Our Team
Ronald J. Schenk, CUSP
President
Ron Schenk’s career in the utility industry spans more than 27 years, including 14 years with a large powerline contractor, where he served as Director of Training for approximately 1,800 lineworkers.
Through the Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction (ISPC), Ron has helped dozens of contractors and smaller utilities develop and implement internal lineworker apprenticeship programs. He has also assisted many organizations in obtaining certification for their programs through the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ron’s areas of expertise include supervisory and leadership development for field supervisors, apprenticeship program development, and safety training for powerline crews. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP). Ron also previously served as an Executive Board Member of the Utility Safety & Ops Leadership Network (USOLN), the founding organization of the CUSP credential.
In 2004, Ron founded the Institute for Safety in Powerline Construction and continues to serve as its President. Based in Alexandria, Louisiana, ISPC is an electric utility industry association focused on advancing 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 has more than 25 years of experience in the electric, gas, and communications utility industries. Throughout his career, he has specialized in safety, risk management, and leadership, with a strong focus on creating positive cultural change within organizations.
His experience includes corporate and field safety management, fleet management, electrical utility craft training, leadership development, soft-skills training, and behavior-based safety consulting. Mack has worked with large utility contractors, major electric and gas utilities, and smaller electric cooperatives.
Mack is a founding member of the Utility Safety & Ops Leadership Network (USOLN) and has served as its President and Chairman of the Board. He is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP), a Certified Utility Safety Administrator (CUSA), and holds Advanced Safety Certificates from the National Safety Council, as well as additional safety certifications from Red Rocks Community College.
Mack currently resides in Lyman, Utah.
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.
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.
James McGowan
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).
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.
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.
Mark Ross
Affiliated Consultant
Mark Ross brings over 30 years of experience in heavy industry, with a specialized focus on electrical management and maintenance. His extensive background has equipped him to meaningfully contribute to the performance and safety of today’s electrical service providers.
Throughout his career, Mark has led and participated in numerous successful projects involving medium voltage distribution systems, switchgear, and transformer installations. His commitment to workforce development is evident in his nearly 20 years of service on the local community college advisory board, where he has helped shape technical training programs in electrical and mechanical disciplines. In addition, he spent 10 years consulting with Grant County PUD as a member of their Large Industrial User Group.
Mark’s work with electricity, energetic compounds, and molten metals has sharpened his safety awareness and informed his strong advocacy for proactive training and safe work practices. He believes that training, prevention, and consistent execution are essential to ensuring every worker returns home safely. Mark and his wife now reside in Louisiana.
Skip Holloway, CUSP
Affiliated Consultant
A.J. “Skip” Holloway is an accomplished electric utility safety professional with extensive experience in utility construction, operations, safety management, and training. He is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) and OSHA-authorized instructor with a strong background in field safety audits, incident investigations, regulatory compliance, and electric power safety training. Throughout his career, Skip has supported utilities, municipalities, contractors, and construction teams by helping strengthen safety processes, improve field performance, and promote safe, compliant work practices across transmission, distribution, and utility operations.