The International Board of Directors gathered in November 2018 to attend the International Association of Electrical Inspectors Grand Opening Reception at the newly remodeled International Office in Richardson, Texas, and to conduct its annual business.

It is truly an honor, and I look forward to serving this great Association and its members during my term as Chairman.

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.

The report, Navigating Utility Business Model Reform: A Practical Guide to Regulatory Design, offers a menu of regulatory options for policymakers, utilities, and electric customers to best support and manage the evolution of a 21st-century grid.

Electrical grid infrastructure remains one of the nation’s biggest vulnerabilities. From storm damage, to vandalism, to deliberate attack, members of the professional electrical community, utilities, the media, state leaders, and government agencies need to consider how the United States can most effectively secure the safety, dependability and future of the national electrical grid.

We often hear of CME warnings telling us that mobile communications could be disrupted. What we haven’t heard much about is how a CME could cripple an electrical grid.

It was during preparation for the education program at the 2018 IAEI Section meeting that I came up with the idea of increasing the presence of women in the electrical construction field.