ECA Regular Membership Meeting
March 18, 2026

The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) held its March Regular Membership Meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Gibsons Steakhouse in Oak Brook, IL.

The program featured industry updates and a legislative focus by a number of presenters. The ECA welcomed Ryan McGuire, NECA Government Affairs Director, as he gave an update on national issues affecting contractors. The Chapter also had presentations by Chris Nybo, ECA State Lobbyist, Chris Nybo LLC and Daniel Flynn, Neil Flynn & Associates, IMSCA Administrator. Due to the fluid nature of the Illinois General Assembly, our state-level presenters offered a virtual legislative update of issues affecting union electrical construction in Illinois, including current Prevailing Wage concerns, Paid Leave issue, IMSCA Lobby Day events, among other pressing issues. 


CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

IMSCA Lobby Day

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

The Illinois Mechanical & Specialty Contractors Association (IMSCA) held its Lobby Day on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Springfield, Illinois. The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) is a member of IMSCA and along with the efforts of ECA State Lobbyist, Chris Nybo, was able to meet with numerous legislators to discuss issues impacting the electrical construction industry.  The IMSCA Lobby Day began with a luncheon program, followed by two guest speakers – Dave Sullivan, Raucci & Sullivan and Representative Dan Ugaste, and the IMSCA Board Meeting. The rest of the afternoon featured special sessions/meetings with legislators at the Capitol Building. IMSCA also sponsored an evening reception that was open to all legislators.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Leadership for the Field and Office"

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Research and Education Committee was pleased to have sponsored an all-day seminar called, "Leadership for the Field and Office." The session was conducted by Mark Federle, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the OPUS College of Engineering at Marquette University, and the program was held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. Over 20 registered for the seminar.

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"AI in Electrical Construction"

Thursday, April 2, 2026

The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Research and Education Committee was proud to have sponsored the "AI in Electrical Construction" seminar that was held on Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) in Alsip, IL. The session was facilitated by Carl Britton, Iron Thread Consulting. 26 registered for this dynamic program.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

2026 NECA Project Excellence Awards

Applications Now Open!

The NECA Project Excellence Awards recognize the most outstanding electrical construction projects completed by NECA contractors across 13 market sectors. Projects must have been completed in 2025 and may be submitted in one of 13 categories. You can submit multiple projects but only one project per category. 


Categories include:

Commercial/Institutional

Design-Build

Energy Solutions & Green Building

Health Care

Industrial

Transportation & Infrastructure

Electric Vehicle (EV)


Winners are honored on stage at NECA’s Annual Convention this October, placing your company in front of industry leaders, peers, and future partners!


Submission Deadline: July 13, 2026


CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

ECA Regular Membership Meeting 
Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Please join us for the ECA Regular Membership Meeting.

This luncheon event is scheduled as follows:

ECA Membership Meeting

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Maggiano's Little Italy

Antinori and Orvieto Rooms

111 W. Grand

Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 644-7700

Complimentary Valet Parking Available.

12:00 pm: Registration / Networking

12:30 pm: Lunch  

1:15 pm:  Business Session / Guest Speaker

2:30 pm: Concludes

This program will feature industry updates and a guest presentation by Marlene Hopkins, Commissioner, City of Chicago Department of Buildings.

Click below for Registration:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

NECA Emerge Conference

April 13 - 15, 2026

NECA EMERGE is back and registration is officially open! After a highly successful debut in 2024, NECA EMERGE returns April 13–15, 2026, in Atlanta, GA, marking the second time this groundbreaking conference will take place. Designed to happen every other year, EMERGE was created to address the evolving ways NECA contractors do business and the response to the inaugural event made one thing clear: this conference fills a critical need!

NECA EMERGE brings together multiple industry-favorite meetings into one power-packed, three-day experience.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS / REGISTRATION INFORMATION!

Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago - “Christmas in April”

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Powering Chicago is extending an invitation to you to partner with them in the annual Rebuild Together event. Christmas in April is a day of service that provides minor to moderate electrical repairs in communities that would otherwise go neglected. We are asking our partners to assist this year by providing service vans, trucks, and tools to help assist in making the 2026 campaign a successful Rebuilding Together. This year’s event is scheduled for April 25, 2026. There are two locations where industry representatives are donating their talents: Maywood for the suburban community and the Austin community of the City of Chicago.

Powering Chicago, again, requests your assistance in the donation of your time and resources to make this a truly successful event. This includes service vans equipped with battery tools, foot benders, and ladders. “Thank you” in advance of your help. A link to sign up for service vehicles is now available (below) / on the ECA website. If any questions, please contact Elbert Walters, III at: ewalters@poweringchicago.com for details on how you can help provide a positive impact.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

CLICK HERE for the Contractor Christmas in April Signup.

NECA 2026 Legislative Conference is Open for Registration!
May 4 - 6, 2026

The 2026 NECA Legislative Conference will be taking place on Monday, May 4, 2026 to Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC. This conference is the premier event for electrical contractors to hear about the top legislative issues affecting the industry and meet the leaders who are working to provide real solutions. Registration is officially open for the NECA Legislative Conference — the premier event for electrical contractors to hear directly about the legislative issues shaping our industry and to engage with the leaders working to deliver real solutions. Over three impactful days, attendees will participate in high-level interactions with policymakers at the highest levels of government, including members of Congress who will speak directly to conference participants. This conference allows NECA members to advocate on the issues that matter most to contractors!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

NECA Safety Professionals Conference  

May 18 – 20, 2026

In a rapidly evolving regulatory and risk landscape, safety leaders need more than updates, they need strategy. The 2026 NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) is designed exclusively for safety experts who are committed to strengthening their company’s safety culture, improving compliance, and driving measurable results in the field. If you’re ready to enhance your company’s safety standards and lead with confidence, NSPC is where you need to be on May 18-20 in Atlanta, GA!

CLICK THE LINK: Registration is open!

"Reasonable Suspicion / Sexual Harassment Prevention Training" Seminar -- April 23, 2026

The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Research and Education Committee is proud to sponsor the Reasonable Suspicion / Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Seminar on Thursday, April 23, 2026 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at Maggiano's Banquets, 240 Oakbrook Center - Barbarossa Room in Oak Brook, IL (630) 368-0300.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

DOCUMENT CRUNCH INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR 

May 12, 2026

NECA Chicago members have complimentary access to Document Crunch through the NECA/ELECTRI member benefit. This session will show you how to take advantage of this no-cost resource and put it to work for your team. Join Miah Veselinovic, Partnership Manager at Document Crunch supporting NECA and ELECTRI chapters, for a practical walkthrough of the platform and how contractors are using it in their daily workflow.

During this session, you will:

• See the platform in action through a live demonstration

• Learn how to quickly identify risks, key clauses, and critical requirements

• Understand how contractors use it to protect margins and avoid surprises

• Get step-by-step guidance on signing up and getting started

• Ask questions and connect with the Document Crunch support team

Whether you’re exploring the benefit for the first time or looking to use it more effectively, this session will help you get started with confidence — at no cost and no risk to your business.

We hope to see you there!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

CSC Update



For a listing of coursework available through the Construction Safety Council (CSC) for the month of January 2026, please visit www.buildsafe.org.

FREE Safety Training - 2026

CSC is offering a series of complimentary programs!

The Construction Safety Council (CSC) been awarded an OSHA grant to support local delivery of five high-demand training topics:



• Workzone Hazards
• Excavation Dangers
• Harmful Silica
• Fall Protection
• Electrical Safety

Each session includes four hours of in-person instruction, which requires a 4.5 timeline for delivery (e.g., 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.). This Awareness-Level training is available to employers and employees, locally or nationwide. Their trainers are subject matter experts, who will engage participants in interactive lectures, demonstrations, and discussions about construction workplace hazards and risk-prevention strategies.

The ECA is proud to join the CSC in sponsoring these training opportunities. Due to the availability of federal grant funding, all materials and instruction are available AT NO COST. The training is FREE OF CHARGE for all ECA members.



• OPEN ENROLLMENT courses hosted by CSC in Hillside, Illinois – 2026 training dates will be available at www.buildsafe.org after December 15.
• PRIVATE courses hosted by ECA members – at any time, on any day, at any location.

If any questions, please contact the CSC at: (708) 449-8604.



We hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to participate with these sessions!

Stay on top of monthly data for our industry: number of contractors active, quantity of people employed, and total hours worked.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW STATISTICS