Elbert Walters III is the Executive Director of Powering Chicago, an electrical industry labor-management partnership between IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago that invests in consistently better construction, better careers and better communities within the metro Chicago region. Employing the latest technology, Powering Chicago's 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, five-year apprenticeship program.

A former business representative for IBEW Local 134, Walters leads Powering Chicago's 100+ philanthropic and community impact initiatives each year and plays a key role in its daily operations. Walters is a member of the steering committee for the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation, and was recently appointed an advisory committee member for the City’s new “Building Energy Resource Hub”,  recently launched by the Illinois Green Alliance.   

Before his appointment to Powering Chicago, Walters served as a business representative at IBEW Local 134, where he worked with colleagues to represent the interests of more than 13,000 electricians in metro Chicago. Walters began his career in the trades as an electrical apprentice at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute, where he received the Apprentice of the Year award during his final year in the program before becoming a journeyman electrician.