IAEI is a 90-year-old membership organization with a long and recognized history of comprehensive training in and promotion of safe products, electrical installations, and inspections in order to ensure compliance with electrical codes and standards. The Association is comprised of divisions, chapters, and sections in the United States, as well as other countries. In 2018, the West Virginia Division was redesignated as a chapter.
Active members and partners in IAEI come from many diverse groups including electrical inspectors, testing agencies, standards organizations, manufacturers, distributors, installers, and contractors. Members gather in meeting rooms around educational opportunities focused on the National Electrical Code (NEC) and other safety topics.
West Virginia was previously a division in the Ohio Chapter in the Western Section. The move to become a chapter with the ability to have its own divisions was the next logical step for West Virginia members.
In the beginning
The desire to educate and increase safety awareness was what got Jack Jamison and others in West Virginia involved. He recalled that the need for the state to join the Association became clear to him at an Ohio Chapter meeting.
Jamison had the support of the leaders in West Virginia, as some people in the state were concerned that anyone could perform an electrical inspection and there were no licensure requirements. The State of West Virginia had no formal regulation of insurance or qualifications. Opportunities to stay on top of a changing electrical industry were not readily available. There was a need, and Jamison and others worked to fill it.
Joining the Association
Jamison realized how to get a formal IAEI effort started for West Virginia when he ran into other industry leaders during an Ohio Chapter meeting.
Thinking back, Jamison said it was the summer of 2000 or 2001 when he attended the Ohio Chapter meeting and had a discussion with Oranthol Post (“O.P.”). He suggested beginning as a division. Together with Tom Moore, Tim McClintock, and others, O.P. helped explain the details of how to create the new division and provide continued assistance.
Moore recounted that, at that time, there were approximately seven or so members-at-large from West Virginia attending the Ohio Chapter meetings. There may have been a few West Virginia members attending the Western Pennsylvania Chapter meetings, but again, there was a lot of opportunity to grow membership for the IAEI organization.
The critical step that O.P., McClintock, Moore, Mike Forister, and others made at the time was to not overlook the energy that Jamison and his team had created. The desire to start a new division was strong, and these leaders recognized it. They took the time to work closely with Jamison and his team helping them not only navigate the logistical information with the International Office but also assist in scheduling and conducting educational programs. The swell of support for the division grew over the years.
Jamison remembered how much support he received and how the leaders in the organization never discouraged the efforts. Tim Croushore from Allegheny Power noticed this really quick, Jamison said, and was participating in meetings from the very beginning. Forister showed up as the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) field representative and helped with educational programs as well. Others from the Ohio Chapter also gave Jamison support by helping with delivery of educational programs.
Training begins
Training was the top priority, even while waiting for the official paperwork to be cleared for the new division. The first seminar of the West Virginia Division was titled Basic 2002 NEC Overview, presented on October 17, 2003, at the Chestnut Ridge Westvaco Resource Center. The training was attended by 72 electrical professionals and conducted by the Ohio Chapter President John Humphrey, Ohio Chapter 2nd Vice President Byron Eichorn, and West Virginia Division representative Jamison.
Bonding & Grounding and One- & Two-Family Code trainings were conducted in April 2004 in Morgantown with 75 participants, and another in October 2004 in Flatwoods with 60 attendees. The Flatwoods event was aided by the contribution of the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office.
It was on February 25, 2005, that the official charter was delivered to the newly formed West Virginia Division—the result of a two-and-a-half-year organizational period. The official presentation was made by Ohio Chapter President Eichorn, and the newly elected officers and board members were installed by Forister.
The inaugural class of officers and board members were:
• President Ronald Mathias, MEGCO Inspections Vice President and Ohio Chapter
• Representative Jack E. Jamison, Jr., MEGCO Inspections
• Secretary Kenneth Bolyard, Tri-State Inspections
• Treasurer William McLaughlin, Bartling & McLaughlin
Inspector Representatives:
• Jay Gibson, City of Charleston
• Maxwell Summerville, Affordable Inspections
• Ron Phillips, ESP, Inc.
Over the following years, this team and future leaders in West Virginia held four meetings annually in two different locations—two meetings each spring and two meetings each fall. The attendance has grown over the years with more than 200 attendees participating in discussions around NEC requirements and solutions.
Writing a new chapter
It would be 13 years after the formation of the West Virginia Division of the Ohio Chapter that the charter would be given to form the West Virginia Chapter. Jamison said the time was now right to take the journey of electrical safety to the next level. The West Virginia leaders all agreed and supported this move to become a chapter. West Virginia has been experiencing growth in their commitment to the electrical industry and to electrical safety.
The inaugural officers of the chapter included:
• Gus Rossi, President
• Danny Brickles, Vice President
• Jack Jamison, Secretary
• Thomas Domitrovich, Treasurer
Inspector representatives:
• Kenneth Bolyard
• Scott Brightwell
• Scott Jolliff
• Paul Linger
• John Marteney
• Mary Alice Rudolph
• Paul Satterfield
• Max Summerville
The success of this new chapter has been credited to building relationships and gaining guidance from many leaders in the industry. Recognizing and helping the leaders in the industry is important to the success of not only IAEI but also the electrical industry in general.
The West Virginia leadership team extends a sincere thank you to all of those who helped with achieving chapter status. The question now becomes, where will our next chapter or division be located, and who are the leaders ready to make a difference?
In 2018, IAEI consisted of 83 chapters & 41 divisions:
International
1. Central Mexico Chapter
2. International Chapter
3. Japan Chapter
4. Korea Chapter
5. Saudi Arabia Chapter
6. Sinaloa Chapter
Eastern Section
7. Adirondack Hudson Chapter
8. Benjamin Franklin Chapter
9. Cape and Islands Chapter
10. Central Pennsylvania Chapter
11. Chesapeake Chapter
12. Connecticut Chapter
13. Empire Chapter
14. Genesee Chapter
15. George Washington Chapter
16. Granite State Chapter
17. Green Mountain Chapter
18. Keystone Chapter
19. Long Island Chapter
20. New Jersey Chapter
21. New Jersey Skylands Chapter
22. New York Chapter
23. Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
24. Paul Revere Chapter
25. Pine Tree Chapter
26. Roger Williams Chapter
27. South Jersey Chapter
28. Westchester Chapter
29. Western Massachusetts Chapter
30. Western New York Chapter
31. Western Pennsylvania Chapter
Canadian Section
32. British Columbia Chapter
33. N.B./P.E.I. Chapter
34. Nova Scotia Chapter
35. Ontario Chapter
36. Prairie Chapter
37. Quebec Chapter
Northwestern Section
38. Alaska Chapter
39. Eastern Washington Chapter
40. Idaho Chapter
41. Montana Chapter
42. Oregon Chapter
43. Puget Sound Chapter
44. Utah Chapter
Southern Section
45. Alabama Chapter
46. Florida Chapter
47. Georgia Chapter
48. N.C. Ellis Cannady Chapter
49. Oklahoma Chapter
50. South Carolina Chapter
51. Southeast Louisiana Chapter
52. Tennessee Chapter
53. Texas Chapter
54. Texas Gulf Coast Chapter
55. Virginia Chapter
Southwestern Section
56. Central Arizona Chapter
57. Hawaii Chapter
58. New Mexico Chapter
59. Northern California Chapter
60. Northern Nevada Chapter
61. Sacramento Valley Chapter
62. Shasta Chapter
63. Southern Arizona Chapter
64. Southern California Chapter
65. Southern Nevada Chapter
Western Section
66. Arkansas Chapter
67. Eastern Missouri Chapter
68. Illinois Chapter
69. Indiana Chapter
70. Iowa Chapter
71. Kansas Sunflower Chapter
72. Kentucky Chapter
73. Michigan Chapter
74. Minnesota Chapter
75. Missouri-Kansas Chapter
76. Nebraska Chapter
77. North Dakota Chapter
78. Ohio Chapter
79. Rocky Mountain Chapter
80. South Dakota Chapter
81. West Virginia Chapter
82. Wisconsin Chapter
83. Wyoming Chapter
