People

IMARK Group (Oxon Hill, Md.): Steve Helle, president of Granite City Electric Supply, Quincy, Mass., was elected to serve as chairman-elect of the board of directors at IMARK Group's 2005 annual meeting, held Oct. 8-11 in Orlando, Fla. Helle's two-year term will begin at the 2006 annual meeting, to be held in La Quinta, Calif., on Oct. 15, 2006. He will succeed Vic Jury Jr., president and CEO of Summit Electric Supply, Albuquerque, N.M. Additionally, the following company executives were elected to serve two three-year terms on the board of directors: Mark Kilmer of Republic Cos., Davenport, Iowa; Charles “Skip” Loeb of Loeb Electric Supply, Columbus, Ohio; and Bob Zamarippa of OneSource Distributors, Oceanside, Calif.

Leviton Manufacturing Co. (Little Neck, N.Y.): William Marshall has been appointed senior vice president of sales and marketing, and Daryoush Larizadeh has been named senior vice president. Marshall joined the company in 1994 as vice president of distribution marketing and was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing in 2003. Larizadeh joined Leviton in 2001, helping to pilot the company's operational efficiency programs. Larizadeh will lead the company's strategic business units. Additionally, Matthew Silverman has been appointed training manager for Leviton Integrated Networks and Controls. He brings a diverse background in business development, corporate consulting and corporate training.

Emerson (St. Louis): James G. Berges, Emerson president, retired Nov. 1 to pursue personal interests. Berges had been with Emerson for nearly 30 years. He also served as the business leader over Emerson Network Power. Chairman and CEO David N. Farr will take on the additional title of president, and Berges' duties will be divided among senior management.

WinWholesale (Dayton, Ohio): Roger E. “Eddie” Gibbs has been named vice president of vendor relations. Gibbs was vice president of sourcing for Noland Co. when WinWholesale acquired Noland in May. Prior to joining Noland in 2003, Gibbs spent nearly 30 years with Hughes Supply Co., serving as director of purchasing for more than a decade.

Baynes Electric Supply (Brockton, Mass.): Chris Antonellis has joined the company as an outside sales manager. Previously, he was a project manager specializing in facility master planning with Aramark.

Allied Moulded Products (Bryan, Ohio): Bill DeRoche has been appointed national sales manager for the Industrial Enclosure Division. In this role, he will be responsible for all domestic and Canadian sales efforts as well as managing the international sales rep force. DeRoche joined Allied in 2004 as Southeastern regional sales manager.

Simkar LLC (Philadelphia): With 30 years in the lighting and electrical industry, Glenn M. Grunewald has been appointed president and chief executive officer. Most recently, Grunewald served as chief executive officer of Online Power Supply, Denver.

Pass & Seymour/Legrand (Syracuse, N.Y.): Jim Osterbrock, a 16-year P&S veteran, has been promoted to director of marketing. Osterbrock previously worked in engineering for Pass & Seymour, recently completing his MBA with a focus in marketing.

Halco Lighting (Norcross, Ga.): Kristen Kitchens joins Halco Lighting as marketing associate. This is a newly created position in which she will be assisting in all areas of marketing for the company. Prior to Halco, Kitchens worked with a marketing agency.

General Electric Co. (Fairfield, Conn.): James P. Campbell has been named president and CEO of GE Consumer & Industrial. He will succeed Lloyd G. Trotter, who has been appointed as a General Electric Co. executive vice president, focusing on operations. Trotter is a 35-year GE veteran who has led two GE businesses. He will lead efforts to lower structural costs and improve operations across GE's businesses. Campbell has been with GE since 1981. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of GE Consumer Products.

Beckhoff Automation (Minneapolis): Don Seichter joins Beckhoff to handle regional sales for Wisconsin. Most recently, Seichter was drive and motor product manager at G&L (Giddings & Lewis).

Ferraz Shawmut (Newburyport, Mass.): Bill Trotman, company chairman and former president and CEO, will retire at the end of 2005 after 34 years with the company. Effective immediately, Daniel Beaudron has been named Ferraz Shawmut's new CEO. He joined the company in 2002 as chief operating officer.

National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED, St. Louis, Mo.): Dan Gray, president of Independent Electric Supply, Somerville, Mass., has been named as the incoming vice president-elect for NAED's Eastern region. Gray, a 25-year veteran of the electrical distribution industry, will direct the Eastern region in 2007-2008. The region is currently headed by Bruce Leff, president and CEO of The H. Leff Electric Co., Cleveland. In May 2006, Sandra Rosecrans, president of City Electric Co. Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., will become Eastern region vice president for the 2006-2007 year.

Border States Electrical Supply (Fargo, N.D.): The board of directors has made three new appointments to the company's executive council: Brian Becker, corporate controller; Gerald “Poke” Buck, Northwest regional manager; and Matthew Eddleman, Southwest regional manager.

W.W. Grainger Inc. (Chicago): Grainger's board of directors has appointed Stuart L. Levenick to the board. Levenick is a group president for Caterpillar Inc.

Edwards Signaling and Security (Part of GE Security, Plainville, Conn.): Paul Roach has been appointed regional sales manager for the Western region. Formerly with SLI Lighting, Roach brings 17 years of experience in the electrical industry to GE Security and will work from his office in Gilbert, Ariz. Additionally, Al Rzeczkowski has been appointed regional sales manager for the Central region. Formerly with Englewood Electrical Supply, a division of WESCO Distribution, Rzeczkowski brings 27 years of experience in the electrical industry. He will work from his office in Cary, Ill.

Ametek Solidstate Controls (Columbus, Ohio): Jim Amicon, a 17-year company veteran, has been appointed central district sales manager, supporting sales partners and clients in Texas and Louisiana as well as working with major engineering firms in the Midwest.

Federal Signal Corp. (University Park, Ill.): Bob Pray joins Federal Signal Corp. as Northeast regional manager. Pray has more than 26 years of technical sales experience.

Threaded Rod Co. (Indianapolis): Roger Mauck has joined the company as sales and marketing manager. Mauck has 30 years of experience in wholesale distribution.

Obituaries

Thomas E. Cox Jr., a 15-year employee of Dominion Electric Supply Co., Arlington, Va., died Sept. 23 after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer. He was 42 years old.

Cox started in the warehouse at Arlington where he moved to counter sales and eventually to the counter at Dominion's branch in Chantilly, Va.

He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Emilia; and his son, Adam. Memorial contributions may be made to the O'Connell Scholarship Fund for Adam Cox, c/o O'Connell High School, 6600 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22213.

Gilbert “Gil” A. Venturelli, who received NEMRA's Manufacturer of the Year award in 1999 as a sales executive with Regal Manufacturing, City of Industry, Calif., died Oct. 26.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; two children, Dante and Gina; and his granddaughter, Gillian.

Albert “Al” Levin, a long-time member of the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association, died Nov. 1. He was 90 years old.

Levin began his career in the electrical industry in 1935 when he went to work at Interstate Electric Co., New Orleans. In 1948, he joined Henry Duizand, an electrical manufacturers' representative. In 1951, Levin bought the firm, which is now known as Al Levin & Associates. He retired in 1986 as CEO, but he continued to give guidance to his children who now run the company.

He is survived by three children, David Charles Levin, Louis Aaron Levin, and Libby Sharon Henly; five grandchildren, David Edwin Albert Levin, Amy Levin, Andrew Levin, Jamie Henly, and Brian Henly; and by four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Amy Ruth Levin, who died Sept. 21.