LiveWire - November 2025

Industry Events

ECA Regular Membership Meeting
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) held its October Membership Meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) in Alsip, IL. The luncheon program featured industry updates, and a guest presentation from Mr. Don Finn, Local 134 IBEW Business Manager. This session was open to all signatory contractors. There were nearly 100 registrants who took the opportunity to meet and network with their peers in the industry.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

March of Dimes 2025 Construction & Transportation Awards Program

31st Anniversary event - October 3, 2025

Palmer House Hilton in Chicago

The March of Dimes 2025 Construction & Transportation Awards Luncheon that was held on Friday, October 3, 2025 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago was the 31^st Anniversary of this unique event. Powering Chicago and ECA member, John Burns were among the sponsors of this special program. Best of luck to the continued success of the March of Dimes efforts!

Congratulations, to all the awardees!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Hard Hats for Heart 2025
October 9, 2025
Crust Brewing - Rosemont, IL

The Hard Hats with Heart annual fundraising event was held on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at Crust Brewing in Rosemont, IL. Hard Hats with Heart is an initiative through the American Heart Association aimed to increase the construction industry's heart health awareness & to improve overall well-being of those in the industry's work force. The event included networking, as well as opportunities for the guests to learn more on integrating health & wellness into the culture of the construction industry. The 2025 Program Chairs: Kevin Connelly, CEO Connelly Electric, Inc. and Charlie Cloutier Project Vice President, Planning & Construction Northwestern Medicine, were on hand to welcome the guests and facilitate the evening’s activities. We wish the best of luck to the American Heart Association on its continued efforts.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Upcoming Events

ECA Membership Meeting
BREAKFAST SESSION

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Please join us for the upcoming ECA Regular Membership Meeting.

This BREAKFAST event is scheduled as follows:

ECA Membership Meeting

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Gibsons Steakhouse

2105 Spring Road

Oak Brook, IL 60523

(630) 954-0000

8:00 am: Registration / Networking

8:30 am: Breakfast / Business Session / Guest Speaker

10:00 am: Event Concludes

This program will feature industry updates and a guest presentation by Shane Yount, President and CEO of Competitive Solutions, Inc. (CSI).

Shane Yount is a leading expert in business transformation, executive coaching, and leadership development with nearly three decades of experience. As the President and CEO of Competitive Solutions, Inc. (CSI), Shane has pioneered innovative approaches to organizational effectiveness and process-based leadership. He looks forward to presenting, “Beyond IQ and EQ – Discovering the Superpower of PQ (Process Intelligence) in High Functioning Leaders.”

We do hope that you'll join us for this opportunity to meet and network with your peers in the industry!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Midwestern Region Conference
March 10 - 13, 2026

Join us in paradise for NECA's Midwestern Region Conference at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii on March 10 -13, 2026. This unforgettable event is your chance to network with industry leaders, learn from top experts, and gain insights from inspiring speakers—all while enjoying the beauty of Hawaii!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Education

"Project Planning for Small Projects"

Thursday, October 23, 2025

The ECA Research and Education Committee was proud to sponsor the "Project Planning for Small Projects" seminar that was held Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 8:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Hyatt Lodge Hotel - 2815 Jorie Blvd., Oak Brook, IL. The session had over 30 registrants!

Mark, Federle, Marquette University - Facilitator

Program description:

Successful execution of all projects, regardless of size, requires proper planning to ensure project profitability. There are a variety of tools and techniques that contractors of all sizes can use to successfully plan their projects. This course will review common forms of schedules, the impact of schedule changes and how to use the schedule to manage the project.

Following this course, participants will be able to:

Identify scheduling best practices
Create and differentiate between several different types of project schedules
Discuss the relationship between the schedule and project management
Discuss the importance of preplanning
Identify planning strategies to improve productivity
Identify activities at each phase of the construction process to preplan

We thank Mark Federle for his time with the program.

"Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction /

Calculating Shop Burden"

Monday, October 27, 2025 - Wednesday, October 29, 2025

The ECA Research and Education Committee was proud to sponsor the "Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction & Calculating Shop Burden" program. It was held on October 27 - 29, 2025 at INTECH in Alsip, IL. Presenters: Michael Bill, NECA Estimating Training Faculty Member - (Adv. Estimating) and Walead Atiyeh, NECA Training Faculty Member / Consultant -(Shop Burden). 25 were registered for the program.

We thank Michael and Walead for their expertise with the workshops.

"Increasing Engagement, Retention,
and Development for Employees"
Thursday, November 13, 2025

The ECA Research and Education Committee is proud to sponsor the "Increasing Engagement, Retention, and Development for Employees" seminar being held on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at Maggiano's Banquets, 240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL in the Barbarossa Room from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm.

Stephane McShane, Maxim Consulting Group, will be the Facilitator.

Program description:

The workforce shortage is affecting both the revenue, and the margin, for the majority of contractors. The ability to hire, retain, engage, train, and develop employees increases the chances for them, and for the organization, to succeed. To accomplish this, specific processes and development paths must be created, implemented, and measured.

Following this course, participants will be able to:

Discuss the need for roles and responsibilities definition
Show the use of the role definition and time span needed to increase the percentage of “good” hires
Describe the employee collaboration using skill set matrix information
Outline the career path mapping process to create long term improvement and engagement
Discuss the link between performance management and incentive compensation

THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY FOR ECA MEMBERS!

Fee for the sessions is $100.00 per ECA member.

Only 11 spots remain!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

2025 ECA Research and Education Committee Update

The 2025 Education Programming Schedule is confirmed for 2025. Please click the link below for a full listing with links for registration!

CLICK HERE FOR LISTING

Culture of Collaboration Workshop

Transforming Our Industry Together: Introducing the DEI Program for ECA of Chicago

The ECA is continuing its exciting journey to shape our future with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at its core. As you're aware, we've partnered with Leadership Surge to bring a specially designed DEI program to the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) of Chicago, and you’re invited to be a part of this transformative experience.

Please use the scheduling form below to secure a date and register your companies for the live 2-hr DEI Training session:

Scheduling Form

The goal is to have each company choose their preferred training and capture their contact information and preferred training location.

Here’s what's in store for us:

Tailored Training Sessions: From senior leadership to our valued front-line employees, there’s something for everyone. Get ready to dive into interactive sessions that will empower us to lead and participate in a more inclusive workplace.

Engaging Learning Formats: Whether it's live workshops or on-the-go learning through a mobile app, this program offers flexible ways to engage with DEI principles. Plus, Toolbox Talks will bring DEI conversations right into our daily routines.

A United Effort: This isn't just training; it's a movement towards building a workplace where every voice is heard and every contribution valued. We're not just aiming for compliance; we're striving for commitment and change.

Program Intro