Author Archives: necaibew







Faces of the Trade: Russ Sansosti


Whether it’s as a commercial electrical apprentice or behind the wheel of a sprint car, Russ Sansosti excels when putting his mind to the test. “The automobile is something that I love. If it’s got four wheels, it’s for me.” As a youngster, Sansosti’s passion for sprint cars began to shift into gear, thanks in […]

Scholarship winner draws inspiration from family background


Kristen Thompson, a junior at Youngstown State University, was awarded the 2018 Mahoning Valley LMCC Scholarship through the Youngstown State University Foundation. “It’s an amazing feeling,” Thompson said. “Without having scholarships, I don’t think college for me would have been a possibility.” As she enters her third year at YSU, Thompson is double majoring in […]

Faces of the Trade: Andrew Lemley


When he’s working on a commercial electrical project, Andrew Lemley has a simple mindset. “I like doing something from the ground floor up.” While employed at General Motors, Lemley was looking for a new career path. He applied and was accepted into the residential electrician apprenticeship at the Youngstown Area Electrical JATC. After completing the […]

Cardinal Electric Power reaches for new heights


When Raja Sambandham started Cardinal Electric Power in Salem, he wanted an eye-catching name and logo. “Since the company is based out of Ohio and the state bird is a cardinal, I figured the name would stick in people’s minds,” he said. And it has. Since its start in 2010, Cardinal Electric Power has worked […]

Apprentices honored at Youngstown JATC year-end picnic


It was a night of celebration at the first annual Youngstown JATC apprentice end-of-year picnic. “It’s a time for our NECA and IBEW representatives, apprentices, instructors and everybody involved in the JATC program to get together and appreciate the year we had, and all the hard work the apprentices and instructors put in,” said Jack […]

Faces of the Trade: Bob Magni


It’s all about the thrill of victory for Bob Magni. Magni has a passion for muscle cars that began to roar while he was in high school. He would race against his large group of friends, going up against the likes of a Pontiac GTO, Plymouth Barracuda or Chevy Camaro. “Back then, we would buy […]

Faces of the Trade: Jon Herchik


“If you don’t learn something new every day, you’re not trying hard enough.” That’s the mindset Jon Herchik brings to the jobsite. After 18 years as a carpenter, Herchik was looking for a career that offered more. He spent some time as a salesman for Freightliner Trucks, and then was guided toward becoming a union […]

NECA-IBEW Electricians give back to Mercy Health PD


A recent donation from NECA-IBEW Electricians has helped the Mercy Health police department strengthen its K9 officer program. “We couldn’t do what we do without community support like this,” said Ryan Bonacci, chief of police, Mercy Health. “This donation will help us keep the K9 program going well into the future.” Recently, NECA-IBEW Electricians reps […]

Faces of the Trade: Jim Serich


Making a difference in the community is a driving force for Jim Serich. For the last three seasons, Serich has been the head softball coach at Poland High School. Serich echoed the enthusiasm he’s had in this role. “I’ve had a lot of fun coaching the kids,” he said. Before leading the Bulldogs, Serich served […]

CR Electric generating new life into Niles Wastewater Treatment Facility


30,000 feet of conduit. 300 drawings. 3 years. Those are just some of the numbers that have revolved around the Niles Wastewater Treatment Facility project for Girard-based CR Electric. “I couldn’t do this without my team in the office – Tom McCleery, Nikki Copenhaver and John Robertson and also my outside team, Brad Darno, Mike […]