Two major purposes of the IAEI is to
promote the uniform understanding and application of the NEC and other electrical codes and to collect and disseminate
information relative to the safe use of electricity. In trying
to achieve these objectives or goals, the IAEI focuses on
education for both its members and the electrical industry in
general. This is a great challenge. The IAEI staff and other
contributors work hard to develop and produce educational
material of a quality that can be readily used as learning
tools for self motivated people who learn well through their
own study and for others who prefer the classroom setting.
With every educational product developed, ongoing review of
the material is made to see where improvements can be made to
help users get more out of the material. Good education and
the continual improvement of both knowledge and skills can
have a positive effect on electrical safety. Knowledge and
skill will not on their own make electrical installations
better or the use of electrical systems safer. However, when a
person has achieved those and works hard to properly apply
them, the end result will be very beneficial.
IAEI sections, chapters, and divisions
provide excellent opportunities for electrical training
through the many conferences and training programs they
conduct. These programs can complement the work done by the
IAEI international office. In fact, some work closely with the
IAEI international office in conducting either IO developed
seminar programs or jointly developed educational programs.
Coordinated joint effort involving chapters and the IO can
work well in most cases and can be beneficial to IAEI members.
Several chapters have effective education programs and, in
addition to providing training, attract a number of new
members. They do it through dedication to promoting good
education and through well-organized and effectively run
chapter programs. It takes strong and dedicated leaders in
those chapters to do the job they do and they don’t hesitate
to make the effort. All IAEI sections, chapters, and divisions
working hard and achieving success are to be commended.
It is appropriate to single out one chapter
that has consistently reached a high level of achievement.
That chapter has shown support for the international office,
used IAEI developed training materials, and has worked as a
partner in promoting the IAEI education program. I doubt that
anyone is surprised to learn that the Wisconsin Chapter has
once again set the pace and provided a good example for other
chapters. Wisconsin Chapter members have set their sights high
for 1999. A number of seminars on the Analysis of the 1999 National Electrical Code® have been scheduled within
the state of Wisconsin during the first part of 1999. As of
the date of this writing, over 1,000 people have preregistered
for those seminars. Those seminars will be conducted using the
IAEI material and qualified chapter members will conduct the
training. Chapter members have conducted training programs
within the state of Wisconsin for several years in a row. Not
many chapters can attract the number of people that the
Wisconsin Chapter does, but the potential is there for
reaching many people who need to get more involved and become
more familiar with electrical safety.
IAEI Executive Director,
CEO, and Editor-in-Chief for the IAEI News, Philip Cox was
formerly employed with the National Electrical Manufacturers
Association as a field representative covering a 17-state
area. He is a member of NFPA NEC Technical Correlating
Committee. He served on Code-Making Panel No. 6, representing
IAEI during the Code cycles for the 1984 and 1987 editions of
the NEC. He served as chairman of CMP-1, representing the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association during the 1996
cycle. He served as acting chairman of CMP-1, representing
IAEI for the 1999 cycle and remains as a member of that panel
for the 2002 Code cycle. He is a member of NFPA Electrical
Section; and former member of UL Electrical Council, ITS
Technical Advisory Council, The Chauncey Group International
Board of Governors for the National Certification Program for
Construction Code Inspectors, and the IEC United States
National Committee Executive Committee.
He also served as chief
electrical inspector for the city of Little Rock, Arkansas,
and was secretary to the Little Rock Electrical Examining
Board, developing and administering examinations for master,
journeyman and specialty electricians. He was appointed as
electrical safety coordinator for the Arkansas Department of
Labor and administered the Arkansas state electrical licensing
law.
Cox is past president of the Western
Section, IAEI, and served on the IAEI Board of Directors as
board member and fifth vice president. He has been involved in
the development and presentation of IAEI training programs on
both chapter and international level. |
