Learn about our world class

Team Members

Michael Hiles, President

Mr. Hiles has 40+ 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 sensitive equipment and in1995, FMS was organized, combining the NoRad technology and expertise with the results of a 2-year, large-scale EMF shielding test program at The Southern California Edison Company. FMS was awarded a technology patent for novel use of shielding material and negotiated a technology agreement to develop conductive EMF shielding technology from Stockholm Energy for use in the US.

FMS has continued to expand on its technical base during the more than 20 years of its operating history and is an acknowledged leader in the markets and industries that it serves.

Mr. Hiles and FMS frequently contribute pro bono to EMF policy discussions 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.

James Tidwell, Director of Operations

James 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 military and professional career and brings 20+ years of extensive EMF/RF knowledge base to FMS. James is a technical expert in the characterization, design, and deployment of low-EMI infrastructure. He is particularly adept at the iterative modeling and optimization of Quasi-DC sources, such as magnets, light-rail, and elevators. James is recognized for his project work on many high profile, domestic and international projects including World Trade Center (pre/post), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – PSF and EMSL Campuses, Australian Institute of Nano-Technology, Qatar – R&D Complex, and semi-conductor and broadcast facilities. James’ professional management approach and attention to detail has increased FMS visibility as the “Go To” EMF/EMI consultant firm, with a proven cost-efficient deployment reputation.

Joel Kellogg, Director of Engineering

Joel is an experienced professional with 20+ years of experience in electromagnetic engineering. Joel has been involved in the development of hardware and software for electromagnetic and vibration measurement equipment. He has also been involved in the development of magnetic active cancelation systems used in the mitigation of EMI disturbances to MRI and electron microscopy equipment. Joel has served as an EMI and RFI consultant on dozens of projects for medical, industrial, and research applications. Joel has provided consulting and engineering services on a wide spectrum of sources from DC static fields to low frequency/quasi-DC to radio frequencies. He is skilled at developing creative solutions to meet owner and project requirements while working with multi-disciplined groups.

BSEE – University Wisconsin – Madison
CBA – University of Illinois – Chicago
MBA – Keller School of Management

JB Kollar, Senior Project Manager

JB Kollar is a senior project manager with specialized and broad-based experience in all aspects of EMF analytics, field management technologies, low and no-cost mitigation design, engineering technology, and construction management. JB’s technical experience includes hands-on and management level field assessment, environmental analysis, 2D-3D/BIM based modeling simulation studies, and mitigation design strategies for electromagnetic (EM) and radio frequency (RF) interference projects.

JB brings has more than 20+ years’ of progressively responsible and high-level program management experience in a variety of military, government, commercial, institutional, and cutting-edge technical environments. JB’s attention to detail-style methodology and creative design mitigation approach, has earned him a well-deserved reputation in the industry, a skillset no doubt sharpened during his military service in the US. Army.

His unique approach has led to the successful conception, design, installation and performance compliance testing of numerous large-scale, highly technical and challenging EMI/RFI shielding projects throughout United States, Canada, and Mexico, including a comprehensive range of DC and Quasi-DC mitigation projects.

Davidson Scott, Senior iEMI / EMP Consultant

Davidson is an experienced electromagnetics engineering professional and program manager with over 30+ years of experience. Davidson has served as the EMF Engineer of record on dozens of public and private sector nanotechnology laboratory projects, semi-fab/industrial facilities, Medical Research and Commercial buildings throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Davidson provides unique perspective and experience to projects achieving high-performance, low EMI environments, assuring that current and next-generation research, diagnostic, and fabrication tools can be integrated into new and existing facilities. Davidson is experienced in the assessment and remediation of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from a wide-spectrum of sources; Geomagnetic/DC, Power Infrastructure, and Radio Frequency. He is adapt in finding unique solutions to EMI problems in urban and dense footprint facilities, as well as solutions for niche areas such as implanted medical devices, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) mitigation.

  • P.E. – CA, VA, MD, NC, FL, NY, MA, IL.
  • BSEE – Virginia Military Institute
  • MSSE – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Bill Petre, CAD Coordinator – EMF Technician

Bill Petre joined FMS in 2014 and is an experienced CAD Technician with 10+ years of experience who is fully proficient in AutoCAD, Revit, BIM, Inventor, and many other 2D & 3D electronic drafting platforms.

Bill is accomplished in Electrical, Mechanical, and Architectural design and construction and is adept at adjusting his work pace to meet evolving client needs. Bill is proficient in 2D & 3D magnetic field simulation and modeling and has helped develop a more streamlined and efficient approach to FMS’ 3D-BIM modeling analysis program.

  • Auto Desk Certified
Janey Place, PhD Systems Theory, Business and Technology Consultant

Dr. Place brings 25 years of executive management to FMS.  Her educational background in systems theory contributes to FMS’ creative approach to complex problems, as does her 15 years of leading innovation at major corporations and 12 years consulting for financial services and technology companies.

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. Dr. Place has served on public and privately held boards for companies in technology, financial services and private equity.

Jack Sahl, PhD – Corporate Health and Safety Consultant

Dr. Sahl headed Southern California Edison’s Corporate Environment, Health & Safety department and was responsible for all aspects of worker safety and environmental policy and programs for the company’s 50,000 square mile Service Area and a work force of 15,500.   This included performing necessary environmental studies to support the CEQA EIR application for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution capital projects.

A former research scientist and founder of a consulting company, Jack has 35 published scientific reports (including reference work on issues related to EMF and Human Health) and has worked in Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan to help develop standards for exposure.

  • BS – Chemistry – University of La Verne
  • MS – Env. Health- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • Ph.D. – Epidemiology – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
John McAuley, MSEE, Senior EMC Consultant

John 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
Salvador Sarabia, Construction Superintendent

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 DC, Quasi-DC and AC magnetic field mitigation systems as well as Radio Frequency (RF) shielding projects throughout the United States and abroad, including substantial projects in the Far East and Europe.

Working with alongside FMS engineers in an advanced 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, overall costs, and effectively limit the impact of shielding installation to ongoing operations.

Recent Projects

UCI – IMRI

FMS as the EMF/EMI Consultant designed and installed the passive and active mitigation systems for this newly established interdisciplinary organization under the Office of Research of the University of California Irvine (UCI) to house state of the art electron-microscope labs (4 imaging cells). The project required analysis of interference potential of all internal and external emission sources, which included vehicle and facility elevators (DC), broadband electrical system (AC) sources, etc.

Harvard LISE

FMS was engaged as the project’s EMI Consultant by the project architect (Wilson Architects) to conduct an electromagnetic field (EMF) analysis in an existing laboratory (shell space) located in the basement level of the Harvard CNS facility.

CURE

Seattle Children’s Research Institute is currently in the construction phase of ”Building Cure”, a 540,000 square foot research building, which will be dedicated to developing therapies for children with diseases such as Cancer, Type 1 Diabetes and Sickle Cell Anemia.

Un. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Electrical and Computer Engineering Bldg.

FMS was engaged to conduct a thorough assessment of the building’s design for EMI interference threat concerns to sensitive research equipment. A document review and extensive 3-Dimension computer simulation studies were conducted to evaluate EMF emissions from the building’s electrical distribution, mechanical and other systems.

FMS EXPERIENCE

Over its 20 years, FMS has successfully completed hundreds of EMI projects which included a diverse range of consulting and mitigation services.

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