Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Douglas Fingerson, James D. Freichels, Kim M. Huxford, Daniel R. Klein, Jay A. Lewis, Timothy R. Malooly, John L. McConnell, Richard P. Owen, Thomas L. Seanger, Anthony C. Toft, and Joseph S. Vespa to the Board of Electricity.

Fingerson, of Zumbrota, is the general manager of Goodhue County Cooperative Electric. He has been its general manager since 1991, and was a staff engineer from 1977 to 1991. He earned a bachelor of agricultural engineer degree – electrical power option – from the University of Minnesota. Fingerson is appointed to a position for a representative of rural electrical suppliers for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

Freichels, of Mounds View, is the chief operation officer and part owner of Dell-Comm, Inc., a leading communications company in the Midwest. He has 24 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, is a registered communications distribution designer, and earned a masters degree as well as a bachelors degree in civil engineering. He also served as president of the Communications, Control, Alarm, Remote, Signaling Association. Freichels is appointed to a position for a power limited technician for a term that expires on December 31, 2010.

Huxford, of Waseca, is the manager of the operations division of Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, and previously owned his own electrical contacting company. He has 30 years of electrical experience and maintains master electrician and journeyman lineman licenses. Huxford is appointed to a position for a representative of rural electrical suppliers for a term that expires on December 31, 2010.

Klein, of Cold Spring, is a journeyman electrician with Klein Electric in St. Cloud. He has been a journeyman electrician for 20 years and has experience in commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential construction. Klein is appointed to a position for journeyman electrician for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

Lewis, of Cottage Grove, is president of JETS Electric, an electrical contacting company, and JETSmart, a security and low voltage cabling company based out of St. Paul Park. He is a member of the Minnesota Electrical Association District 6 Board of Directors, and the Dakota County Technical College electrical program steering committee. Lewis is appointed to a master electrician position for a term that expires on December 31, 2010.

Malooly, of Plymouth, is president of Irrigation By Design, Inc. as well as Irrigation Consultants and Control, Inc., and secretary/treasurer of Dulcet Fountains and Aeration, Inc. He serves on the boards of directors of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, and Gopher State One Call, and on a number of national Irrigation Association committees. Malooly is appointed to a position for a power limited technician for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

McConnell, of Emily, is retired after 35 years as a building inspector with the city of Minneapolis. While employed by the city, his work required that he have knowledge of building construction codes. McConnell is appointed to a public member position for a term that expires on December 31, 2010.

Owen, of Oakdale, is a senior electrical inspector and senior trades coordinator with the city of St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections, and a member of the senior manager’s committee. He is an instructor for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, a state-approved continuing education instructor, and has nearly 35 years of experience in the industry. Owen is appointed to a position for an electrical inspector for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

Seanger, of Melrose, owns Melrose Electric, has owned an electrical contracting business for 35 years, and has had a class “A” master electrician license for 37 years. He is a past chairman and director of the Minnesota Electrical Association, Inc., and has chaired a number of its committees. Seanger is appointed to a position for a master electrician for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

Toft, of Byron, has been a journeyman electrician in southeastern Minnesota for nearly 25 years, and has almost 30 years of experience in the industry. He has also been an apprenticeship instructor with the South Central Minnesota Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, and a state-approved continuing education instructor. Toft is appointed to a position for a journeyman electrician for a term that expires on December 31, 2010.

Vespa, of Hibbing, is a senior electrical engineer with Barr Engineering Company in Hibbing. He also owns and operates Vespa Engineering, Inc., a small electrical contracting firm, whose main purpose is to wire houses for Habitat for Humanity in Hibbing. He has over 16 years of experience in the design of electrical systems and holds a class “A” master electrician’s license. Vespa is appointed to a position for a consulting electrical engineer for a term that expires on December 31, 2011.

The Board of Electricity adopts the most current edition of the National Electrical Code and any amendments thereto, reviews requests for final interpretations and issue final interpretations, adopt rules that regulate the licensure or registration of electrical businesses, electrical contractors, master electricians, journeyman electricians, Class A installer, Class B installer, power limited technicians, and other persons who perform electrical work, and adopts rules that regulate continuing education for licensed or registered individuals. The board consists of 12 members, including the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, and 11 members appointed by the Governor.