As part of our new online personality profile series, it’s time to get up close and personal with the fearless leader of EC&M magazine. The Editor-in-Chief of EC&M since 1999, Mike Eby has continued the tradition of editorial excellence and integrity on the magazine, joining the ranks of other electrical industry icons before him. Under his editorial direction and leadership, the magazine has been honored with hundreds of regional and national editorial awards for reporting and writing in the electrical market as well as reached unprecedented website (ecmweb.com) growth with more than 1 million page views per month for the last year. Read Mike’s full bio for more details on his background, and get ready to learn some fun facts about the man behind the magazine.
#1: Favorite Vacation Destination
The beach. Any beach. It doesn’t matter what state, country or continent I’m on, I love the beach (see photo). If I had to pick a favorite from the ones that I’ve visited then I would choose one of several on St. Maarten.
#2: Favorite TV Show
Seinfeld — hands down. The characters on this show were so unique, and the story lines were absolutely crazy. I’ve probably watched each episode at least half a dozen times over the years, and they still crack me up.
#3: Favorite Band/Song
I’m a big fan of Coldplay. Chris Martin has a great voice, and he sounds just as good live as he does on a studio recording. My four favorite songs by this group are The Scientist, Fix You, Yellow, and Paradise (in no particular order).
#4: Favorite Food
Chicken parmesan — and no one makes it better than my wife. Her eggplant parmesan comes in at a very close second.
#5: Favorite Sport
Football! I’ve been a Washington Redskins fan since I was a little boy (notice jersey in photo below). My favorite player when I was a kid was running back Larry Brown. He was a fearless runner and was named the league’s most valuable player in ’72-’73. Although I’m still a diehard fan, it’s been tough to watch them play in recent years. However, I get my kicks these days by playing Fantasy Football. I’ve run my own league now for about 15 years (The Top Twelve Trash Talkers). It’s a blast.
Click "next" to see 5 More Things About Mike Eby.
#6: Favorite Animal
It would have to be a dog. My wife and I have had two dogs in the last 30 years — both were Maltese. Teddy was a member of the family for nearly 13 years. After he passed away, we took a break for a year before bringing Kacey (see photo) into the family. We enjoyed his companionship for nearly 18 years before losing him this past month. Dogs are wonderful animals.
#7: Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Dessert! I rarely eat lunch or dinner without finishing my meal off with a sweet treat. My friends and family members despise the fact that I can still eat whatever I want and not gain weight. My wife really dislikes the fact that I still weigh the same as what I did back when we first got married 33 years ago!
#8: First Job
I guess my first real (almost) full-time job was working in the kitchen of a private hospital. I’m too old to recall what my real job title was back then, but I was responsible for washing dishes, mopping floors, and stocking the shelves. I started work when I was 15 and held this same job through the end of high school. One of the perks of this job was that I got to eat a ton of food whenever I wanted to. But the best perk of this job was working alongside a very special girl, who just so happened to agree to be my wife.
#9: Hardest Job
I think the hardest job I ever had was working as a door-to-door flyer delivery person. Believe it or not, I did this as a part-time job in the summer when I was 12 years old. And I did this in the hot South Florida sun for hours at a time. My boss made me run from house to house to help spread the word on his carpet cleaning business. My reward at the end of the shift was a piece of candy and a Slurpee from 7-Eleven.
#10: Occupation if You Weren’t An Editor
I’ve always loved working with my hands. When I was a kid I used to always take things apart and put them back together. I also loved to build things. When I graduated from high school, I thought about training to become an aircraft mechanic, but went to college instead. Over the last 20 years I’ve become a passionate home remodeler (see photo). I sometimes wonder if I missed my calling to be a building contractor.
