• Posted: March 17, 2026
• better careers, better communities, better construction, Black Business Owner, Black Contractors, Black Leadership, Electrical Contractors' Association of Chicago and Cook County, IBEW Local 134, Leadership

 

Kendra Dinkins is making history just in time for Black History Month and Women’s History Month. 

Dinkins, president and CEO of Taylor Electric Company, was recently elected president of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago and Cook County (ECA) — making her the organization’s first female president in its history. She is also the first Black president of the ECA, period.

A Journey Rooted in Family and Resilience

Dinkins didn’t arrive in the electrical construction industry through a traditional path. Her degree is in biology, and she spent nearly two decades as an educator. In 2007, her father asked her to step in and help manage the books at Taylor Electric, a company founded by her great-grandfather in 1922 that has remained 100% family-owned and operated across four generations.

“I started as a bookkeeper,” Dinkins said. “Then the 2008 recession hit, and I just started picking up more and more tasks.”

By 2013, her cousin Martha was ready to retire. After two years of planning, Dinkins and her sister completed a buyout and, in 2015, Dinkins became president and CEO of Taylor Electric. Navigating the company through an economic pivot away from residential work and into healthcare and education construction proved manageable, in large part, thanks to the support of fellow ECA member contractors.

“We weren’t able to do without our ECA partners who really partnered with us and got us into the healthcare space,” she said, naming contractors like Jamerson & Bauwens, Connelly Electric, and Gurtz Electric as key collaborators. “That’s why it’s just really exciting for me to be able to serve the industry that’s really helped us out.”

A Decade in the Making

Dinkins’ path to the ECA presidency was anything but sudden. She has served on the ECA board for ten years, chaired the Research and Education Committee, contributed to the development of the Chicago Electrical Code, and served as vice president for three years before assuming the presidency. Former ECA President Bob Fimbianti, now serving as the board’s governor, played a key role in preparing her for the transition.

Dinkins said of the organization’s ongoing contract negotiations with IBEW Local 134, “The [ECA leadership] team needed to be prepared. I needed to be very much prepared for that. And the ECA made sure I put in the work and earned this position.”

Her term as president is expected to run through 2029, after which she will transition to the governor role, representing Chicago and Cook County electrical contractors to the rest of the country through the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

What This Moment Means

As ECA Chicago’s first Black and first female president, Dinkins is candid about the weight of the milestone and the complicated emotions that come with it.

“It’s a real joyous occasion because we’re still breaking barriers,” she said. “It’s sometimes a little frustrating because it’s 2026 and we’re still just breaking barriers. But I think the ECA recognizes that they work very hard to make sure all contractors are treated equally.”

Her priorities as president center on expanding access and representation. For instance, she wants to focus on recruiting from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), engaging underrepresented communities, and championing groups like Women in NECA. She also wants to amplify opportunities for small contractors, ensuring ECA policies support businesses of every size.

“I want to be able to represent some of the smaller contractors and make sure that they have a voice,” she said.

A Message to the Next Generation

For young people, especially young Black women and men, who may wonder whether there’s a place for them in the electrical construction industry, Dinkins has a direct answer.

“There is absolutely a place here, and they belong here,” she said. “There are billions of dollars at play in this industry, and we are in such need of people. Not just electricians — project managers, engineers, owners. There are so many different ways to get in.”

She points to the IBEW Local 134 apprenticeship program as a particularly compelling entry point. The program provides an opportunity for five years of paid, on-the-job training, no student debt, and wages that exceed what most college graduates earn upon entering the workforce.

“The sky’s the limit,” she said. “You don’t have to stop at electrician. You can be an estimator, a project manager, an owner, an inspector.”

And for those who follow her into leadership?

“I’ve had tough skin growing up, being around this industry my whole life,” Dinkins said. “I’ll gladly be the infantry because we’ve got some great cavalry coming down the line. I’m just the beginning. So just watch out, everybody. We’re coming.”

Ready to write your own story in the electrical construction industry? Explore the careers and training resources available through Powering Chicago and IBEW Local 134, and discover why there’s never been a better time to join the trades.