Electrical People: Winkler steps down at Milbank

Milbank Manufacturing (Kansas City, Mo.): Brad Skinner, a 30-year company veteran, has been named president. An article in the Kansas City Star said he will assume many of the duties of CEO Lavon Winkler, who recently retired. Some of the CEO duties will be picked up by Jim Fitts, Milbank’s CFO.

Powermatic Associates (Pleasanton, Calif.): Frank Nudo was named the company’s new president. He is assuming the new responsibilities from company founder Larry Fitzgerald, who will continue with Powermatic as chairman of the board.

Nudo has more than 40 years of experience in the electrical and automation industries He joined Powermatic Associates in 1994 as a sales engineer and has served as both sales manager and general manager. Well-known in the northern California automation industry, Nudo spent the early years of his career in Chicago and other Midwestern markets. Powermatic Associates is an ESOP-owned company and  an electrical distributor with an automation emphasis, with locations in Austin, Texas and Singapore as well as its Pleasanton headquarters.

General Cable Corp. (Highland Heights, Ky.): Brian Robinson, executive V.P. and CFO,  will leave the company pending the identification of a successor. General Cable has retained Heidrick & Struggles to assist in a search for a replacement CFO who will work with Michael McDonnell, president and CEO in implementing the company’s new strategic roadmap.

ElectroTech (Minneapolis): Mike Ellias has received his CSP designation with distinction. CSP (Certified Sales Professional) training is held in multiple locations throughout the country per year and Ellias is one of more than 1,000 people to receive this certification.  This training gives salespeople a thorough understanding of consultative training and provide them with the necessary skills to become a top sales performer.

Electric Supply Center (Boston): Mark Smith has joined to the company’s Project Lighting unit, which offers lighting product and design recommendations, delivers solutions to working within budgets and manages projects from scheduling to vendors. In his new role, Smith will focus on increasing lighting sales and building the project management and estimating teams. A 30-year veteran of the electric supply industry, Smith joined ESC from Northeast Electric, where he worked in sales. He attended Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1989.

Buckles-Smith Electric (San Jose, Calif.): The company’s operations and supply chain solutions departments are being combined into one organization under the leadership of Eric Peschke, who has accepted the position of V.P. of operations. He will be taking over the role from Roger Stanger, who took on the new role of CIO. Peschke most recently was the company’s director of supply chain solutions.

Border States Electric (BSE) (Fargo, N.D.):  Kellie Carlson joined BSE as the new human resources employee relations manager. Prior to joining BSE, Carlson spent 10 years in the health care human resources field and has worked in human resources for nearly 20 years. She is originally from Fargo but was most recently the vice president of talent management at THA Group in Savannah, Ga. In other BSE news, the company hired Kathy Sauer as accounting manager. She was previously V.P. of administration at WCCO Belting. Sauer has a degree in accounting from North Dakota State University and has been a CPA for more than 20 years.

Alva (Berkeley, Calif.): The company, a manufacturer of LED architectural lighting, has added Eric Horvath as operations manager. He brings over 10 years of experience in the lighting industry, having worked in a variety of roles from product development to operations at companies such as Rezek Lighting, Artemide, and Pablo Designs. The son of an electrical contractor, Horvath worked as an electrician’s assistant early in his career. Horvath is responsible for all of Alva’s operations and utilizes his education in CAD and design as part of the company’s product development team.

Quanta Services Inc. (Houston): The utility contractor has appointed Doyle Beneby and David McClanahan to its board of directors. Beneby has executive-level experience in the renewables and electric and gas utility industries, with significant operational, safety and financial expertise and knowledge of the industries Quanta serves. He also has prior board experience with both U.S. and Canadian public companies. McClanahan served as president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. from Oct. 2002 until Dec. 2013 and as president and COO of all regulated operations for Reliant Energy.

Acolyte LED (New York): Lighting industry veteran Travis Jones has joined the company to serve as president of the North American Division. Prior to joining Acolyte LED, Jones served as president and CEO of CRS Electronics and had executive posts with Lighting Science Group and Acuity Brands.