NETA’S 2010 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – HONORING NETA’S MOST VALUABLE ASSET

BY KRISTEN WICKS

NETA

Each year NETA’s President is given the difficult task of selecting one of NETA’s many volunteers as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award. This person demonstrates selflessness, drive, dedication, loyalty, and leads by example. This person is someone who balances family, friends, work, and philanthropy on a knife’s edge and does it with a smile, often looking around to say, “What else can I do?” It is for these reasons that the sentiment, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless,” aptly describes the individual that is acknowledged by this award.

This year’s recipient is no less deserving than any who have held the honor before him. Dave Huffman, President of Power Systems Testing Company in Fresno, California, fits this description to a “T”. Dave serves on the NETA Board of Directors, NETA Standards Review Council, NETA Exam Committee, NETA Continuing Technical Development Committee, NETA Member Application Review Committee, NETA Training Committee, NETA Nominations Committee, and represents NETA on the NFPA 70B Committee as the Alternate Representative. Dave’s kind nature, easy smile, and warm chuckle instantly endear him to everyone he meets. His sincerity ensures lasting friendships despite busy schedules and great geographical distances between many NETA members.

While some people in the electrical testing field get a glazed look in their eyes as they try to recall how it is that they got involved in this highly-technical and potentially hazardous line of work, Dave had his heart set on becoming an electrical engineer from a young age. In Dave’s last semester of college, one of his classmates asked him to go in his place to a job interview. Dave agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history. He began work for Power Systems Testing as the low man on the totem pole like every good test technician – running the vacuum, unrolling the cords, and rerolling the cords. It is no surprise that Dave is such a valued member of every committee on which he participates. He has a from-the-ground-up approach to his thought process; he is able to quickly assess information and apply it based on his in-depth experiences collected over a long career as an electrical testing technician.

Mose Ramieh, fellow Board Member and incoming President of NETA, says of Dave, “One thing about Dave is that he is always smiling. He’s just an all-around good guy and supporter of NETA. He takes his work very seriously and carries a great deal of respect for his fellow NETA members; when he took over the position of Nominations Chair for Al Peterson, he said he was trying to follow hearing the Voice of God speaking. He has done an admirable job.”

Each year NETA’s President is given the difficult task of selecting one of NETA’s many volunteers as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award. This person demonstrates selflessness, drive, dedication, loyalty, and leads by example. This person is someone who balances family, friends, work, and philanthropy on a knife’s edge and does it with a smile, often looking around to say, “What else can I do?” It is for these reasons that the sentiment, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless,” aptly describes the individual that is acknowledged by this award.

Each year NETA’s President is given the difficult task of selecting one of NETA’s many volunteers as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award. This person demonstrates selflessness, drive, dedication, loyalty, and leads by example. This person is someone who balances family, friends, work, and philanthropy on a knife’s edge and does it with a smile, often looking around to say, “What else can I do?” It is for these reasons that the sentiment, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless,” aptly describes the individual that is acknowledged by this award.

Board Member Kerry Heid has had many opportunities to work closely with Dave on the Training Committee. “He is an obvious choice to me,” says Kerry. “He is an amazing guy that does so much work behind the scenes for NETA without ever looking for the accolades. Any task he is given he always it out of the park. He really stepped up to help the Training Committee with the development of the Instrument Transformer Course. His work is always done on time, correctly, and thoroughly. To top it all off, he is a great guy to kick back and have a beer with He is so friendly willing to share experiences. You always learn something when you talk with him.”

With a lifetime of experiences behind him, Dave’s favorite aspect of his career has been being able to travel and experience different places, cultures, and people. He really enjoys learning how other people handle technical challenges within electrical systems. When asked which project stuck out as being the most memorable, Dave replied without hesitation, “Guam. It’s this isolated location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean completely cut off from everything else. It is a completely self-contained location that is a microcosm sufficiency. When that system malfunctions half the island goes down. It was really interesting to see how they protected against failure and how quickly they went in to repair mode.”

As the President of Power Systems Testing, Dave still finds himself working in the field in addition to running the operational and strategic aspects of the company. He has proven his ability to rise to a challenge, recalling one situation early in his career when Power Systems was the winning bidder for a job which required test equipment that the company did not yet own and he had never used. His resourcefulness and ability to self-teach has served him well over the years, allowing him to take on new challenges.

Dave credits his involvement with NETA for much successful navigation of tricky situations encountered in the field. “I give my technicians a time when they come to me with questions ask them who they think I call when I need find something out. Really, I know that I rely on Rod Hageman, Al Peterson, Ralph Patterson, and any of the NETA guys to help work through a problem or provide me suggestions and experiences of theirs,” says Dave. “I learned quickly that being a part of NETA is about a lot more than just having the logo and carrying a certification card. It’s about participation and giving back. My life has been so full of positive experiences for my family and me because of my involvement with NETA.”

Dave’s wife Johnnie and his daughter Makenna have joined him on many NETA trips over the years. Johnnie shares Dave’s belief in the positive impact of putting your heart in your work. The greatest reward of her work is when one of the at risk youths she has worked with comes back to her and thanks her for being so hard on them and demanding that they give all they had to give to bettering themselves. Makenna, whose name means ‘peaceful’ in Hawaiian, is looking forward to college where she plans to pursue a creative field in the arts. She must have inherited at least a little of that talent from her father, an avid photographer since he was nine. Dave loves traveling with NETA where he gets the opportunity to capture some amazing sights with his camera.

NETA’s Executive Director, Jayne Tanz, knows those that volunteer for NETA like family. She has worked with them for nearly twenty years, and in that time she has grown to appreciate each personality as much as she appreciates their contributions. Jaynes reflects, “I suspect that his family values and ethics propel his selfless contributions to NETA. He is the epitome of a volunteer. It is a tricky thing to balance the many aspects of one’s life and to choose to volunteer; his dedication in managing on-time delivery of commitments is honorable and sheds light on the serious nature in which he holds himself accountable. Don’t let that fool you though, Dave is always present with a smile and enjoys a good laugh with his friends, family, and peers.”

It seems that the only person taken unaware by John White calling Dave’s name was Dave himself. Smile on his face, he calmly proceeded to the front of the room to accept the eagle-emblazoned disk presented to each outstanding individual to receive this honor. Staying true to form, Dave says, “I was completely surprised. I was thinking about all the guys who have stood there before me, and how deserving they have all been. Whether they meant to or not, each of those people has been my mentor through the years, and to stand where they stood is very humbling. This is such a positive group; rather than focusing on your weaknesses, they instead point out your strengths and help to make you stronger.”

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Dave has made an incredible life for himself through his generous spirit, willing attitude, and strong work ethic. It’s easy to see that a man like Dave is driven not by getting, but by giving; he is in good company with the rest of the NETA bunch.

BY KRISTEN WICKS

NETA

To view original article in pdf format, please go here.