ESCI's Professional Team Members

Brian Erga, President and General Manager

A 1978 graduate of the University of Washington School of Electrical Engineering, Brian has been involved in the electrical utility industry for more than 37 years. He is a distinguished Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and active member of the IEEE Engineering in the Safety, Maintenance, and Operations of Lines Subcommittee (ESMO). Mr. Erga is currently chairman of the ESMO Induction Task Force and an active member of many IEEE, ESMO, Federal OSHA, ANSI, and ASTM committees, work groups and task forces. He is an active member of the NESC-C2 Subcommittee 8, responsible for NESC Part 4 "Work Rules."

Brian Erga is considered an expert in electric utility design, construction, maintenance and operation. He has been deeply involved in the hearings and proposed revisions to OSHA 1910.269 and OSHA 1926 Subpart V. He is also an industry expert in all types of personal protective grounding, has published numerous papers and articles, and is knowledgeable in all Federal OSHA regulations relating to the utility industry. Mr. Erga is a subject expert on the application of the Minimum Approach Distance, two-man rule, FR clothing and PPE requirements, and other rules and regulations related to the utility industry. He provides expert witness services and is a sought-after speaker nationwide.

Hector Silva, Safety and Training Manager

Hector is our Safety and Training Manager for the Oregon/Arizona/Nevada Utilities Safety Group. Hector has more than 33 years in the electrical utility business. He spent 13 years as a lineman, five years as a Transmission/Distribution Safety & Training Specialist, and eight years as Supervisor of El Paso's Safety Department. Hector has a great deal of experience in utility safety and is considered an authority in technical training relating to pole-top/bucket-truck rescue, rubber gloving, Leadership Safety Awareness, and Department of Transportation (DOT) matters since 1989. Hector is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), a Certified Utility Safety Administrator (CUSA), and an active member of several national organizations such as the National Safety Council, Western Energy Institute, and Edison Electric Institute Safety & Health (EEI). He also is available to provide expert witness services.

ESCI provides its employees opportunities to excel in their duties as leaders and teachers through continued education and membership in national safety and health committees.

ESCI is continuing the expansion of our Safety and Training Coordinator personnel by recruiting nationally recognized Journeyman Instructors.

Professionals interested in joining ESCI should send a resume and cover letter to:

ESCI
P.O. Box 2822
Bellingham, WA
98227-2822.

Bonnie Parten, ESCI Office Manager, is the company's go-to person for accounting, payroll, billing, company benefits specialists and official company cheerleader. Thanks to Bonnie's hard work and the hard work of all ESCI professionals, ESCI continues to grow. Contact

Cody Christian, Safety and Training Manager

Cody has more than 31 years in the electric utility business and has held a number of positions including:

• Safety and Training Manager;
• Journeyman Lineman;
• Equipment Operator;
• Apprenticeship Line Instructor;
• Expert Witness For Complex Litigation Involving The Utility Industry;
• Independent Safety and Work Methods Utility Auditor;
• Natural Gas Installation and Maintenance;
• Certified Rubber Glove, Hot Stick and Live-Line Maintenance Professional.

Mr. Christian is highly knowledgeable in the Federal OSHA 1910.269 and CalOSHA regulations and safety procedures. He offers in-depth safety training services to qualified electrical workers throughout the United States. Cody holds the:

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Loss Control Professional Certification;
• OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer Certificate;
• National Safety Council First-Aid/CPR Instructor;
• Emergency Care & Safety Institute;
• Certified Master Instructor Counter-balance Forklift.

He is past Secretary/Treasurer of the Montana Lineman's Rodeo and coordinated the Montana teams for the International Lineman's Rodeo in Kansas City, Missouri. Cody and his wife Diane currently reside in Folsom, California.

Clayton King, Director of Corporate Research & Testing

Clayton King received a BSEE from the University of Missouri in 1965 and completed graduate studies at Iowa State University and the University of Missouri. He has more than 40 years of experience in the field of testing products and systems.

As A.B. Chance Manager of Laboratories, he conducted a substantial number of high-current and high-voltage tests for products and methods development of electrical protective equipment. He has made presentations to the American National Safety Council, the Edison Electric Institute, NEMA, the IBEW, and many electrical utility companies. He is a member of many IEEE, ASTM, and IEC committees and working groups on personal protective grounding, high-voltage metering, and laboratory testing procedures. Mr. King is a registered professional engineer in the State of Missouri.

Clayton is the industry leader in personal protective grounding equipment components, and the application and testing of their acceptance.

Mike Rice, Director of Live-Line Training

Mike oversees ESCI's national and international Live Line Training Division. Mike has more than 26 years in the electrical utility business, including working as a lineman and foreman in the New England states for 16 years. He is considered one of the few highly experienced live-line instructors in the industry. Mike held the position of International Live-Line Tool Demonstrator for the A.B. Chance Company for more than six years; he trained thousands of linemen around the world on proper and safe live-line work methods and procedures. Mike also has been a Safety and Training Manager providing service to electric utilities in the Pacific Northwest and has been responsible for sales and marketing of electric utility tools and equipment to the industry.

Gretchen Erga, Special Programs Administrator

Gretchen is the Director of Health and Wellness at ESCI and specializes in the health and wellness field. She develops and provides health and wellness programs, oversees all First Aid/CPR training, and ESCI's Hearing Test services. She is certified as an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR Instructor. A 1974 graduate of Western Washington University with a BS in speech therapy and audiology, she obtained her MS in education from WWU in 1991. Gretchen spent 24 years teaching at the intermediate level of public education, specializing in health and wellness the last five years.

Jerry Lemm, Safety and Training Manager

Mr. Lemm has been in the electric utility business for more than 26 years. He received his business management degree from Northern University. Mr. Lemm then joined Montana Power Company where he held several positions in the Operations Group. He then pursued a career as a safety and training professional and worked with utilities in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington. His safety and training experiences include work with natural gas and propane companies, electric generation, and transmission and distribution systems. Mr. Lemm is well versed in the OSHA 1910 and 1926 regulations, and is an OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer. He spends much of his time involved in Federal regulatory compliance and Department of Transportation (DOT) rules. Mr. Lemm also is an expert in workplace wellness, office safety and general safety requirements. Mr. Lemm's extensive martial arts background and experience in law enforcement issues has given him an edge on work-place violence and personal safety issues. He is also qualified to conduct facility security audits for employers. Mr. Lemm has an upbeat and quick-paced instructional technique, and can make even the most boring subjects interesting and pertinent.

Jerry holds the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Loss Control Professional Certification and numerous other instructional certifications as a trainer in the field of health, wellness and general safety. He is CAOHC certified, an NSC Instructor Trainer and a certified First Aid/ CPR and AED instructor. He also holds a certification as a Critical Stress Debriefing Counselor and Personal Trainer.

Tom Rasler, Director of Work Methods Development

Tom Rasler has more than 35 years of experience in the electric utility industry. He has experience in all aspects of the construction, maintenance and operations of transmission and distribution facilities. Tom recently retired from Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), where he was the Supervisor of their transmission and distribution work methods group. In this position, Tom was responsible for developing the work methods for both overhead and underground transmission and distribution work practices, including Work Procedure Manuals, Standards, Guidelines, and Information Bulletins, as well as the development and delivery of the associated training. Tom was also responsible for ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements covering the performance of T&D line work and for monitoring all regulatory changes that pertain to this work.

Tom is a member of the International Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Engineering, Safety, Maintenance & Operation (ESMO) Committee. He has worked on many of the working groups within the IEEE and ESMO that develop the Standards, Guidelines, and Papers that provide utilities with work practices and provide the information utilities need to safely perform work on their electric facilities.

Jim Craker, Safety and Training Manager

Jim has more than 30 years in the electric utility business including 12 years at a REA in South Dakota and 17 years at a Public Utility in Washington State. His positions include:

• Safety and Training Manager;
• Journeyman Lineman;
• Line Foreman;
• Assistant Operations Manager;
• Line Superintendent;
• Certified Rubber Glove, Hot Stick and Live-Line Maintenance Professional.

Mr. Craker is highly knowledgeable in the Federal OSHA 1910.269, OROSHA and WAC 45 for the State of Washington. He offers in-depth safety training services to qualified electrical workers throughout the North Western U.S. Jim holds Certifications in:

• First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor;
• Flagging Instructor;
• Forklift Instructor.

He is a member of the Employer's Electrical & Communication Safety Committee (EECSC) and the Electrical Utility Safety Advisory Committee (EUSAC).

Jim and his wife Connie currently reside in Shelton, Washington.

John O'Loughlin, Safety and Training Manager

John's experience comes from 36 years of electric utility experience, including 12 years as a senior safety consultant for PNM Resources. John has a total of 24 years as an journeyman lineman, crew foreman and district operations manager.

Mack Turner, Safety and Training Manager

Mr. Turner has extensive experience in the electric utility safety and training business including eight years as the Safety and Training Superintendent at Tucson Electric, and 24 years as a safety and training professional for electrical contractors and general industry.

Mr. Turner holds advanced degrees in Construction and Environmental Safety and Health, as well as an Advanced Safety Certificate from the National Safety Council. He holds the title of Certified Utility Safety Administrator and Certified Utility Safety Professional. Mack has successfully completed the National Safety Council's OSHA Inspections, OSHA Recordkeeping, Drugs in the Workplace, Safety Training Methods, Principles of Occupational Safety, Safety Management Techniques and Accident Investigation courses. He has also successfully completed Federal OSHA's Training Institute courses in OSHA Construction Standards, OSHA General Industry Standards, Machine Guarding, Environmental Law, Industrial Hygiene, Principles of Ergonomics, Hazardous Materials, Cranes and Rigging, Fall Protection, Electrical Standards, Scaffolding Safety and Trenching, Excavation, and Soil Mechanics.

Mr. Turner is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Facilitator and a Management Action Response Facilitator. He also holds a Commercial Driver's License A, T, X, P, M certificates and a NSC Refinery Safety Instructor Certificate.

Mr. Turner was awarded the 1998 and 1999 National Safety Council, Certificate of Merit for his work in electric utility safety and training.