LiveWire
 SEPTEMBER 2020
Upcoming Events

We hope that you will be able to attend these events: 

September 9, 2020
ECA Regular
Membership Meeting
"VIRTUAL" Session
Kelly Richmond Pope,
PhD., CPA
"White Collar" Crime Issues



September 16, 2020
"The Future of Work in Construction"
Visit Chicago Building Congress (CBC) website for REGISTRATION.



September 16 - 17, 2020
"Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction" Workshop
Drake Oak Brook Hotel,
Oak Brook, IL
SESSION IS FULL!



September 24, 2020
Joint Safety Forum
"Excavation Hazards in Construction"
Local 701 IBEW Hall


October 5 - 8, 2020
NECA Live 2020
NECA's Virtual Convention & Tradeshow

Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago

--

Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA


Phone:  (708) 531-0022
Fax:  (708) 531-0071
  

Please review this month's LiveWire newsletter.  We hope you enjoy the local and national industry updates.  As a reminder, we also invite to join us on Facebook and LinkedIn!  
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ECA September Membership Meeting 

Please join us for our September evening Membership Meeting! The program will now be a VIRTUAL session and will feature industry updates, and guest presentation / keynote address from Kelly Richmond Pope, Ph.D., CPA on "White Collar" Crime, Fraud & Internal Control Issues."
 
The event is scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, September 9, 2020
1:00 pm - Business Session / Keynote Address
2:30 pm - Event Concludes
 

Pictured above is Kelly Richmond Pope, Ph.D., CPA
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ECA Member on Recent CIP Industrial Summit Panel Discussion

ECA member, Robert Fimbianti, Linear Electric, Inc. was a panelist for the 17th Annual CIP Industrial Summit, which was held on Thursday, August 27, 2020.  Chicago Industrial Properties and Digital Crossroad Data Center partnered to bring about the in-person and virtual Conference.  The program was held at the Digital Crossroad Data Center in Chicago.  Powering Chicago was also a sponsor.  Bob was a panelist for the "Segmented Solutions in Industrial Real Estate" portion of the program.  Topics discussed, included:  "What are current, future trends in Management, Leasing, Design & Construction in Industrial Real Estate? and "What emerging technologies are impacting today's industrial market segment?"  Congratulations, Bob on representing the industry at the Conference!

Pictured above are the panelists.  
Robert Fimbianti, Linear Electric, Inc. is on the rightside of the bottom row.
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"Strategic Planning Basics:  Where are We Now & Where are We Headed?"
--MEP Program - August 27, 2020 

The ECA in conjunction with a number of industry area trade associations,  presented a webinar called, "Strategic Planning Basics: Where are We Now & Where are We Headed?" The session was scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2020. The webinar was met with a good response.  

Nicole Bettinger. a consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group discussed numerous aspects of strategic planning including the following:  the basics of strategy, including its purpose in business and how it relates to an organization's values, vision and mission.  The attendees were given a number of takeaways / objectives to follow:  Have a solid foundational understanding of the role and importance of strategy, including the advantages of regular strategic planning; a clear pathway to evaluating their business' values, vision and mission; developing a toolkit to identify the current state of their organization and being able to assess alignment between their values, vision and mission with their strategy to ensure everything and everyone is working towards the same goal.

We thank Ms. Bettinger and the MEP groups that coordinated the session.
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"Renewable Energy for Electrical Contractors" 
--IBEW REF Program - August 28 -29, 2020 

The Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund (IBEW REF), which has received funding for renewable energy training throughout Illinois, was pleased to present a complimentary two-day training program regarding work in the solar industry in Illinois. The coursework was developed to inform the union electrical contractor to become an effective union solar contractor.  
 
The "Renewable Energy for Electrical Contractors" training was presented on August 28 - 29, 2020 at INTECH by Harry Ohde, Executive Director, Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund and Robert Hattier, Master Trainer, Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund.
 
A number of Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) members were able to participate with this most informative program.  We thank Harry and Bob for their presentation.
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ECA Education Schedule
--Remainder of 2020
 
As you are aware, the ECA Research and Education Committee has revised its Education Schedule for the remainder of 2020.  We hope that you will register for the following sessions. 

WED., OCTOBER 21, 2020
"Succession Planning" 
Presented by Craig Bodette, Mosley, Pfundt & Glick, Inc.
8:00 am - 12:00 pm

WED., NOVEMBER 18, 2020
"The Top Habits of High-Performing Foremen" 
Presented by Dr. Awad Hanna, University of Wisconsin-Madison
8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Please visit the  ECA website at:  www.ecachicago.com to register.
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Virtual Meeting with Congressman Brad Schneider,10th Congressional District 

On August 31, 2020, a number of ECA members participated with a virtual session with Congressman Brad Schneider, 10th Congressional District. The Zoom call was coordinated through the efforts of NECA Government Affairs, the Northeastern Illinois Chapter, NECA, as well as the ECA Legislative Committee.

Matt Beaudet Appointed Commissioner, City of Chicago Department of Buildings 

As of this writing, it is anticipated that the City of Chicago City Council will confirm the appointment of Mr Matt Beaudet as the new Commissioner of the City of Chicago Department of Buildings on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.  The Association welcomes Mr. Beaudet as Commissioner, as well as the appointment of Ms. Marlene Hopkins as the First Deputy Commissioner.  

Listed below is a brief excerpts from a recent City of Chicago Press Release:

"Since 2011, Beaudet has served as DOB's First Deputy Commissioner, managing the day-to-day operations of the nation's third-largest local buildings department. In this role, Beaudet has modernized the City's building code and led a number of process innovations over the years to increase productivity and accountability at every level of the Department.
Serving as DOB's Managing Deputy Commissioner since 2007, Hopkins has been responsible for managing and directing Mayoral Initiatives and projects initiated by the Commissioner. From ensuring buildings provided heat during Chicago's 2019 polar vortex to working with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to remove dangerous and vacant buildings from communities across the city, Hopkins has dedicated her career to building safer and stronger neighborhoods."
ECA 2020 Convention &Trade Show - 
VIRTUAL Event  - October 5 - 8, 2020
 
As you are aware, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) announced the 2020 Convention and Trade Show will take place entirely online October 5 - 8, 2020 featuring brand-new virtual experiences. This virtual event will maintain its traditional dynamic speakers and educational opportunities, but has been adjusted to meet the evolving requirements demanded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONVENTION OPPORTUNITIES
  • This is a chance to register your employees that have not had the opportunity to attend the NECA Convention in past years. By tuning in virtually, you will be able to take advantage of the education, entertainment, networking and everything the NECA Convention has to offer. Plus, all educational sessions will be available to you, on-demand, at no extra cost for 30 days after NECA 2020 LIVE. 
  • As a REMINDER, the first ten individual's registrations from ECA member firms are covered by the Chapter. For ease of processing our member registrations, please register for NECA 2020 Live through the link below from the ECA. However, the ECA will invoice your firm ($200 per individual) for any registrants above the initial ten.

HERE'S HOW TO REGISTER

Please register for NECA 2020 Live through the link below from the ECA website.
  • Once you've clicked the link below, download the Spreadsheet.
  • Please fill out the Registration spreadsheet. You can add multiple attendees.
  • Each section must be filled in. Most of the sections are drop-down for ease of use.
  • If you do not know the registrant's NECA Individual ID Number, the Chapter will include.
  • Please e-mail the completed spreadsheet to: [email protected], as soon as possible!
  • The Chapter will forward your registrations to NECA.
 
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Safety Update
--CSC August Schedule
 
For a listing of coursework available through the Construction Safety Council (CSC) for the month of August, please click on the link:   www.buildsafe.org.

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Safety Forum
--September 24, 2020
 
As a reminder, the Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) / Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA and the Northeastern Illinois Chapter, NECA are proud to present the next Safety Forum featuring the seminar, "Excavation Hazards in Construction."
 
"Excavation Hazards in Construction" is a FREE 4-hour safety training program designed to educate workers about the risks and liabilities associated with trench-related work. Participants will learn to identify potential hazards and avoid unsafe conditions when operating in and near an excavation site. The session is to be conducted by Construction Safety Council instructor(s).
 
Training topics include:
·    OSHA trenching and excavation safety standards 
    (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P)
·    Definition and responsibilities of a Competent Person
·    Material and equipment inspections
·    Installation and removal of shoring systems
·    Soil testing in the field
 
The program is scheduled as follows:
 
DATE:
Thursday, September 24, 2020
 
TIME:
7:30 am - 11:30 am
 
LOCATION:
IBEW Local 701 Hall
Main Auditorium
28600 Bella Vista Parkway - Suite 1000
Warrenville, IL 60555
 
COST:
The program is complimentary for Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA members and Northeastern Illinois Chapter, NECA members.
 
To register, you need to use the Comp Code: 
NECA MEMBER (NECA MEMBER is all uppercase).
 
We do hope that you will be able to attend the Safety Forum!
 
You can register on-line at the ECA website at: www.ecachicago.com.

Applications Coming Soon for Scholarships / 
Top Projects

The Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) will soon be launching two long-standing programs - The Annual Scholarship Awards, as well as its Project of the Year Award. In early September, applications for both programs will be available via the web - www.cisco.org. There are three different scholarship program categories: 1) Four-year college scholarships for high school seniors; 2) Two-year awards for seniors planning on attending a community college; and 3) Two-year continuing education awards to union members or contractor employees. Project of the Year submissions are available in six categories that include new construction, renovation, residential, and infrastructure projects. For more information, call CISCO at:  (630) 472-9411.

Industry Statistics

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