Video Team for 2011 Limited Energy Exam Preparation DVD Library

Mike Holt is an author, businessman, educator, speaker, publisher and National Electrical Code expert. He has written hundreds of electrical training books and articles, founded three successful businesses, and has taught thousands of electrical Code seminars across the US and internationally. 

His company, Mike Holt Enterprises, has been serving the electrical industry for almost 50 years, with a commitment to creating and publishing books, videos, online training, and curriculum support for electrical trainers, students, organizations, and electrical professionals. His devotion to the trade, coupled with the lessons he learned at the University of Miami’s MBA program, have helped him build one of the largest electrical training and publishing companies in the United States.

His broad experience has given him a unique perspective on building a profitable business that is committed to its customers and to quality. From an early age, Mike understood the need for working on your business, not just in your business. As a businessman, he understands the need for continuous education in order to keep current and stay relevant. As an educator, he has a commitment to help instructors improve their skills in the classroom and enrich the learning environment for their students. His deep understanding of the trade, dynamic presentation style, and ability to connect with students are some of the reasons that he is one of the most sought-after speakers in the industry.  

Mike is committed to changing lives and helping people take their careers to the next level. He has always felt a responsibility to provide education beyond the scope of just passing an exam. He draws on his previous experience as an electrician, inspector, contractor and instructor, to guide him in developing powerful training solutions that electricians understand and enjoy. He is always mindful of how hard learning can be for students who are intimidated by school, by their feelings towards learning, or by the complexity of the NEC. He’s mastered the art of simplifying and clarifying complicated technical concepts and his extensive use of illustrations helps students apply the content and relate the material to their work in the field. His ability to take the intimidation out of learning is reflected in the successful careers of his students. 

Mike’s commitment to pushing boundaries and setting high standards extends into his personal life as well. He’s an eight-time Overall National Barefoot Waterski Champion. Mike has more than 20 gold medals, many national records, and has competed in three World Barefoot Tournaments. In 2015, at the tender age of 64, he started a new adventure—competitive mountain bike racing. Every day he continues to find ways to motivate himself, both mentally and physically. 

Mike and his wife, Linda, reside in New Mexico and Florida, and are the parents of seven children and seven grandchildren. As his life has changed over the years, a few things have remained constant: his commitment to God, his love for his family, and doing what he can to change the lives of others through his products and seminars. 

Steve Arne has worked as an electrician, electrical contractor, and electrical instructor for 40 years. Nineteen years of his career were spent as a teacher and department head in post-secondary education. Since Steve retired from Western Dakota Tech in 2003, he has provided industry-direct training specializing in continuing education Electrical Code classes and Electrician Exam Preparation classes for Journeyman and Master's level exams.

In 2012, Steve and Deb's son Ryan returned to Rapid City South Dakota to help Steve expand his training business at AETech Electrical Training Center to include a 640 hour full-time pre-employment Apprentice Electrician Training Program. Steve is currently a Board Member of the SD Electrical Commission and serves on the State and Local Chapter Boards of the SD Electrical Council.

Steve worked with Mike Holt as a technical editor and video team participant beginning in 2002, and uses Mike’s books in his classes. He is very thankful to have been associated with an industry leader like Mike who has a real heart to help others and provides excellent training products to help students in the electrical industry.

Steve and his wife Deb live in Rapid City, South Dakota where they’re both active in their church and community, and love to spend time with their children and grandchildren. The highest priority for both of them is putting God first in both their home and business.

John Paul David is responsible for training all Staley, Inc. employees on the industry’s safety policies and standards. Additionally, he’s the in-house instructor for Staley’s BICSI certified training center which is utilized company-wide by technicians. John also oversees the maintenance of facilities at the headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.

John is a Master Electrician in multiple jurisdictions and is a certified trainer and Level 3 BICSI Technician in design, integration, installation, and infrastructure in the telecommunications industry. BICSI is a professional association that provides technical education, information, and knowledge assessment for the information and communications technology (ICT) community.

John began his career with Staley, Inc. as an Electrical Apprentice. After completing a four-year BAT Electrical Apprenticeship program, he went on to earn his Journeyman and Master licenses as well as his BICSI certifications. He resides in Little Rock with his wife. Together, they have a beautiful daughter, age 8, and son, age 5. John is an active member of his church where he works with the children’s group in a leadership position.

Ryan Jackson is a combination inspector in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area who began his career as a carpenter while in high school. He began doing electrical work when he was 18 and, at the age of 23, Ryan landed his first job as an electrical inspector and subsequently became certified in building, plumbing, and mechanical inspection (commercial and residential), as well as building and electrical plan review. Two years after becoming an inspector, he was approached by a friend in the area asking him to fill in at an electrical seminar for him. After his first class Ryan was hooked, and is now a highly sought after seminar instructor. He has taught in several states, and loves helping people increase their understanding of the Code.

In 2005, Ryan met Mike Holt in Salt Lake City, and they became friends immediately. He helped Mike with his Understanding the NEC, Volume 2 videos and began editing his books as well. He believes that there are only a small handful of opportunities that change a person’s life and career, and meeting Mike was one of them.

When Ryan isn’t working, he can often be found in his garage turning wood on his lathe, or in the kitchen where he enjoys wine making. Ryan married his high school sweetheart, Sharie, and they have two beautiful children together: Kaitlynn and Aaron.

George Stolz began his electrical career by tinkering around with machines in the Production Department of the Fort Collins Coloradoan. He began his apprenticeship in 2002 and developed a keen interest in the Code shortly after joining the trade. George currently serves as a construction foreman for Gregory Electric in Loveland, Colorado. His work experience includes single- and multi-family dwellings, hospitals, schools, grocery stores, aircraft hangars, office buildings, maintenance, estimating, and project management.

George is a moderator on Mike Holt’s Internet Code Forum, which he asserts is the best place to go for technical discussion on the web. He teaches classes at the Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain Chapter and enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the NFPA. He gleefully provides them with proposals to the NEC every cycle; the Code-Making Panels derive equal joy in rejecting them.

George lives near Pierce, Colorado with his wife Shana and their two boys. Their hobbies include camping, target shooting, bicycling, and trying to predict what the kids will get into next!

Eric Stromberg has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is a professional engineer. He started in the electrical industry when he was a teenager helping the neighborhood electrician. After high school, and a year of college, Eric worked for a couple of different audio companies, installing sound systems in a variety of locations from small buildings to baseball stadiums. After returning to college he worked as a journeyman wireman for an electrical contractor.

After graduating from the University of Houston, Eric took a job as an electronic technician and installed and serviced life safety systems in high-rise buildings. After seven years he went to work for Dow Chemical as a power distribution engineer. His work with audio systems had made him very sensitive to grounding issues and he took this experience with him into power distribution. Because of this expertise, Eric became one of Dow’s grounding subject matter experts. This is also how Eric met Mike Holt, as Mike was looking for grounding experts for his 2002 Grounding vs. Bonding video.

Eric taught the National Electrical Code for professional engineering exam preparation for over 20 years, and has held continuing education teacher certificates for the states of Texas and New Mexico. He was on the electrical licensing and advisory board for the State of Texas, as well as on their electrician licensing exam board. Eric now consults for a Department of Energy research laboratory in New Mexico, where he’s responsible for the electrical standards as well as assisting the laboratory’s AHJ.

Eric’s oldest daughter lives with her husband in Zurich, Switzerland, where she teaches for an international school. His son served in the Air Force, has a degree in Aviation logistics, and is a pilot and owner of an aerial photography business. His youngest daughter is a singer/songwriter in Los Angeles.