Welcome to the IAEI-Western Section Website

It is very humbling to stand before all of you tonight as your Western Section President. I appreciate the support I have received from the members of the Michigan Chapter and so many of you that are here this evening. Thank you.

In 1974, 34 years ago I started my career as an electrical apprentice in Gary, Indiana. In 1985, I moved to Lansing, Michigan to advance my electrical career. Three years later I became an electrical inspector for the State of Michigan. After working for the State for six years, I felt that I was not able to provide the level of service to the citizens that I thought they should receive. I was also interested in teaching and the state felt it was a conflict of interest since I worked on the committee that developed the state electrical exams. I have been inspecting for Delta Township, located on the west side of the Capitol city of Lansing, for fourteen years. Delta Township and my co-workers in the building department make providing a service to the citizens a pleasure to go to work. The communication and cooperation we have between all the trade inspectors is like a building department fairy tale. The staff wants to serve the people with high quality inspections and an even higher level of customer service. This is something that was missing for me at the state level. I also have been teaching at Lansing Community College for the past fourteen years.

My lovely wife Marie is unable to be here this week due to her career in our Catholic Elementary School. These past few days she regretted not coming so much that she guaranteed me she will not miss next year's meeting in Minneapolis. I sure hope it’s not because of the Mall of America? I want to thank Marie for allowing me the time to attend meetings, work on various electrical code projects and the time spent working on the website. I think she knows the passion I have for this organization and understands. We have been blessed with two wonderful children, Christina is eight and my son Aaron is six years old. Both of them were picked by God to be our children. Christina was a domestic adoption and Aaron is from Guatemala. Our lives have changed with having children later in life, but quite a blessing they are. I miss them,being away from my family, though I feel that many of you are a part of my IAEI family. The Western Section of the IAEI is very close to being a family.

Membership Equals Opportunities
Years ago the IAEI had a membership slogan that stated Membership Equals Opportunities. I think back that my first IAEI meeting led to such a wonderful career. Meet so many wonderful people that were willing to provide you with any information needed to assist you in being an electrical inspector. The quality of education was outstanding and has gotten better with the technology and experience. I attended more IAEI Seminars and gain more knowledge and friendships. I remember attending the 1990 IAEI Analysis Seminar in Delta Township where the Chairman of Code Panel Three was the speaker, Ed Lawry. Ed as all of you know is Mr. IAEI and such a wonderful person as well as his lovely wife Jan. I still today remember one thing that Ed stated at that seminar. It was referring to the change in 300.4 about having an inch and a quarter space from a cable to the edge of a stud in a wall. I remember Ed saying don’t worry about this section because it will be taken out in the next cycle of the code. It’s still there, unless you live in Wisconsin. I want to personally thank Ed and Jan for all their years of dedication and their friendship. I have attended many other outstanding IAEI seminars including one taught by our International President Robert McCullough.

I still remember attending my first Western Section Meeting in 1991 in Dearborn, Michigan. I had never experienced a meeting with so many knowledgeable individuals or as Jim Pauley calls them “Code Geeks”. It made an impression on me that has never diminished. It was during the Proposal stage and the TCR’s, now the ROP;s, were provided by NFPA, it was my first TCR and first real exposure to the code making process. I remember going back to my room and reading some of the proposals and substantiations. Knowing why something is in the code is almost as important as knowing what is in the code. Being able to explain why something is in the code to an electrician or a home owner makes doing your job what it should be, rewarding. From that day seventeen years ago, I would have never dreamed that I would be standing before you as a member of a code making panel for the National Electrical Code, let alone standing before all of you as the Western Section President. A great example of how Membership Equals Opportunities.

It is my belief that the IAEI is in existence for two major purposes, the membership and for the education of its members. I am pleased to have Tim McClintock from Ohio as the Western Section Membership Chairman and Alan Manche, from Kentucky as our Western Section Education Chairman. I am excited about this and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labor.

Membership
While working on the website and thinking about the IAEI and membership I merged a slogan that I felt was fitting. We all know that the IAEI is the Keystone of the Electrical Industry. I know the importance of our membership and wrote that Membership is the Keystone of the IAEI.
Tim has done a great job in his first year and has made great improvements to help the various chapters and divisions keep up to date on the membership, to see where they stand in the Section, and has given them tools to increase their membership. Tim, I want to thank you for all of your hard work and the Section thanks you as well.

Education
Education and Membership go hand in hand. By providing high quality educational programs our membership will increase. I encourage every Division and Chapter to get involved with the Section Education Chair and provide the programs that will be a benefit to its members.
Alan Manche has agreed to Chair the Section Education Committee. I am thankful that Alan felt strong enough about the IAEI to be willing to add this to his already full schedule. I think Alan will be an excellent Chair for this committee and will provide our section membership with great leadership and educational opportunities for our Chapters and Divisions. I envision that the Chapters and divisions will be able to have a list of programs available and a list of speakers that will provide their meetings with a higher quality of education that will make everyone want to attend.
There are areas of our Section that need some help with providing great educational programs and the IAEI wants you to succeed and will be there to assist you in meeting your goals.

I want to congratulate Larry Kippes and all of the South Dakota Chapter for all of their hard work making this meeting a success. I appreciate all the speakers and vendors for there time and dedication to the IAEI.
I also would like to congratulate Mike Forister, Section Secretary, on his first successful meeting and thank his wife Eileen for her assistance as well.
Congratulations to Past President, Don Offerdahl on a great year and a job well done.

Earlier I had mentioned Membership Equals Opportunities. At first, I had no idea what that really meant, stop and think about your involvement in the IAEI, the network of experts you have when you have a difficult code issue, being able to be involved in the Division or Chapter level. You have an opportunity to participate in a code panel, either at the division, chapter, and section level or on the national level and to be involved in the code making process. Membership provides an opportunity to make a difference to improve our industry and to save lives. The IAEI offers you an opportunity to become certified as an electrical inspector, to advance your career. There are a few different certifications you can obtain but the best certification you can achieve is the IAEI CEI, Certified Electrical Inspector Program.

In closing, I would again like to thank all of you for attending this Section Meeting and being here tonight, being a part of my family, and thank you for the service you provide to the citizens of your jurisdiction.

Remember that membership equals opportunity and
I ask that you share this opportunity with someone else and soon.

Thank you and God Bless.

	2009 President	IAEI WESTERN SECTION International Association of Electrical Inspectors




			2009 Western Section President David Williams Delta Township, Michigan
David Williams is proud to be a member of the largest IAEI Section, comprising of 17 states, with over 5,300 members and to serve as the 2009 Western Section President. He is also pleased with his electrical career and his 35 years in the trade. He started his electrical apprenticeship at U.S. Steel, Gary, Indiana, in 1974 upon graduating from high school. He worked there for 9-1/2 years before being laid off. David worked a few other places in Indiana before moving his electrical career to Lansing, Michigan to work at General Motors. After a couple of years, the auto industry had some difficulty and he was laid off again. He worked in electrical construction before becoming an electrician for the State of Michigan in 1988. David started his career as an electrical inspector for the State of Michigan in 1989. Attending his first IAEI meeting in 1990 and was drawn in by the educational opportunities, knowledge and experience of the speakers and their willingness to share their knowledge with you. In 1994, he accepted an offer to become the first electrical inspector for Delta Township, on the west side of the Capitol City of Lansing, Michigan. One of the main reasons he left working for the State of Michigan was the fact that he could not provide the level of customer service he felt that the citizens deserved. Working in the Delta Township Building department is like a building department dream come true. The communication between the trade’s inspectors is amazing. Everyone in the department is friendly, very knowledgeable in their trade and is there to provide a service to the people and not just to do their job or collect a paycheck. It makes going to work a pleasure. David was a volunteer fireman in Lake Station, Indiana, for four years before moving to Michigan. He also attended classes on fire and arson investigations. Presently, his electrical knowledge and fire department experience provides a valuable asset to the Delta Township Fire Department on fire investigations. David Williams has been a member of the IAEI Michigan Chapter for almost 20 years and has been very active in the Chapter and the Western Section. He has served as an officer in the chapter for the past twelve years which include two 2-year terms as the Chapter President. David has served as the Michigan Chapter’s Western Section Representative since 2000. He has received a few certifications through the IAEI, NCPCCI Program, Electrical Inspector General, and Electrical Inspector One and Two Family. He is currently the only Inspector in Michigan that has obtained the IAEI Certified Electrical Inspector – Master, CEI-M. Dave spends many hours working on the Websites for both the Michigan Chapter (http://IAEI-Michigan.org) and the Western Section (http://IAEI-Western.org). David is a member of NFPA and proudly represents the IAEI on the National Electrical Code Panel serving as the principal member on CMP-5. Serving on a code panel is a way of giving back to the industry and a way to make a difference. David also is a member of the Central Michigan Electrical Association a small contractors association where he writes a code question in their monthly newsletter and provides educational programs for them. He has been teaching electrical code related classes at Lansing Community College for the past 14 years in their electrical technology program. David Williams is married to his lovely wife Marie and they have two precious gifts from God. Christina is 8 years old and is a domestic adoption. Aaron is 6 years old and is from Guatemala. Marie retired from Delta Township when the children were born and now is a Kindergarten Aide at St. Gerard School in Delta Township. They enjoy their Faith and family and spending time at their cottage on Clifford Lake in Stanton, Michigan. Dave is a Eucharistic Minister and also served as Grand Knight for Council 788 of the Knights of Columbus in Lansing.

Acceptance Speech at the 2008 Western Section Meeting (2008 Meeting Highlights)

It is very humbling to stand before all of you tonight as your Western Section President. I appreciate the support I have received from the members of the Michigan Chapter and so many of you that are here this evening. Thank you. In 1974, 34 years ago I started my career as an electrical apprentice in Gary, Indiana. In 1985, I moved to Lansing, Michigan to advance my electrical career. Three years later I became an electrical inspector for the State of Michigan. After working for the State for six years, I felt that I was not able to provide the level of service to the citizens that I thought they should receive. I was also interested in teaching and the state felt it was a conflict of interest since I worked on the committee that developed the state electrical exams. I have been inspecting for Delta Township, located on the west side of the Capitol city of Lansing, for fourteen years. Delta Township and my co-workers in the building department make providing a service to the citizens a pleasure to go to work. The communication and cooperation we have between all the trade inspectors is like a building department fairy tale. The staff wants to serve the people with high quality inspections and an even higher level of customer service. This is something that was missing for me at the state level. I also have been teaching at Lansing Community College for the past fourteen years. My lovely wife Marie is unable to be here this week due to her career in our Catholic Elementary School. These past few days she regretted not coming so much that she guaranteed me she will not miss next year's meeting in Minneapolis. I sure hope it’s not because of the Mall of America? I want to thank Marie for allowing me the time to attend meetings, work on various electrical code projects and the time spent working on the website. I think she knows the passion I have for this organization and understands. We have been blessed with two wonderful children, Christina is eight and my son Aaron is six years old. Both of them were picked by God to be our children. Christina was a domestic adoption and Aaron is from Guatemala. Our lives have changed with having children later in life, but quite a blessing they are. I miss them,being away from my family, though I feel that many of you are a part of my IAEI family. The Western Section of the IAEI is very close to being a family. Membership Equals Opportunities Years ago the IAEI had a membership slogan that stated Membership Equals Opportunities. I think back that my first IAEI meeting led to such a wonderful career. Meet so many wonderful people that were willing to provide you with any information needed to assist you in being an electrical inspector. The quality of education was outstanding and has gotten better with the technology and experience. I attended more IAEI Seminars and gain more knowledge and friendships. I remember attending the 1990 IAEI Analysis Seminar in Delta Township where the Chairman of Code Panel Three was the speaker, Ed Lawry. Ed as all of you know is Mr. IAEI and such a wonderful person as well as his lovely wife Jan. I still today remember one thing that Ed stated at that seminar. It was referring to the change in 300.4 about having an inch and a quarter space from a cable to the edge of a stud in a wall. I remember Ed saying don’t worry about this section because it will be taken out in the next cycle of the code. It’s still there, unless you live in Wisconsin. I want to personally thank Ed and Jan for all their years of dedication and their friendship. I have attended many other outstanding IAEI seminars including one taught by our International President Robert McCullough. I still remember attending my first Western Section Meeting in 1991 in Dearborn, Michigan. I had never experienced a meeting with so many knowledgeable individuals or as Jim Pauley calls them “Code Geeks”. It made an impression on me that has never diminished. It was during the Proposal stage and the TCR’s, now the ROP;s, were provided by NFPA, it was my first TCR and first real exposure to the code making process. I remember going back to my room and reading some of the proposals and substantiations. Knowing why something is in the code is almost as important as knowing what is in the code. Being able to explain why something is in the code to an electrician or a home owner makes doing your job what it should be, rewarding. From that day seventeen years ago, I would have never dreamed that I would be standing before you as a member of a code making panel for the National Electrical Code, let alone standing before all of you as the Western Section President. A great example of how Membership Equals Opportunities. It is my belief that the IAEI is in existence for two major purposes, the membership and for the education of its members. I am pleased to have Tim McClintock from Ohio as the Western Section Membership Chairman and Alan Manche, from Kentucky as our Western Section Education Chairman. I am excited about this and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labor. Membership While working on the website and thinking about the IAEI and membership I merged a slogan that I felt was fitting. We all know that the IAEI is the Keystone of the Electrical Industry. I know the importance of our membership and wrote that Membership is the Keystone of the IAEI. Tim has done a great job in his first year and has made great improvements to help the various chapters and divisions keep up to date on the membership, to see where they stand in the Section, and has given them tools to increase their membership. Tim, I want to thank you for all of your hard work and the Section thanks you as well. Education Education and Membership go hand in hand. By providing high quality educational programs our membership will increase. I encourage every Division and Chapter to get involved with the Section Education Chair and provide the programs that will be a benefit to its members. Alan Manche has agreed to Chair the Section Education Committee. I am thankful that Alan felt strong enough about the IAEI to be willing to add this to his already full schedule. I think Alan will be an excellent Chair for this committee and will provide our section membership with great leadership and educational opportunities for our Chapters and Divisions. I envision that the Chapters and divisions will be able to have a list of programs available and a list of speakers that will provide their meetings with a higher quality of education that will make everyone want to attend. There are areas of our Section that need some help with providing great educational programs and the IAEI wants you to succeed and will be there to assist you in meeting your goals. I want to congratulate Larry Kippes and all of the South Dakota Chapter for all of their hard work making this meeting a success. I appreciate all the speakers and vendors for there time and dedication to the IAEI. I also would like to congratulate Mike Forister, Section Secretary, on his first successful meeting and thank his wife Eileen for her assistance as well. Congratulations to Past President, Don Offerdahl on a great year and a job well done. Earlier I had mentioned Membership Equals Opportunities. At first, I had no idea what that really meant, stop and think about your involvement in the IAEI, the network of experts you have when you have a difficult code issue, being able to be involved in the Division or Chapter level. You have an opportunity to participate in a code panel, either at the division, chapter, and section level or on the national level and to be involved in the code making process. Membership provides an opportunity to make a difference to improve our industry and to save lives. The IAEI offers you an opportunity to become certified as an electrical inspector, to advance your career. There are a few different certifications you can obtain but the best certification you can achieve is the IAEI CEI, Certified Electrical Inspector Program. In closing, I would again like to thank all of you for attending this Section Meeting and being here tonight, being a part of my family, and thank you for the service you provide to the citizens of your jurisdiction. Remember that membership equals opportunity and I ask that you share this opportunity with someone else and soon. Thank you and God Bless.

2009 President

2009
President