City, South Dakota where they have two children Jessy and Tabitha in grade school. Jeff and Kae have been active in Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Black Hills and the Casey Family Foster Care Program.


John Mills

Master Electrician/Electrical Instructor
Premier Electrical Company/Dade County School Board
Miami Springs, Florida

John Mills is an instructor for Mike Holt Enterprises and is a Certified Electrical Contractor, Certified Inspector, Plans Reviewer, and CBO, and currently holds 27 active licenses at the county, state and national level. He started in the electrical trade in 1980 as a helper and attended an ABC Apprenticeship Program, then worked his way up to Master Electrician. John has been an instructor for 30 years, teaching master and journeyman exam preparation courses and Florida State certification courses. John knows that taking an exam is more than just the technical questions—he not only teaches the technical aspects of taking the exam and how to approach each section in a systematic way, but also teaches his students how to really prepare 100% for the mental aspects of taking such a rigorous exam. 

John was born in Westport, Connecticut and has been living in Miami Springs, Florida for the last 40 years. He resides in Miami, Florida with his wife Corina and their four sons. He loves to spend time woodworking, fishing and building cool bikes with his boys. John enjoys spending quality time on family picnics and vacations with his family


Lynn E. Palmer
Construction Supervisor State of California Sacramento, California
Lynn started his career as an electrician in 1979, became a licensed Electrical Contractor in 1985, and owned and operated L & B Palmer Electric. He later went to work as an Electrical Inspector for the County of Sacramento. Lynn is a member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Sacramento Valley Chapter, where he also served as Chairman, and was a member of IBEW Local 340 Sacramento. Lynn has taught a variety of apprenticeship, journeyman and Code training classes. Lynn currently teaches in the Building Inspection Technology Program at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. After working for the County of Sacramento for 10 years, he went to work for the State of California as a Construction Supervisor. Lynn currently resides in Elk Grove, California, with his wife Brenda and two children, Christopher and Jennifer.

Michael Pillarella

Owner, Pillarella School of Electrical Code & Theory Assonet, Massachusetts www.pillarellaschool.com

Mike Pillarella holds a Master’s Degree in Education, a BA in Industrial Arts, and an AA in Electric and Electronics Engineering Technology. He became a Certified Electrical Related & Shop Instructor in the Massachusetts School system. In 1988, Mike established Electrical Contractors, Inc. (EMI) which provides electrical maintenance and installation services in the New England South Shore area.

In 2007, Mike established the proprietary Pillarella School of Electrical Code & Theory. While serving as an electrical inspector, he became increasingly aware of the areas in which more education was needed and structured his curriculum accordingly. His proudest moment as an instructor was when his son, Tim, earned his Master’s license—the first attendee of the school to do so. Mike holds master licenses in MA, RI, NH, VT and ME, and is an approved CEU provider and OSHA Outreach Construction instructor in these states. He’s President of the Massachusetts Electrical Contractors Association, Bristol Chapter, and President and Education Chairman of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Roger Williams Chapter.

Mike served for several years as an instructor for the MA Firefighters’ Academy teaching Electrical Safety, Fire, and Arson Investigation. He served his community for 17 years as a firefighter, EMT, and finished as Fire Chief.

Mike is extremely proud of his wife, Valerie, and their three children, Amy, Michael and Tim.


Phil Simmons

Simmons Electrical Services PO Box 2377, Olympia, WA 98507

Phil Simmons is self-employed as Simmons Electrical Services. Services include consulting on the National Electrical Code and other Codes, writing, editing, illustrating and producing technical publications and inspection of complex electrical installations. He develops training programs related to electrical codes and safety and has been a presenter at numerous seminars and conferences. Phil also provides plan review of electrical construction documents.

Phil began his electrical career in a light-industrial plant. He is licensed as a master electrician and was owner and manager of Simmons Electric Inc., an electrical contracting company. Phil previously served as Chief Electrical Inspector for the State of Washington from 1984 to 1990. He also served as Executive Director for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors as Executive Director and as Education, Codes and Standards Coordinator. He was International President in 1987. He also served as Editor of IAEI News and updated the Electrical Inspection Certification Study Guides as well as the Neon Installations Manual. He served Underwriters Laboratories, as a Corporate Member and on the Electrical Council and on the UL Board of Directors.

Phil presently serves NFPA on Code Making Panel-5 of the National Electrical Code Committee. He previously served on the NEC CMP-1, as Chair of CMP-19 and member of CMP-17. He served six years on the NFPA Standards Council, as NFPA Electrical Section President and on the NEC Technical Correlating Committee.


Eric Stromberg

Master Electrician, Electrical Engineer, Instructor

Eric@MikeHolt.com

Eric Stromberg has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is a professional engineer. He started in the electrical industry when he was a teenager helping the neighborhood electrician. After high school, and a year of college, Eric worked for a couple of different audio companies, installing sound systems in a variety of locations from small buildings to baseball stadiums. After returning to college he worked as a journeyman wireman for an electrical contractor.

After graduating from the University of Houston, Eric took a job as an electronic technician and installed and serviced life safety systems in high-rise buildings. After seven years he went to work for Dow Chemical as a power distribution engineer. His work with audio systems had made him very sensitive to grounding issues and he took this experience with him into power distribution. Because of this expertise, Eric became one of Dow’s grounding subject matter experts. This is also how Eric met Mike Holt, as Mike was looking for grounding experts for his 2002 Grounding vs. Bonding video.

Eric taught the National Electrical Code for professional engineering exam preparation for over 20 years, and has held continuing education teacher certificates for the states of Texas and New Mexico. He was on the electrical licensing and advisory board for the State of Texas, as well as on their electrician licensing exam board. Eric now consults for a Department of Energy research laboratory in New Mexico, where he’s responsible for the electrical standards as well as assisting the laboratory’s AHJ.

Eric’s oldest daughter lives with her husband in Zurich, Switzerland, where she teaches for an international school. His son served in the Air Force, has a degree in Aviation logistics, and is a pilot and owner of an aerial photography business. His youngest daughter is a singer/songwriter in Los Angeles.


James Thomas

Master Electrician/Electrical Instructor James Sprunt Community College Kenansville, North Carolina

James Thomas has been working in the electrical field since 1985 and is licensed in the State of North Carolina. He has worked in residential, commercial, and industrial electrical jobs. James has been an instructor teaching electrical and electronic courses (including the National Electrical Code) full time at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, NC for over 16 years and has taught thousands of individuals. He has taught at Pitt Community College in Greenville NC; Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC; and Sampson Community College in Clinton, NC.

James earned a diploma in Electrical Installation and Maintenance; a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, NC; and a Master’s degree in Industrial Technology from East Carolina University in Greenville NC. James also served in the Air Force Reserve in Goldsboro NC for over 22 years.


Kevin Vogel

Professional Engineer/Instructor, Crescent Electric Supply Coeur d'Alene, ID www.cesco.com and www.trindera.com

Kevin Vogel graduated from Santa Clara University in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. A licensed Professional Engineer since 1969, he worked as Chief Engineer for a division of Square D Company that manufactured electric heaters and thermoplastic outlet boxes. He also was employed as an electrician and holds a Master Electrician’s license.

In 1978, Kevin co-founded an electrical wholesale distribution business that was acquired in 1991 by Crescent Electric Supply Company. Kevin continues to work in that part of the industry, and is a certified instructor for National Electrical Code classes in the states of Idaho and Washington. He also serves as a consultant to Trindera Engineering, an electrical engineering firm located in Coeur d’Alene.

Kevin and his beloved wife Linda have been married since 1966, and have been blessed with 13 wonderful children and 20 (so far) grandchildren. Kevin is extremely grateful to God for all of the gifts He has bestowed on him and his loved ones


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