• Posted: March 1, 2021
• better careers, Press Release

March 1, 2021 (Chicago, IL) – Powering Chicago, the labor-management partnership between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago and Cook County (ECA), announced today that Elbert Walters III will be assuming the role of executive director. This change comes as Powering Chicago’s current executive director and longtime industry leader, John Donahue, is stepping into a consulting role with the organization.

Walters is no stranger to the labor-management partnership that Powering Chicago is built upon, making him the quintessential choice for this role. He began his career in the trades as an electrical apprentice within the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute before becoming a journeyman electrician with IBEW Local 134. Walters earned the coveted Apprentice of the Year award during his final year at the institute.

Throughout his career, he worked for companies across metropolitan Chicago, including Meade Electric, Divane Brothers Electric, and MZI Group, Inc. Serving as the director of Powering Chicago since February 2020, Walters brings more than 20 years of industry experience to promote the unionized electrical industry in the Chicago region. A former business representative for IBEW Local 134 and longstanding member of the union, Walters brings a deep understanding of the unionized electrical industry’s commitment to better construction, better careers, and better communities.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to expand my role with Powering Chicago and look forward to working with IBEW Local 134 and the ECA to continue the progress that my predecessor John Donahue started,” said Elbert Walters III, executive director of Powering Chicago. 

In IBEW Local 134, Walters is a Commander and Adjutant for the American Legion Electrical Post 769 and a board member of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus.

About Powering Chicago

Bringing together the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 electricians and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) of the City of Chicago, Powering Chicago is an electrical industry labor-management partnership that invests in consistently better construction, better careers and better communities within the metro Chicago region. Employing the latest technology, its members are elevating industry performance through their commitment to safety, level of experience and reliability, while also investing in the future of skilled labor through an innovative apprenticeship program that is paving the way for the next generation of skilled electricians. For additional information, visit poweringchicago.com.