2009 IEEE Annual Election Candidates - IEEE Standards Association President-Elect

S. MARK HALPIN
(Nominated by IEEE Standards Association)

Alabama Power Company Distinguished Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama, USA

S. Mark Halpin received his PhD from Auburn University in 1992.  He has worked in both utility and production industries in many technical capacities.  He held the Tennessee Valley Authority Endowed Professorship at Mississippi State University and is presently the Alabama Power Company Distinguished Professor at Auburn University.  He is married to Regina (Carwile) Halpin and has two children, Asheley Nicole (1998) and Steven Wallace (2000).  His areas of technical specialty include power and energy systems, electric utility system planning and operation, and power quality.  He has been involved in IEEE and IEC standards related to power and energy systems for over 15 years where he has made numerous technical, administrative, and leadership contributions.  Halpin was elected IEEE Fellow for “contributions to remote power quality measurements and standards” and recipient of the IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award for “leadership in the development and revision of power systems and power quality standards”.

IEEE Activities – (S’89-M’93-SM’02-F’05)  COMMITTEES/BOARDS: IEEE-SA Standards Board: Board Member, 2004-06; IEEE-SA New Standards Committee (NesCom), 2005-06; Standards Coordinating Committee 22 – Power Quality, Vice Chair, 2001-09; IEEE Category D Liaison to IEC TC77/SC77A/WG1 (Harmonics), 2004-09.  Technical Activities Board, 2007-08.  SECTION: Mississippi Section: NE Mississippi Subsection, Vice Chair, 1994-97; Secretary/Treasurer, 1993-94.  SOCIETIES: Industry Applications Society: Past President, 2009; President, 2007-08; President-Elect, 2005-06; Vice President, 2004; Secretary, 2003; Nominations Committee, Chair, 2009; Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Chair, 2009; Annual Meeting: Conference General Chair, 2006, 2005; Conference Technical Program Chair, 2004; Zucker Planning Committee, Chair, 2002-09; Education Department, Chair, 2001-02.  Power and Energy Society: 519 Harmonic Control Standard Task Force, Chair, 2002-09; Power Quality Subcommittee, Chair, 2007-08; PES Task Forces and Working Groups, Contributing Member, 1993-2009.  AWARDS: IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award, 2006.  IEEE Fellow, 2005.  IEEE Alabama Section Outstanding Engineer Award, 2005.  IEEE Third Millennium Medal, 2000.  IEEE Industry Applications Society Outstanding Young Member Award, 1997.  IEEE Alabama Section 1^st Place Technical Paper Award, 1997.  IEEE Alabama Section 2^nd Place Technical Paper Award, 1996.

IEEE Accomplishments – Dr. Halpin’s IEEE accomplishments are virtually all related to development and application of standards in areas related to power and energy systems.  He has been instrumental in many aspects of the IEEE Color Book series of standards, IEEE Standard 519 (harmonic control in power systems), and IEEE Standard 1453 (voltage flicker in power systems).  He has created application training programs based on IEEE and IEC standards which have been delivered in every IEEE Region.  The core of these programs has been incorporated in his Expert Now educational module developed for the IEEE Educational Activities Board.  He has authored, co-authored, or contributed to over 150 standards and technical papers related to electric power quality in utility and industrial electric energy systems and he has been a member of over 40 standards development Working Groups.  His widespread involvement in IEEE standards has led to numerous invitations to participate in both technical and leadership positions in non IEEE standards-making and technical organizations such as IEC, CIGRE, and CIRED.  His accomplishments in areas related to IEEE standards were recognized by his receipt of the 2006 IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award presented by the IEEE Standards Association and his elevation to IEEE Fellow in 2005.

Statement – I believe that the present global energy situation is the single most critical issue to be faced by engineers and scientists in the foreseeable future.  How we, on a global scale, address questions, develop answers, and implement solutions to this issue will leave our indelible footprint on our planet.  Many persons believe that electrification was (and continues to be) the single most important enabler of our modern society.  With my experience in developing standards in this area in both IEEE and IEC, I am well aware of the technical, corporate, and geo-political issues that must be addressed when developing standards for the 21^st century.  I believe that the major issues facing the IEEE-SA are (1) becoming more nimble so as to develop cutting edge standards in rapid fashion and (2) recognizing that international standardization is a requirement moving forward.  I will work to reduce, wherever possible, the administrative burdens on technical volunteers and to promote global harmonization to the greatest possible extent.  I believe both of these major issues, when addressed, will significantly increase our efficiency in standards development while allowing us, as a technical community, to continue to champion performance, safety, and reliability in our systems and processes.

STEVE M. MILLS
(Nominated by IEEE Standards Association)

Senior Architect
Hewlett-Packard Company
Cupertino, California, USA

Steve Mills has worked at Hewlett-Packard Company for 28 years in the research and development of products for the computer and telecommunications industries.  Mr. Mills is currently Senior Architect in the Industry Standards Program Office where he leads HP’s participation in industry consortia and standards development organizations.  Prior to moving into the Standards Program Office, Mr. Mills managed an R&D team responsible for the development of hardware, operating systems and middleware of continuously available platforms for use in the telecommunications industry.  Mr. Mills also spent several years as manager of a research team composed of business and technology professionals performing mid-range market and technology research.  Other contributions include: the development of networking products for HP's commercial servers, launching of the HP OpenView™ network management program, and the development of the strategy to move HP servers to a standards based I/O subsystem architecture. 

IEEE Activities – (M’01-SM’09)  COMMITTEES/BOARDS: Standards Association (SA): Board of Governors, 2005-09.  Standards Board:  Past-Chair, 2008-09; Chair, 2005-07; Vice Chair, 2004; Member, 2003-09; Review Committee, 2002-04; Patent Committee: Chair, 2009; Member, 2003; Procedures Committee, 2009, 2004; Audit Committee, Chair, 2004.  IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group: Chair, 2008-09; Vice Chair, 2003-07.  Standards Education Committee, Chair, 2008-09.  IEEE-SA Strategic Planning Committee, 2008-09.  IEEE-SA Nominations and Appointments Committee, 2007.  IEEE Membership Development Committee, 2005-06.  IEEE Educational Activities Board, 2007-09.  Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award Committee, 2008-09.  SOCIETY: Communications Society (ComSoc), Standards Board, 2007-09.

IEEE Accomplishments – During my eight years of service to the IEEE Standards Association I have diligently contributed to improving the long-term stability of the IEEE-SA’s business environment, integrity of the standards processes and international visibility of the IEEE as a globally relevant standards developer.

As Chair of the Standards Board I worked with volunteers and staff to improve policy and process in the areas of intellectual property, anti-trust, dominance, ethics, and improved transparency through disclosure of affiliations. 

Recognizing the importance of having strong international visibility and acceptance of IEEE standards I assisted in an effort to produce the initial strategy and worked actively to promote the IEEE as a global standards organization.

I have been involved in the development of the Standards Association’s corporate membership program and entity standards development activities since the very early stages of this new program.

As both Chair of the Standards Education Committee and Guest Editor on the IEEE Communication Society’s Communication Magazine, I have contributed to the education of university students and practicing professionals on topics about standards and the standards-setting process.

I feel fortunate to have had these opportunities to serve the IEEE and look forward to continuing my involvement as IEEE-SA President.

Statement – The IEEE is an internationally recognized source for high-quality standards that are technically excellent and market relevant.  Continued growth as a global standards organization requires an ongoing focus in three key areas: business efficiencies, process integrity and global visibility.

Achieving the goals of the Standards Association requires a solid business foundation.  We must continue our efforts to evolve toward a more efficient and robust business environment by continuing to refine our business strategy, operational efficiency, and financial reporting so that we may effectively track progress toward our strategic and operational goals.

Process integrity is a key element of a quality open standards process.  As the open standards environment evolves we must be diligent to ensure that our processes also evolve to remain fair, efficient, and streamlined.  We will build on past improvements in the areas of intellectual property rights, transparency, ethics, and anti-trust. 

Global recognition and acceptance requires ongoing effort.  We will continue to execute our international strategy by strengthening our relationships with International and regional organizations and promoting the IEEE as a globally relevant source of open standards.

As IEEE-SA President, I will continue this work to ensure that the IEEE’s reputation for open, high-quality standards remains strong.