PAUL REILLY
Owner, Reilly Sales Training

Paul Reilly is the owner of Reilly Sales Training, a St. Louis-based, privately owned company that specializes in training business-to-business sales professionals and sales managers. Reilly Sales Training offers public seminars, in-house sales training programs, consulting services, and hiring and training assessments. Reilly Sales Training adopts a simple training philosophy—customized training solutions centered on the client’s needs.

Paul began his sales career at the age of 16 in St. Louis, MO. He has sold car washes, painting services, jewelry, propane, construction tools and fasteners, and medical equipment. He attended the University of Missouri – Columbia, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Business Marketing. He went on to earn his MBA from Webster University.

Paul has over ten years of business-to-business sales experience. For six of those years, he sold tools and fasteners for the Hilti organization. Paul joined the Hilti Master’s club in 2010 and was recognized in 2011 with Hilti’s three million dollar sales club.

Paul is co-author of Value-Added Selling fourth edition (McGraw-Hill) and is a frequent contributor to Industrial Distribution Magazine and Contractor Supply Magazine. He is also a faculty member of the University of Innovative Distribution—UID.

Paul was a top-performer in his sales career because he embraced the Value-Added message then, as he does now.

KATHRYNE A. NEWTON, MBA, PHD
Professor and Associate Program Head of the Supply Chain Management Technology Program in the School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University

Dr. Kathy Newton is a Professor and Associate Program Head of the Supply Chain Management Technology Program in the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University.  She currently serves as Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Success in the Polytechnic Institute with responsibility for the MS and Ph.D. Programs, as well as ProSTAR, the Polytechnic’s Center for Professional Studies offering multiple distance master’s programs as well as workshops and certificate programs for working professionals. Kathy is an accomplished speaker, consultant and author of a variety of topics including human resource development, distributor profitability, channel management, strategic planning, innovation, sales and sales management, and quality control. She frequently works with distributors, manufacturers and trade associations internationally and is widely published in academic and distribution trade journals. She has served as the Coordinator for the University of Innovative Distribution since 1995, and has been a popular speaker for the program for over 20 years.  UID is the premier international executive education program for the distribution industry.

Dr. Newton has a Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development, an MBA, and a B.S. in Industrial Distribution, each from Texas A&M University.  Kathy started her teaching career in the ID Program at Texas A&M in 1984 and from there moved to Purdue to build a new ID Program.  She also served as the Excellence 21 Coordinator in the Provost’s Office for 6 years and as Head of the Industrial Technology Department from 2007-2010.

CHRISTEL HUNTER
Director of codes and standards for Cerro Wire

Christel Hunter is director of codes and standards for Cerro Wire. Chris serves on the IEEE-SA Standards Board, the IAEI Southern Nevada Chapter Board of Directors and the IEEE Las Vegas Section Executive Committee. Chris is a Principal voting member on NEC CMP-6, Chair of the Aluminum Association Electrical Division, Chair of the IEEE SCC18 Committee and Vice-Chair of the NEMA Codes and Standards Committee. She is a certified standards professional, master electrician, and LEED accredited professional.

RANDY HUNTER
Owner of Hunter Technical Services

Randy Hunter, owner of Hunter Technical Services, is an instructor and consultant specializing in electrical code and installations. He holds twelve inspections certifications from IAEI, ICC and IAPMO. He is the Southern Nevada IAEI Chapter president and voting member of UL 1563 (Electric Spas, Equipment Assemblies, and Associated Equipment). Randy has served on several Southern Nevada local code committees and electrical licensing committees and has been a master electrician since 1988. Prior to that, he designed and built computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools.

DOUG POWELL
National Switchgear and National Field Services

Doug Powell is the co-founder of National Switchgear, a Texas based PEARL member company engaged in the electrical equipment reconditioning industry.  In 2001, Doug Powell was part of the team that founded and started National Field Services, a NETA service company that provides onsite services to large power producers and consumers throughout the US.  National Switchgear is a founding member of PEARL and Doug Powell was instrumental in the development of the PEARL Technician Certification program.  Doug Powell is retired from daily operations of National Switchgear companies, but continues to serve as a company advisor and as board chair.

CHRIS JOHNSON
MIOSHA

Chris Johnson is a Senior Occupational Safety Consultant in the Consultation, Education, and Training Division of MIOSHA. Chris currently provides consultation and training services for employers and employees in Michigan.

Before working with the State of Michigan, Chris served as Safety Chair at an MVPP STAR manufacturing facility in West Michigan. His responsibilities included incident investigation, safety training, employee engagement, and developing and working with different employee led safety teams in order to enhance the safety culture. Chris also has previous experience in the insurance and construction industries.

Chris is a graduate of Lake Superior State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science and is a licensed fire fighter and emergency medical technician in the State of Michigan.

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JAMES CIALDEA
President, NETA

James G. Cialdea – Current President of the interNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) and member of the Standards Review Council. Jim has spent over 35 years in testing and maintaining electrical power equipment as an electrician, technician, engineer, sales engineer, and CEO of 3C Electrical Co (now a CE Power Company). He is a Registered Professional Engineer, Licensed Master Electrician, Certified Senior Technician (NETA Level 4) and is active in IEEE PES Boston Chapter. Currently he is the Chief Technical Officer at CE Power Engineered Services, LLC.

BONNIE SONNENSCHEIN
Kellen

For more than 25 years Bonnie has been developing and directing integrated marketing communications programs for global firms such as Steelcase, Burlington Industries, Stroheim, Lamy, Caran d’ache and Filofax.

Currently, Bonnie manages the building construction and technical section of Kellen’s communications division which includes media outreach, social media, public affairs, events, website development, branding, crisis planning and thought leadership programs for associations such as the Builder’s Hardware Manufacturers Association; National Association of Corrosion Engineers; Copper Development Association; Disaster Recovery Institute; Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association; Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League; corporations such as the global testing and certification firm, Intertek; and government agencies such the Department of Energy’s Attachments Energy Rating Council.

Bonnie holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Public Relations Communications and Administration from the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

TOM GRACE
Eaton Electrical Sector Americas

Tom has more than 23 years’ experience in Eaton’s electrical business, focusing for more than twelve of those years on the impact of counterfeiting on Eaton and the electrical industry. As brand protection manager of Eaton’s Electrical Sector – Americas, he has undertaken the global coordination for brand protection and continues to promote counterfeit awareness, product enhancement, and policy enforcement throughout Eaton’s electrical sector in the Americas.

Tom has done extensive field work that includes market research and administrative actions in China, research and investigations in the Middle East, as well supporting federal authorities conducting criminal investigations of counterfeit products in the United States. Tom is actively engaged in training with federal agencies and local law enforcement and has conducted anti-counterfeit training at most of the major U.S. ports. To raise the awareness of the risks of counterfeit electrical products Tom frequently collaborates with industry associations such as Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), North American Electrical Distributors (NAED), Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFi), and the Professional Apparatus Reconditioning League (PEARL.) Tom holds a BS degree from the University of South Florida.

DON IVERSON
NEMA

Midwest Field Representative Don Iverson has worked in the electrical field for over 25 years as a field electrician, apprenticeship instructor and, Electrical Inspector. He has been a NEMA Field Representative since 2008.  He holds a State of Michigan electrical masters & contractor’s license, and is a registered code official as an Electrical Inspector. Don is currently the principle representative for NEMA on NFPA NEC-Code-Making Panel 1 Technical Committee since the 2014 Cycle.  As a member of the IAEI Western Section and IAEI Michigan Chapter, he has served on their IAEI Boards since 2009.  Don was also appointed by Governor Snyder to the MI Electrical Administrative Board in 2017 which has oversite on electrical licensing and policy in the State.