People

May 1, 2004
Stuart C. Irby Co. (Jackson, Miss.): Paul Esterheld has joined Stuart C. Irby as vice president of operations. Prior to joining the company, Esterheld

Stuart C. Irby Co. (Jackson, Miss.): Paul Esterheld has joined Stuart C. Irby as vice president of operations. Prior to joining the company, Esterheld was president of PGE Associates Inc. He has 29 years experience in the electrical industry.

Fairmont Supply Co. (Canonsburg, Pa.): Van Compagni has been promoted to vice president of operations. The 30-year industry veteran was previously general manager of Western operations with Fairmont Supply.

Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting (Simi Valley, Calif.): Darrin Wood has been named national sales manager commercial and industrial accounts. With nearly 18 years experience in landscape lighting sales, Wood most recently oversaw specification sales for rep firm California Lighting Sales.

Affiliated Distributors (A-D, King of Prussia, Pa.): Maura Wheeler has been appointed marketing manager, bringing seven years of experience in the plumbing and PVF industry as well as a marketing background that will benefit all divisions of A-D.

Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF, Washington, D.C.): Adam J. Fein, president of Pembroke Consulting, Philadelphia, has been named to a second four-year term as DREF fellow. DREF fellows work with the foundation to develop and bring new research studies to the wholesale distribution industry.

Electro-Federation Canada (Mississauga, Ontario): Bob Brews, president, R.L. Brews Ltd., was elected chair of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) at the annual general meeting, held April 1 at the Pearson Convention Center in Brampton, Ontario. Brews succeeds Paul Frew, vice president, government relations, Motorola Canada Ltd., who will continue to serve on the board as past chair.

Federal Signal Corp. (Oak Brook, Ill.) Alexander D. Craig has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president and chief information officer. He joins Federal Signal from Williams International, where he was vice president business, strategy and information technology.

Rexel Electrical & Datacom Products (Dallas): Jim O'Hargan, president of the company's South Central Division since 1998, will fill the new position of vice president, sales and new business development. O'Hargan's background includes positions as vice president of sales for Hubbell Lighting and regional vice president for Genlyte Thomas Group. With the creation of this new position, Rexel has also made the following changes. Tim Copeland, who had been vice president of logistics and operations for Rexel's U.S. operations since January 2002, will fill the South Central Division post. The division is based in Houston. Additionally, Rexel recently hired Renee Junell as director of credit, replacing Ken Hoover. Junell previously led the customer financial services team at Frito-Lay. Hoover, who retired in May 2003 after more than 20 years with Rexel, had stayed on for the past year in a consulting role.

Cooper Wiring Devices (Long Island City, N.Y.): Silvio Annunziata has been named district sales manager - New England. Annunziata previously was responsible for Granite City Electric sales growth. David Bogosian has been named marketing sales representative for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts as well as Vermont and New Hampshire. Bogosian has 23 years experience in industrial/commercial contract wiring device product sales activities with Bryant Electric and Leviton Manufacturing.

Streamlight Inc. (Eagleville, Pa.): Mitchell Poe joins the company as a regional sales director in the industrial/fire division. Previously employed at Standard Abrasives as the Southeastern regional sales manager, Poe brings with him 23 years of marketing experience.

Joslyn Manufacturing Co. (Chicago): David A. Nies has been named president. Most recently, Nies was vice president sales and marketing for Joslyn and has been involved in the utility industry throughout his 28-year career.

Griffith Electric Supply Co. (Trenton, N.J.): Bill Goodwin has been promoted to president. Previously, Goodwin served as general manager and chief operating officer. Meta A. Griffith will remain chairman of the board.

Ferraz Shawmut (Newburyport, Mass.) Doyle Anderson has been promoted to South Central regional vice president of sales. The move capitalizes on Anderson's nearly eight years of service as the company's South Central regional sales manager.

Wago Corp. (Germantown, Wis.): After an extensive career with Entrelec/ABB Controls and two major distribution chains, Tad Richardson joins Wago Corp. as regional sales manager covering Utah, Arizona, Las Vegas and parts of Idaho and Wyoming.

Schneider Electric (Palatine, Ill.): Howard E. Japlon has been appointed senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Schneider North American Operating Division. Japlon was named deputy general counsel in 2003 and assistant general counsel in 1995.

Summit Electric Supply (Albuquerque, N.M.): J. Brad Steward has joined Summit as senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Steward comes to Summit from Boeing-SVS Inc. where in 2000 he oversaw the sale of SVS to the Boeing Co. and remained with SVS as a director of finance after the sale.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW, Washington, D.C.): NAW's Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) has announced the election of a new chairman and the addition of two members to its board of directors. Moving into the chairman's seat is Byron Potter, president/CEO, Dallas Wholesale Builders Supply Inc., DeSoto, Texas. Potter fills the position vacated by the retirement of J. Michael Moore, Applied Industrial Technologies, who was named honorary DREF director for life. Joining the DREF board are Mark W. Kramer, CEO of Laird Plastics, West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Randy Lindberg, president/CEO of Nature's Best, Brea, Calif. The balance of the DREF board includes: Mary Sue Lyon, executive vice president, Power Transmission Distributors Association, Chicago; Andrew Berlin, president/CEO Berlin Packaging, Chicago; Inge Calderon, executive vice president, American Supply Association, Chicago; Charles Cohen, president, Benco Dental Co., Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Don Frendberg, executive vice president/CEO, Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International, Columbus, Ohio; Tim Holt, president/CEO, National School Supply & Equipment Association, Silver Spring, Md.; Julia Klein, president, C. H. Briggs Hardware Co., Reading, Pa.; Richard McCarten, vice president, Electro-Federation Canada, Mississauga, Ontario; Robert N. Renkes, executive vice president, Petroleum Equipment Institute, Tulsa, Okla.; James K. Risk III, CEO, Kirby Risk Corp., Lafayette, Ind.; Bob Roberts, president, Roberts Oxygen Co., Rockville, Md.; Raymon A. York, CEO, Ewing Irrigation Products, Phoenix; and Douglas R. Young, president/CEO, The Behler-Young Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.

National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED, St. Louis): Mike Ales, vice president of purchasing and operations for Werner Electric Supply, Neenah, Wis., has been named the incoming vice president-elect for NAED's South Central Region (formerly Region 2). The South Central Regional Council appointed Ales by majority approval. Ales, who will lead the South Central Region in 2005-2006, brings 27 years of industry experience and leadership to the position. The NAED South Central Region is currently led by Randy Germeraad, senior vice president of operations for Springfield Electric Supply Co., Springfield, Ill. In May, Sam McCamy III, president of Roden Electrical Supply, Knoxville, Tenn., will become the South Central Region vice president for the 2004-2005 year.

Ametek Solidstate Controls (Columbus, Ohio): Bob George has been appointed manager corporate quality systems. George is a 25-year veteran of Solidstate Controls.

Westinghouse Lighting Corp. (Philadelphia): Barton Pasternak has been appointed executive vice president, with responsibilities that include corporate development, marketing, product development and human resources, in addition to his role as the company's chief legal counsel. Westinghouse Lighting Corp., formerly Angelo Brothers Co., began its transition to the Westinghouse brand under Pasternak's guidance. He created the licensing agreement that allowed for the use of the Westinghouse brand name on products and the company name change to Westinghouse Lighting Corp.

Power Measurement (Victoria, British Columbia): Thomas Butler has been appointed district sales manager for the U.S. Western Region, which includes Colorado, Wyoming and northern Texas. Butler comes to Power Measurement from NxtPhase Corp. where he served as regional sales manager.