Video Team for 2008 NEC Detailed Library DVDs

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 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.

Daniel Craft a high school dropout had little confidence in amounting to anything of value in society. He found himself with little discipline and even less education. Daniel soon found himself desperate for something, anything. As a hard worker he had no problem keeping jobs that required a strong back.

At the young age of 20, he was offered a job as an electrician’s helper, where he learned fast that if he was going to survive in this technical world, he would have to go back to school. But where would he start? Realizing the necessary sacrifice of laziness and ignorance, for a life of dedication and discipline, he began taking electrical courses at Los Angeles Trade Tech.

While working as an electrician’s helper he applied for an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 441 in Orange County, California. Over a year had passed from applying, before being accepted in the five year apprenticeship where he would complete structured electrical courses as well as extensive hands on training. Daniel is now recognized by the IBEW and the state of California as being a Journeyman Electrician.

He currently works as an Electrical Foreman for R.L. Douglass Electric, Inc. in Orange County, CA., and starting January 2008 will begin teaching continuing education courses at the Orange County Electrical Training Trust in Santa Ana, CA. At the age of twenty-eight he has held fast, excelling in areas such as electrical construction and the National Electrical Code.

He believes it’s crucial that one must maintain the position of a student if he/she is going to be successful, especially in the electrical industry. Daniel has a passion for helping others achieve confidence to grow into the person that God meant them to be. Contrary to the “dropout’’ Daniel now lives his life putting God first, family second, and career a close third.

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 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.

Scott Harding began his electrical career as an electrician’s helper working part time in the family business. After graduating with an Electrical Engineering degree from Clemson University, he worked as an electrical engineer for RTKL Associates, a large design firm located in Baltimore, MD. 

After leaving RTKL, Scott went to work at F.B. Harding, Inc. an Electrical Contractor where he’s been for the last 34 years. He is a licensed Master Electrician in multiple jurisdictions and is the current President and CEO of F.B. Harding, Inc, making the family business a third generation company. Scott also serves on NEC Code-Making Panel Number 5 (Grounding and Bonding) and worked on the 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020 cycles. He served as the panel chairman for the 2023 cycle.
Scott lives in Maryland and is married with two kids

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 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.

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.

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.

John Travers completed the Joint NECA/IBEW Apprenticeship-Training program in 1977, after a tour of duty in the Air Force. He worked at various jobsites in the South Florida and Illinois areas until becom- ing a contractor in 1984. He began his career as an inspector in 1985 serving Hialeah Gardens. In 1988, he added the Town of Medley to his responsibilities, and became a full-time Chief Electrical Inspector for the City of Hialeah in 1990. He served in that position until 2005. He now serves as the Director of Community Development for Hialeah. His responsibilities include managing the Building, Zoning, Code Compliance and Occupational License Divisions of the City of Hialeah. He joined the IAEI in June of 1988 and was the project chairman for the 1996 Annual Meeting in Key West, Florida.

He currently serves as the Treasurer and Director of Codes & Education for the Miami- Dade Division. John oversees an aggressive Continuing Education program for the electrical industry in the South Florida area, where he is a certified Education Sponsor for electrical contractors, inspec- tors, engineers and tradesmen. In 2003, he began teaching nationwide, assisting the I.C.C. with seminars in Denver and Salt Lake City.

John is a family man, who has been married to Barbara for over 35 years, with three children and seven grandchildren. His hobbies include fishing, diving, philately, golf and photography. He is a martial artist in GOJU Karate, where he received his third degree black belt in 2006.

After Laura completed the Joint NECA/IBEW Apprenticeship-Training program in 1986, she worked as a journeyman electrician in new construction for 8 years. She was then hired by the California Department of Corrections to head the electrical maintenance department of Chino Men’s Prison, a position she has held for 13 years.

For the last two years she has been instructing inmates fulltime at the California Rehabilitation Center, Norco California in the basic safety and electrical skills needed to acquire a job once they are released.

At night her passion for the last ten years has been in teaching “Bonding and Grounding” to apprentices at the NECA/IBEW Apprenticeship School in her area. Saturdays are filled with OSHA-10 certification classes that she teaches to apprentices and journeyman. Laura has been married to her handsome husband Mike for 29 years. She and Mike share hobbies that include fly-fishing, backpacking and photography.

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