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NECA Academy of Electrical Contracting Nominee
ECA Congratulates Ken Bauwens!
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The Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA is proud to announce that Ken Bauwens, Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors, Inc. has been confirmed for induction as a Fellow into the NECA Academy of Electrical Contracting. The Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 5, 2026 during the NECA Convention in Las Vegas, NV.
Congratulations, Ken!
Academy Background:
The Academy of Electrical Contracting honors outstanding leaders in the electrical contracting industry, and it preserves and utilizes their wealth of experience and knowledge for the benefit of the industry. The Academy of Electrical Contracting was established in Philadelphia On October 11, 1968. On that date, the Board of Governors of the National Electrical Contractors Association authorized the addition of Article XI to the NECA Bylaws, thus establishing the Academy to recognize exceptional and outstanding service to the electrical contracting industry. Fellows of the Academy have rendered exceptional service to the industry and the National Electrical Contractors Association and that service is continued and enhanced through their fellowship in the Academy. This is accomplished through the Academy’s Working Group, special papers presented by Fellows, participation in the Annual Meeting and the general camaraderie among Fellows.
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ECA 54th Annual Spring Conference
June 3 - 4, 2026
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The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) held its 54th Annual Spring Conference on June 3 - 4, 2026 at the Abbey Resort & Avani Spa in Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, WI. Nearly 100 individuals registered for the Conference and 78 of those participants were able to experience a beautiful day at the Abbey Springs Golf Course with the Membership Golf Outing.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
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"AI in Electrical Construction" - 3rd Session! -
June 11, 2026
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The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Research and Education Committee was proud to sponsor the "AI in Electrical Construction" seminar on Thursday, June 11, 2026 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Maggiano's Banquets in Oak Brook, IL. The session was facilitated by Carl Britton, Iron Thread Consulting. This was the third session.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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National Latino Education Institute’s (NLEI’s)
54th Annual Fundraiser & Awards Event
June 9, 2026 -- University Club
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Powering Chicago was a Gold Sponsor of the National Latino Education Institute’s (NLEI’s) 54th Annual Fundraiser & Awards Event that was held on June 9, 2026 at the University Club in Chicago. ECA member firms: Rocha Electric Company and Staylitt Electric, LLC were acknowledged during the program. Rebeca and Alberto Rocha, Rocha Electric Company received the NEIL’s “Emerging Leader” Award. Each spoke at the session. Edgar Alsonso, Shop Manager for Staylitt Electric, LLC, spoke as an Alumni of the NLEI educational program. Chris and Kristina Garza, Staylitt Electric, LLC were on hand, as well.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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2026 NECA Project Excellence Awards
Applications Now Open!
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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.
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NECA 2026 Future Leaders Conference
June 15 - 17, 2026
The NECA Future Leaders Conference was held on June 15 – 17, 2026 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. The Chicago Chapter attendees were able to participate with a Pre-Fab Tour at Lighthouse Electric, presentations from Economist for NECA and Electrical Contractor Magazine, numerous presenters / expert speakers. The Western Pennsylvania Chapter, NECA also sponsored a special reception at Acrisure Stadium (the official home of Pittsburgh Steelers games, University of Pittsburgh Panthers Football games, WPIAL Championships, and legendary concerts).
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
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Special Olympics Construction Team Picnic
July 25, 2026
ECA member, McWilliams Electric Company, Inc. has been in charge of coordinating all of the activities for the Special Olympics Construction Team picnic each year since 2007. McWilliams not only works on getting monetary donations from our industry partners and friends (which is generally in excess of $20,000 each year) but they also coordinate volunteers to help. They need volunteers the day of the picnic to set up, to run games for the attendees, to cook and serve lunch and to help with clean up. Please click the link below for the information for this year’s Special Olympics Construction Team Picnic which is being held on Saturday, July 25th starting at 10:00 am at the IBEW NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) in Alsip, IL. Please let McWilliams know If you are able to volunteer at this year’s picnic!
CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER / DONATE / CONTRIBUTE!
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Electric Association Centennial Celebration
August 13, 2026
Join the Electric Association (EA) on Thursday, August 13, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm on the Spirit of Chicago at Navy Pier! Celebrate a century of power, progress, and partnership. The Electrical Association’s Centennial Celebration will honor 100 years of innovation and impact in Chicago’s electrical industry. This is more than just a milestone—it’s a chance to celebrate the accomplishments, relationships, and people who have shaped our industry and will continue to drive it forward for the next 100 years. Reconnect with colleagues, make new connections, and share the experience—spouses and guests are encouraged to attend! Dress attire is festive and formal.
REGISTER NOW!
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ECA Young Professionals 8th Annual Leadership Conference
Thursday, August 20, 2026 - Friday, August 21, 2026
Registration is open for the ECA Young Professionals 8th Annual Leadership Conference! You won't want to miss this event! The Conference is being held at the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel - Milwaukee, WI
Kimpton Journeyman Hotel 310 E Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The tentative schedule is as follows:
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Rehlko Facility Tour
12:00 PM Departure from Kimpton Journeyman Hotel
1:00– 2:30 PM Tour
3:30 PM Return to Hotel
Join us on a faculty tour that will include an educational session that will cover a high-level view of Rehlko as a business, including their history, product offerings, the different spaces they work in, and future outlook.
3:00 PM Guaranteed Hotel Check-in Time
6:00 – 10:00 PM Reception & Dinner
Friday, August 21, 2026
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00-10:00 AM Shane Yount – Chairman, Competitive Solutions, Inc – Process Based Leadership
10:00-11:00 AM Jessica Cardenas – ELECTRI International update and overview
11:00 AM -12:00 PM Carl Britton – Iron Thread Consulting – AI for Project Managers
12:00-12:45 PM Hotel Check-out/Lunch Break
12:45-4:00 PM Continued: Carl Britton – Iron Thread Consulting – AI for Project Managers
When registering, please indicate if you're staying at the hotel, as well as indicate if you're participating in the Rehlko Tour. Registration ends on July 14, 2026. However, please contact Taylor Kershaw at the ECA office to check on availability. Tkershaw@ecachicago.com (618) 975-0833.
We look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
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NECA Convention Registration is Open!
Mandalay Bay - Las Vegas - October 4 - 7, 2026
Celebrate 125 Years of NECA!
The NECA Convention & Trade Show is coming to Las Vegas!
Visit www.necaconvention.org for more details and to register.
Convention Stipend
The ECA Executive Committee approved the stipend of the Registration Fee for up to two representatives and their guests from each ECA member firm that registers for the Convention. The registrations will be reimbursed to the applicable companies after the Convention.
Registration
Registration is open; please visit www.necaconvention.org to register for the NECA Convention/Accommodations. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is located at 3950 South Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV. The regular "in-person" NECA Convention registration fee is $2,300 per NECA member, and $1,460 for the member’s spouse / guest. However, those who register early (cut-off dated August 12) will receive the “early bird” price of $1,925 for members and $1,240 for the member’s spouse / guest.
The Chicago Chapter Hotel is the Four Seasons Mandalay Bay.
Chicago Chapter Events
For those Chapter members that attend the NECA Convention, the Chicago and Cook County Chapter functions are listed below.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
“Welcome to Las Vegas” Event
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Reception (cocktails and heavy hors de oeuvres)
Four Seasons Mandalay Bay
Upper Deck-Pool area
Monday, October 5, 2026
Chapter Reception / Dinner
7:00 pm start: Reception / Dinner
House of Blues Mandalay Bay
Vinyl Room Lower Lounge and Terrace
Wednesday October 7, 2026
Pre-Closing Event Reception
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Reception (cocktails and heavy hors de oeuvres)
Four Seasons Mandalay Bay
Fountain Terrace
After you have registered, please e-mail a copy of your completed registration transaction to the Association office at registration@ecachicago.com. This will allow us to have a record of your registration information, should you need any assistance after registering.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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ECA Educational and Conference Stipends for 2026
The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Executive Committee has approved a number of educational stipends for many special programs / conferences throughout 2026. All stipends / reimbursements are made after each conference with registration confirmation(s) and applicable receipts forwarded to ECA.
CLICK HERE FOR LISTING
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ECA Educational Programming for 2026
The 2026 Education Programming Schedule is confirmed for 2026. Please click the link below for a full listing with links for registration!
CLICK HERE FOR LISTING
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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!
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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!
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