FMS PRINCIPALS, ENGINEERS & ADVISING CONSULTANTS:

FMS‘s team comprises a rich mixture of PhD and PE level engineering experience and credentials and hands-on technical skills, e.g. test measurements, computer simulation and modeling, shield and mitigation design,  project management and implementation.  Our associates bring creative as well as engineering and technical skills to each client’s EMF/EMI problem.  We provide the lowest cost effective mitigation solution options, presented in a context which facilitates clients’ decisions regarding which options best suit their situation and budget.

In addition, the FMS team includes highly skilled advising consultants available for the most specialized EMF issues. For example, when faced with the huge, unacceptable cost of shielding a group of cryo magnets (up to 14T) FMS, acting as consultant and project manager, assembled its consultant team and, working with the magnet manufacturer, redesigned the magnets – reducing the fringe field line from 5,000 mG to < 1 mG.  This saved the customer an estimated $26 million in shielding costs.

Michael L. Hiles, President

Mr. Hiles has 35 years experience as a founder, investor and executive manager of engineering and technology businesses. In addition to 24 years as CEO of EMF/EMI companies, his business activities include such diverse products as Nuclear Facility Access Control, Television Production and Satellite-based communications systems and technology which reduces emissions from coal-burning power plants. Mr. Hiles was an early pioneer in EMF/EMI. In 1986 he founded NoRad, a manufacturer of EMF shielding and measurement devices for video monitors and other sensitive equipment. In 1995, he incorporated its technology and EMI expertise into FMS, which he founded with Jon Munderloh and Ken Griffing. With his partners, Mr. Hiles conducted innovative research in EMF/EMI and was awarded a technology patent for novel use of shielding material. Mr. Hiles successfully negotiated a technology agreement to develop conductive EMF shielding technology from Stockholm Energy for use in the US. He subsequently successfully proposed that the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) join FMS in a collaborative multi-year EMF research program to develop conductive shielding technology for commercial EMF shielding applications.  Mr. Hiles was a founding investor and board member of Stamet, an engineering company that developed a product which reduces emissions from coal-burning power plants (recently sold to GE Energy). He was a principal at Interand, a videographic and teleconferencing systems manufacturer through its initial funding and public offering stages and was a founder of the American Teleconferencing Association. Mr. Hiles is recognized worldwide as an expert consultant on EMF issues, frequently contributing pro bono to EMF policy for schools and governments. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin and has completed professional studies in electrical engineering, business administration and economics at UCLA. He is a member of IEEE, BEMS, and SMPTE.

Jon W. Munderloh, Director of Operations

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Munderloh founded multiple engineering integration companies which were major international turn-key providers of large scale mobile and fixed broadcast & telecommunication technical facilities He successfully managed multiple project teams consisting of engineers and designers, architectural and construction trade staff and project management, which were deployed domestically and internationally to construct leading-edge telecom facilities. Mr. Munderloh has a thorough understanding of engineering technology, construction and project management issues plus extensive experience with electromagnetic field assessment and mitigation of electromagnetic interference As a co-founder of FMS, Mr. Munderloh managed FMS’ multi-year collaborative research program with the Southern California Edison company and is responsible for development of novel and innovative advances in the design and implementation of magnetic field mitigation schemes employing the use of passive shielding and active cancellation technology. During the research program, Mr. Munderloh successfully developed and managed the first large scale commercial installation of AC magnetic field shielding utilizing conductive materials in the US. He has overseen numerous EMF consulting and mitigation projects throughout the Far East and Europe. In addition to directing FMS’ many diverse consulting and shielding projects, Mr. Munderloh has personally managed a number of the firm’s most technologically challenging projects. He has authored numerous technical articles and papers for IEEE, the Bioelectromagnetics Society and PowerSystems World. Mr. Munderloh holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska.

Janey Place, PhD Systems Theory, Director of Administration & Business Development

Dr. Place brings 25 years of executive management to FMS.  Her educational background in systems theory contributes to FMS’ creative approach to complex EMI problems, as does her 15 years of leading innovation at major corporations. In 2007, she was recognized as one of the 20 leading innovators in financial services technology over the last 20 years. She attended the UCLA Graduate School of Management and authored two books and numerous articles. Dr. Place earned her PhD in Systems Theory at the University of California at Los Angeles and was on the faculty of the University of California at Santa Cruz. She headed technology innovation and technology venture investing groups at Bank of America and Mellon, served on the Senior Management Committee and reported directly to the Chairman and CEO in both institutions. In 2004, she founded DigitalThinking, a strategy and innovation consultancy, whose clientele are primarily technology companies. Dr. Place has served on public and privately held boards for companies in technology, financial services and private equity.

Kirby C. Holte, PhD Electrical Engineering, Director of Engineering

Dr. Kirby Holte, FMS Senior Engineer, has over 35 years of experience with EMF in senior roles at engineering and power companies.  Dr. Holte was Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California where he taught courses in high voltage power transmission, power electronics and electro-magnetics. At Southern California Edison, Dr. Holte managed Edison's electric and magnetic fields research and engineering projects, developed Edison's magnetic fields reduction design guide, which was adopted as State Policy by the California Public Utility Commission in 1994 and is the basis for similar programs in other states. Dr. Holte developed computer analysis software, which is used to accurately calculate magnetic fields from transmission lines, building electrical systems and electrical equipment/switchgear in highly complex two and three dimensional geometries.  It is also used to assess the effectiveness of field reduction measures. Under Dr. Holte’s direction, FMS conducted a multi-year collaborative research program with the Southern California Edison Company which resulted in the development of novel and innovative advances in the design and implementation of magnetic field mitigation schemes employing the use of passive shielding and active cancellation technology. Dr. Holte and FMS developed a series of applications and development research studies related to low cost power frequency magnetic field shielding. These studies consider each of the primary sources of magnetic fields within facilities - transformers, wireways and switchgear - and apply theoretical models, laboratory test sequences and commercial applications for optimum field reduction techniques, shielding materials and methodologies. Dr. Holte oversees all aspects of FMS’ engineering activities. He is a senior member of the IEEE and has been active on the AC Fields Effects Working Group and the Corona and Fields Effects Subcommittee. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and BEMS and the ARRL, where he holds an Extra Class License. Dr. Kirby earned his PhD in electrical engineering at the University of Washington.

Kenneth L. Griffing, P.E., Senior Engineer

Kenneth L. Griffing has over 30 years experience in the electric utility industry with the Southern California Edison Company, in research, land engineering and electric facility design and construction. Prior to joining FMS, he held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility at SCE, advancing to the senior engineering and engineering management level. While at SCE, he was a key player in the formation of new EMF policy directions and research priorities, coordinating SCE's relations with EPRI, EEI and other California and US utilities. He played a leading role in the SCE/FMS multi-year joint research program which resulted in significant advances in EMI shielding. Mr. Griffing has chaired and participated in numerous professional and industry technical groups and committees. He is a member of IEEE, CIGRE and is a registered professional engineer in California, Nevada and Utah.

James Tidwell, Senior Project Manager

Mr. Tidwell brings an impressive range of technical, analytical and project management skills and experience to the FMS team. James has served in increasingly responsible technical and managerial positions throughout his career and brings an extensive EMF/RF knowledge base to FMS. He is particularly recognized for his EMF project work on many high profile, large scale public and private-sector construction projects, including World Trade Center - Seven, The Pentagon, Naval Research Laboratory, Goldman Sachs Site 26, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, to name a few. His professional management approach and attention to detail with EMF/RF analysis, mitigation design and project management, ensures our clients the highest quality of engineering services from project on-set through to facility commissioning. James joined FMS in 2007 after 7 years of commercial installation and siting roles with AT&T and 8 years at VitaTech Engineering. Although FMS does not provide medical advice and makes no claims regarding the health benefits of reducing EMF, Mr. Tidwell’s medical background brings FMS valuable insight into clients’ concerns about potential EMF impact on human health.

JB Kollar, Senior Project Manager

JB Kollar has specialized and broad-based experience in all aspects of EMF analytics and field management technologies. Mr. Kollar's technical experience includes hands-on and management level field assessment, analysis, simulation modeling, and mitigation design strategies for electromagnetic (EM) and radio frequency (RF) interference projects. He has in-depth and high-level project management experience in a variety of military, commercial, institutional and technical environments and has been responsible for the conception, design, installation and the successful test of numerous large-scale EMI/RFI shielding projects throughout the U.S., including a wide range of DC field mitigation projects. JB joined FMS in 2007 after 7 years at VitaTech Engineering.

Salvadore Sarabia, Shielding Installation Manager

Mr. Sarabia has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry with a thorough familiarity with procedures and trade skills utilized in large and small construction projects. Since FMS’ founding, Mr. Sarabia has personally directed planning and implementation of hundreds of challenging AC & DC magnetic field as well as RF shielding projects throughout the United States and abroad including substantial projects in the Far East and Europe. Working with FMS engineering in an FMS research program, Mr. Sarabia developed a number of proprietary and innovative techniques for installing magnetic field shielding materials which appreciably improved technical performance while also notably improving quality and installation efficiency. Mr. Sarabia has developed procedures and the necessary logistical structure to efficiently manage multiple shielding installation projects at different geographical locations. Moreover, these innovations have proven to reduce installation schedules and costs and effectively limit the impact of shielding installation to ongoing operations.

John McAuley, MSEE, Senior EMC Consultant

Mr. McAuley has over 20 years experience in circuit design, EMI suppression techniques and EMC testing. He is General Manager of CEI, FMS' technology licensee for Ireland and the UK. CEI/FMS-UK is an accredited EMC test laboratory to ISO 17025 (scope 088T) and has been appointed as a Competent Body for the EMC Directive by the European Commission. CEI has been appointed as a Conformity Assessment body by the European Commission for the EU-US Mutual recognition Agreement and the EU-Australia MRA and is listed by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States for Radio Frequency emissions testing of products intended for use in the US market. John is a member of the European standardization body CENELEC and serves on a number of plenary bodies and working groups. Included are:

CENELEC SC210 Working Group 1, EMC of information technology equipment
CENELEC TC210 EMC Plenary Committee
CENELEC TC106X Electromagnetic Fields in the Human Environment
CENELEC TC106X, Working Group 1, Mobile and Base Stations radiation safety issues

John H. Cooper – MSEE, Senior Power Systems Engineer

John Cooper is of counsel to FMS and co-founder of Power Delivery Consultants. John has been a major contributor to a number of FMS' large-scale utility XLPE transmission cableprojects for system voltages ranging from 115 kV to 345 kV. John received a BSEE from Texas A&M University and his MSEE from the University of Pittsburgh. He held increasingly responsible technical and management positions at Westinghouse Electric and Power Technologies prior to co-founding Power Delivery Consultants, Inc. At the Westinghouse Advanced Systems Technology Department John planned electric utilities delivery systems for the United States and Canada and became Manager of the EPRI Waltz Mill Underground Transmission Test Facility. Mr. Cooper co-authored "EMF Management for Transmission Cables" of the EPRI Electric and Magnetic Field Management Reference Book and is chairman of the IEEE ICC working group on Underground Cable Magnetic Fields. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, Power Engineering Society and is a Voting Member of the IEEE Insulated Conductors Committee (ICC) and a member of CIGRE. He is a past Chairman of the ICC Cable Systems Subcommittee. He is a Registered Engineer in the States of Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Mexico and Texas.