Our Team
Ronald J. Schenk, CUSP
President
Ron Schenk’s career in the Utility Industry spans 27 years and includes 14 years on staff with a large powerline contractor, serving as Director of Training for 1,800 lineworkers. Through ISPC, Ron has helped dozens of contractors and smaller utilities develop and implement internal lineworker apprenticeship programs, helping many to also Certify their programs through the U.S. Department of Labor. Ron’s expertise includes supervisory development training for field supervisors and safety training for powerline crews. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in business, Ron is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) and he is an Executive Board Member of USOLN, the founding organization for the CUSP Credential. In 2004 Ron created and is President of the Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction (ISPC), based in Alexandria, LA. ISPC is an Electric Utility Industry Association focusing on safety and training for lineworkers throughout North America and the Caribbean.
Wanda Schenk
Secretary/Treasurer
Wanda Schenk has been involved in the Lineworker Training field since 2004. It was then that she shared the vision with husband, Ron Schenk, to address the ongoing issue of providing quality lineworker training materials. She is a founding partner of T & D PowerSkills and serves as Secretary/Treasurer for T & D PowerSkills, as well as Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction. Now as a Director and Treasurer for Safety Management International, she sees the early vision of T & D PowerSkills and Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction becoming highly regarded and recognized in their mission of providing best practices in safety and training for lineworkers throughout the United States and Caribbean.
Mack Turner, CUSP
Executive Director
Mack Turner’s career spans over 25 years in the Electric, Gas and Communications Utility Industry. Mack has specialized in the Safety, Risk and Leadership disciplines and is focused on positive culture change. Mack’s experience includes corporate safety management, field safety management, fleet management, electrical utility craft training, leadership development and soft skills, behavioral-based safety training and consulting. Mack has worked with large utility contractors, large electric and gas utilities, and small co-op’s. Mack is also the President/Board Chairman and founding member for the Utility Safety Operations Leadership Network (USOLN). Mack is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP), Certified Utility Safety Administrator (CUSA), and holds Advanced Safety Certificate’s from the National Safety Council as well as various Safety Certificates from Red Rocks Community College. Mack currently resides in Lyman, Utah.
Mark Forster, CUSP
Director of Operations
Mark Forster is a Certified Utility Safety Professional with over 30 years in the electric industry, including over 17 years working for PPL Electric Utilities, where Mark led the effort to rebuild the company's energy control process training, as well as secure an old substation facility which would be turned into a substation training facility. In June of 2022, Mark began to do consulting work for ISPC, specifically in the Substation discipline. In November of 2023, he transitioned from PPL Electric Utilities to ISPC as the Director of Operations, where he will further his ability to influence the utility industry. Mark truly enjoys sharing knowledge and teaching others, and has a very practical approach to his training delivery.
Jim Vaughn, CUSP
Senior Consultant
As Senior Consultant for ISPC Jim serves utilities as a safety specialist in utility industry related OSHA and consensus standards. Jim provides both consult and program development for utilities in OSHA compliant policies and procedures as well as consult on incident investigation and incident related litigation. Jim also develops and delivers ISPC training as well as dedicated client specific training programs.
Jamie Yaeger
Director of Member Services
Responsible for a broad range of services provided to ISPC members, Jamie monitors and responds to customer satisfaction issues for ISPC as well as its sister company, T&D PowerSkills. She also assists with various marketing duties including trade shows, websites, and social media for both companies.
Dan Taylor, CUSP
Affiliated Consultant - T&D Specialist
Dan Taylor began his career in his hometown of Loa, Utah working for Garkane Energy. With 38 years of professional experience, he has been a journeyman Lineman for Garkane Energy since January 18, 1986. Dan has been involved with Garkane's safety program for 20 years. He is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) and also a Certified Loss Control Professional (CLCP). Utilizing his background in transmission, distribution, overhead, underground work, Dan has the knowledge of vital working skills. Dan has been an instructor at the Mesa Hot Line School, Rualite Hot Line School and IPSA Hot Line School. He has taught rubber gloving, distribution and transmission hot sticking.
Andrew Menu, CUSP, CRSP
Affiliated Consultant - Canadian Practices Specialist
Andrew Menu is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, a Certified Utility Safety Professional and a Provincial Instructor Diploma program graduate. He currently shares his working time between working as the owner and Director of Practical Safety Management, providing industry safety and compliance training as well as Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) consulting and instructing at the College of New Caledonia in central BC. With over a decade of experience working as a senior safety professional in the power utility environment, working for both utility owners and line contractors, combined with of 20 years’ experience working in the various industries of BC and Alberta, Andrew has a very practical and effective perspective to offer.
Britt Holley
Affiliated Consultant - Technical Metering Specialist
Britt Holley began his over 40-year career with Oncor Electric Delivery by achieving an Associate in Applied Electronics degree through a cooperative program for Texas Power & Light Company, a predecessor company of Oncor. He also successfully completed a technical metering progression program, resulting in the achievement of Senior Meter Technician certification. Britt subsequently assumed Lead Meter Technician and then Meter Technician Supervisory responsibilities. In 2012, Oncor established a commitment and focus to train and develop technical metering personnel. As such, Britt took on the role of Senior Technical Training Rep. In this role, he led the development and administration of the Meter Technician Training Program. In this program, employees learned technical metering skills for all classes of metering, from residential through commercial and industrial applications. Additional achievements that Britt is proud of include being awarded Oncor’s first Customer Service Star Award, given to only one employee annually for customer service excellence. He also taught classes at the Southwest Electrical Metering Association Meter School and led the school task force for two years, being honored by induction into SWEMA’s Circle of Honor in 2019.
James McGowan, CUSP
Affiliated Consultant - T&D Specialist
James is an internationally recognized safety trainer with more than 40 years of combined experience working in many roles. These include Journeyman lineman, lineman apprenticeship trainer, and safety/training program developer. He is a subject matter expert in all aspects of the power transmission and distribution industry, as well as a contributing member of various technical advisory groups. He’s been a director of corporate safety & training and a management and leadership trainer. He was the Chairman of the Electrical Transmission & Distribution Partnership [ET&D] training task team, Task Team II, and he led the development, implementation, and subsequent delivery of the ET&D Partnership’s industry-specific OSHA 10-hour construction outreach training program, and the Supervisory Leadership Outreach Training, (also known as the OSHA 20-hour).
Tony Boyd, CUSP
Affiliated Consultant
Tony Boyd’s career spans over 46 years in the Electric Utility Industry. Tony has specialized in the technical side of the business with extensive experience in Transmission, Overhead Distribution and Underground Distribution systems. Tony’s experience includes the safety and training side of the electric utility business focusing on best practices in the industry and concentrating on promoting safety in every aspect of the work. Tony is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) and a Project Manager for Safety Management International.
Kevin Marshall, CUSP
Affiliated Consultant
Kevin Marshall’s career spans over 37 years in the Electric Utility Industry. Kevin’s first years were with local contractors as an apprentice working for REA’s and Lubbock Power & Light as an apprentice service man. Kevin received his Journeyman Certificate with the DOL in 1995 while working for SPS/ Excel Energy. In 2003 Kevin joined Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) doing safety and training for cooperatives across the state and later moved to Colorado where he joined Colorado Rural Electric Association as their JT&S Instructor. He is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) and participated with the Electrical Transmission & Distribution Partnership (ET&D) Task team 3 in the development of the OSHA ET&D 10hr and 20hr outreach training programs. Kevin specializes in lineman technical development and has been an instructor at the MESA hotline school as well as TEC schools in the state of Texas along with 10 years of lineman rodeo participation. Kevin joined Compere in 2024 as a safety and training manager to help bolster the safety department and aid in the development of training and apprenticeship.
Travis Proffitt, CHST,CUSP
Affiliated Consultant - Distribution Training Specialist
Travis started his career at Dillard Smith Construction Company as a groundman. He then began his lineman apprenticeship, quickly becoming a Journeyman Lineman in 2004. After two years of building powerlines, he was made Lineman Foreman, a position he held for another two years. In 2008, he started his seven years as a journeyman lineman for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he was eventually promoted to Electric Utilities Planner. After seven years at this position, he left the Laboratory and joined ISPC as a Senior Consultant in 2021, where he stayed until 2022. He now is a Technical Training Advisor for Service Electric Company. Travis has been chief of his local fire department since 2005 and serves as a pastor at Barnards Grove Missionary Baptist Church. He lives with his wife and four children in east Tennessee.
John Perez
Affiliated Consultant
John is one of very few people who has been both a Journeyman, Trainer, and Supervisor for both Utility and Contracting companies. John is a President who has 33 years of experience in Heavy Underground and U.R.D. Electrical Distribution Utility work who has taken the time to learn how to turn the wrench and why it turns while working in multiple States for an Electric Utility and Contractors. John has progressively taken on more responsibility, producing profitable and consistently safe jobs as well as multiple Underground training programs, a subject matter expert specializing in PILC and cable splicing, with a unique understanding of how field conditions impact job performance, safety, profitability, as well as tool and material costs. He is also very safety minded and has an unrivaled perspective spanning a career where safety and work practices within the industry have undergone many changes.
Sabina Clark
Affiliated Consultant - Alaska Safety Meeting Specialist
Originally from Russia and calling Alaska home for over 27 years, Sabina is an experienced Outside SalesRepresentative who most recently worked with WESCO Distribution’s Utility Branch, where she servedAlaskan utility companies. During her time with WESCO, Sabina honed an understanding of utilityproducts and services, focusing on building relationships, solving challenges, and providing tailoredsolutions for clients across the state.
With a passion for exceptional customer service and a growing expertise in the utility sector, Sabina islooking forward to new opportunities to apply her skills and contribute to the success of businesses inAlaska’s utility industry. Dedicated, resourceful, and adaptable, Sabina is eager to bring her experience andunique global perspective to a new role.