About Scott Burns

Scott Burns was born and raised in North St. Louis County. Before entering the electrical trade, he served his country as an Electrician aboard U.S. Navy Submarines, a discipline that demands precision, accountability, and absolute trust in the crew around you.

A proud third-generation member, Scott has been part of the IBEW Local 1 Brotherhood for 30 years. During his time in the field he has served as Steward, Foreman, and General Foreman, roles that reflect both deep technical experience and a lasting commitment to the members beside him on the job.

Representing Local 1 as a Convention Delegate to the 41st IBEW Convention, Scott brings a lifetime of union values passed down through family, sharpened by military service, and proven across three decades in the trade.

About Bill Egan

Bill Egan first applied to the IBEW apprenticeship in 1992, right out of high school. He had to wait. His interview didn't come until December 1995, so in the meantime he earned a Business Administration degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. When the call finally came, he answered it. Bill began the Inside Apprenticeship on January 15, 1996, and was initiated into IBEW Local 1 in September 1996 as a third-generation member of the Brotherhood. He topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on February 18, 2000.

During his time in the field, Bill built a career as a Foreman, General Foreman, and Steward across some of the most demanding job sites in the region. He served as Steward on major NMA projects for GM, Chrysler, Ford, Anheuser-Busch, and Ameren, on and off, for more than two decades. A standout job early in his career was being part of the crew that built the Mr. Freeze roller coaster at Six Flags as an apprentice. For the past 25 years, he has concentrated on the new construction and remodeling of data centers across the area.

Bill has logged more than 20 steward appointments over his 30-year career and served as an Election Teller for IBEW Local 1 elections in 2005 and 2008. He is a current member of the Tri-County Labor Club and a former member of the North County Labor Club, and he has been an active voice for labor on ballot initiatives. Most recently he helped collect signatures to defeat Prop A and the Respect MO Voters initiative.

In His Own Words

"I'm a 3rd generation IBEW Local 1 member. Having the next generation of my family, step-daughter and cousins, entering this Brother and Sisterhood is important for them and myself. Going to the Convention is one step in helping ensure our future as a Local, and Organization of where we are heading for the rest of the 21st century and beyond!!"

About Brandon Foley

Brandon Foley grew up in a multigenerational pipefitter family and knew from an early age that the union trades were his path to success. He was initiated into IBEW Local 1 in August 2018 and topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on July 3, 2024.

During his time in the field, Brother Foley has served as Steward at Proctor & Gamble, the GM Wentzville body shop, and Christ First Church, with three steward appointments to his name. He is a Certified COMET Trainer.

His union service has been steady and active. He served as Vice President of RENEW from 2020–2022, then as RENEW Sergeant of Arms from 2022–2024, before being elected Sergeant-at-Arms of IBEW Local 1 in 2024, a role he holds today.

Outside the hall, Brandon brings a deep commitment to the Brotherhood and to the community. He is active with Rebuilding Together. He has helped raise more than $75,000 for the Local 1 Relief Committee through RENEW's Trivia Night and other Relief Committee raffles. And, in his own words, he has been canvassing for labor-friendly candidates "since the age of 3."

In His Own Words

"The IBEW to me is not just a career path, it is a way of life. Whether it's trying to organize any electrical worker I come across, attending our regularly-scheduled family reunions, or helping and hanging out at the Fishing Tournament, this union has provided so much for my family and me. I will fight to represent this membership to the best of my ability."

About Kenny Edgar III

Kenny Edgar III is a 4th-generation IBEW member who started his career as a Communications trainee on November 20, 1989. He worked in that classification until April 1, 1991, when he began the Inside Apprenticeship. That move set him on a journey through the union that has now spanned more than three and a half decades.

During his time in the field, Brother Edgar built his career across Local 1's industrial backbone: power plants, automotive plants, chemical, food, and manufacturing facilities. He has served as Job Steward, Foreman, and General Foreman, and was appointed Steward 16 times across some of the area's largest industrial sites, including Monsanto, Mallinckrodt, GM, Ameren power plants, Sigma Chemical, Bayer, Pfizer, Anheuser-Busch, and Boeing. That service ran from 1997 through 2025. He holds certifications in rigging, crane signaling, first aid, electric vehicle training, OSHA 30, and welding.

His union service has steadily expanded with the same intent. He served on the Examining Board from 2018–2020, where he and his fellow board members updated the qualification tests to reflect what members were actually experiencing on the job. He served as Treasurer from 2020–2023 and has served as Vice President from 2023 to the present. He has also served as Voluntary PAC Fund Treasurer since 2018.

Outside the hall, Kenny serves on the Executive Board of the South County Labor Club and is in his third term as Director on the Affton School Board (2018–Present). He ran for a Missouri State House seat in District 92 to support union work and public education, and he canvassed alongside Local 1 members to defeat Right-to-Work in 2018.

In His Own Words

"Being an IBEW member is a way of life. Growing up in an IBEW family, I knew the importance of Unions, buying Union, and supporting unions. The biggest draw for me starting out was the feeling of Brotherhood and standing together for the greater good."

About Frank Jacobs

Business Manager Frank Jacobs has spent the last 35 of his 44-year career in service to our Brotherhood. Beginning as a COMET instructor in 1991, he joined the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee in 1993. While serving on the Committee, he was recommended for the Office of Recording Secretary and sworn in on September 25, 1998. During his ten years as Recording Secretary, Brother Jacobs worked closely with two Financial Secretaries and four Treasurers.

A fifth-generation member whose IBEW roots reach back to a charter member of Local 1, Brother Jacobs now holds the same office once held by his grandfather, Frank W. Jacobs, who served as the 11th District's first International Vice President. That legacy continued with his father, former Local 1 President Jack Jacobs.

Assuming office during unprecedented unemployment levels, Brother Jacobs hit the ground running, focused on easing the economic strain felt by unemployed and underemployed members. The unique market conditions during the Great Recession required adjustments to ensure that members who had been on the list for years were not devastated by short calls that lasted less than eight weeks. Business Manager Jacobs called for a committee and worked with the late Brother Tim Murray on the Committee's recommendation to implement the "40 Day Rule," an effective temporary solution to those market conditions. He has continually encouraged members who walked away during the Great Recession to return to the fold.

As lead negotiator on all IBEW/NECA Agreements, Business Manager Jacobs has successfully negotiated contracts with percentages above the area and industry three-year average. The currently-active Inside Agreement includes the highest annual economic increases of any Building Trades union and the highest for Local 1 in its history.

One of the hallmarks of a great labor leader is the willingness and ability to cross any bridge on behalf of their members or to achieve labor harmony. Brother Jacobs's consistent efforts to reunite the organized labor community in St. Louis started his first day as Business Manager. Those efforts were recently acknowledged by members of the St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council, who unanimously elected him President of the Council. Business Manager Jacobs was also appointed to the Governance Board of the St. Louis Construction Cooperative, the new name for the former PRIDE Saint Louis, a 50-year-old Labor-Management Cooperative established to mediate jurisdictional disputes during the construction of the Gateway Arch.

After the dissolution of the St. Louis-Kansas City Regional Council of Carpenters, Business Manager Jacobs met with Mid-America Regional Council EST Gary Perinar to discuss eliminating their electrical division and is overseeing an ongoing organizing effort to liberate the electrical workers trapped under a substandard agreement.

His work to restore and rebuild relationships within the community is aided by the addition of former State Senator Timothy Green to the Electrical Connection. As Senator Green's final term came to an end, Business Manager Jacobs set his sights on bringing his political acumen to the industry's benefit. Working with NECA, he created the position of Director of Political and Legislative Affairs, which the former Senator now holds. Brother Green's addition has been invaluable in fending off the relentless tide of anti-labor legislation in Missouri.

As Business Manager, he recently signed an agreement with the St. Louis Community College District granting graduating apprentices an associate degree upon completion of just nine additional college credit hours. The original 15-credit requirement was reduced to 9 after Brother Tim Green's American Government class was accredited by the College. Business Manager Jacobs has also worked to increase funding for the training center. The added funding paid for a new phone system and network, plus a state-of-the-art computer lab designed to integrate the National Training Institute's blended learning options. Planning has begun for a new state-of-the-art training center.

Honored to lead Local 1 during its historic 125th Birthday, Business Manager Jacobs worked to make the 39th Convention one to remember. He led the effort to save the Civil War-era boarding house that hosted the IBEW's first Convention. That work preserved what has become a lasting tribute to the Founding Fathers and the entire IBEW. Alongside that, he successfully campaigned the International Officers to form a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, the Electrical Workers Historical Society, whose governing Board will always include the Business Manager of Local 1. International President Lonnie Stephenson recognized Brother Jacobs's work to save the historic site by selecting him as Secretary of the Law Committee for the 39th Convention. Thanks to Business Manager Jacobs, Henry Miller now has a museum that bears his name. A Henry Miller statue, voted on and sponsored by the membership, hangs from the first utility pole in Founders Plaza and bears the name LOCAL 1. Members from across the U.S. and Canada make the trip to stand where the Founding Fathers once stood.

Accomplishments in Office

• Adjusted Health & Welfare qualification requirements to enable more members to access medical coverage for their families.
• Modified the Temporary Extended Unemployment (TES) triggers to enable more members to access funds while unemployed.
• Chartered a commercial bus for a book-signing tour to Kansas City to spare members travel expense and create employment opportunities on two large industrial projects.
• Signed a reciprocity agreement with IBEW Local 309 Business Manager Tim Evans to benefit Local 1 members working in Local 309.
• Instituted and then streamlined Iowa licensing procedures for members working in IBEW Locals 13 and 22.
• Discreetly coordinated and funded a foreclosure prevention specialist for members in danger of losing their homes.
• Doubled the number of Reciprocal Book 2 Registration agreements originally established by Business Manager Greg Booth.
• Established a bid referral system to alleviate member travel cost and employment delays.
• Managed what is widely recognized as the most impactful effort to defeat Right-to-Work (Prop A) in 2018.
• Managed the addition of a member-area website and companion smartphone application.
• Integrated an aggressive business development plan designed to secure future work for Local 1 members.
• Established two real-estate investment funds, ECAP (Electrical Capital Partners) and the M.O.R.E. program (Bank of Labor), both designed to secure work for members.
• Managed the renovation of the historic union hall, placing the building on the National Register of Historic Places, while also working with Financial Secretary Dave Roth to grow the treasury.
• During the COVID pandemic, negotiated an emergency agreement with NECA to give members access to unemployment relief funds.
• Established the first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for an IBEW/NECA Labor-Management Cooperative Corporation (LMCC) in the country.

A Letter to Local 1

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I'm asking for your continued support of this administration. Together we have battled through the most difficult times ever seen in our great Brotherhood. With your support, I pledge to continue the work to restore and keep the IBEW in Saint Louis in its rightful place. Our work to end the carpenters' upstart union continues, and we will use every means necessary. We will continue the fight.

I am very proud of my staff of Representatives and their devotion to you and our collective goals. Every single one of them has a reputation from their time in the field as a member that you want to work with you, for you, or in their crew. I assure you that they work just as hard every day to represent you.

Thank you for your support.

In Unity,
Frank Jacobs
Business Manager · IBEW Local 1

Brother Jacobs's passion and dreams for the IBEW motivated him to begin planning and preparing to lead our great Brotherhood long ago. He is humbled and honored by the support he has received from the membership. With your continued support and your vote on June 6th, together we can continue the progress started by Business Manager Frank Jacobs and the Unity Club.

About Tequila Gray

Tequila Gray's path to the IBEW began with two life-changing events: her corporate employer moved out of state, and she experienced a house fire. As trades workers helped rebuild her home, they welcomed her alongside them, and she found her calling in the electrical work. She enrolled at Vatterott and graduated top of her class. When she couldn't land work because of Vatterott's reputation, a teacher pointed her to the Union. Tequila considers joining IBEW Local 1 one of the best decisions she's ever made.

Initiated into IBEW Local 1 on April 1, 2013, Tequila topped out as a Communications Journeyman Technician on September 21, 2017, making history as the first Black woman to complete the Communications Apprenticeship. She has served as a Foreman on several job sites for Coltrane Systems. Beyond the trade, she was elected the first Black woman to the City of Ballwin's Board of Alderman, a testament to the leadership she brings to every role she takes on.

Tequila believes in making change from the inside. As a Convention Delegate, her goal is to be a voice for the Communications division and for IBEW Local 1 as a whole. She volunteers with Grill to Glory, donating clothing, money, and time to community relief efforts, and she does it quietly because giving back is its own reward.

In Her Own Words

"Joining the local was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not only have I found a life long career but I've truly found an extended family. My goal in running for this seat is to give back even a fraction of the support the IBEW has given me. It would be my honor to serve as the voice for not only the Communications division but IBEW Local 1 as a whole."

About Troy Weidemann

Troy Alan Weidemann grew up in a family of Journeyman Wiremen. His grandfather Arlington Weidemann was a 65-year member of IBEW Local 1, and his father Roy Weidemann followed with 45 years of service that included serving as a Delegate to the 35th IBEW International Convention in 1996. After working as a mechanic at Tire America while taking classes at Florissant Valley Community College, conversations with his father and grandfather convinced Troy to fill out his application in September 1990. He was initiated into IBEW Local 1 on March 15, 1991, and topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on September 8, 1995. He has been a proud member for over 35 years.

During his time in the field, Troy has served as Steward on multiple projects since 2000 and as Shop Steward at Kaemmerlen Electric since 2021, where he currently works as a Foreman. He has held steward responsibilities on 10 different jobsites, working alongside members to resolve issues on the job and within the company.

Recommended by Business Manager Frank Jacobs, Troy is motivated by a simple conviction: the IBEW constitution is the foundation of how Local 1 operates, and he wants to make an impact that makes the union better for everyone. His son Alan Weidemann entered the Journeyman Apprenticeship in 2026, continuing the family's tradition in the Brotherhood.

In His Own Words

"I am the IBEW, just like you. We all represent IBEW Local 1 every day of our lives; on the job, at home and everywhere we go. Local one is what makes me who I am and how I live my life. It would be an honor for me to represent the membership at the 41st IBEW International Convention."

About Jonathan Hendrix

Before entering the trade, Jonathan Hendrix was an Operations Manager at FedEx Express, where he managed driver routes, improved on-the-job conditions, and led teams through day-to-day challenges. In December 2019, on the recommendation of a close friend, he entered the Inside Apprenticeship Program and was initiated into IBEW Local 1. His commitment to the Brotherhood has been evident ever since. He topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on June 23, 2025.

In just a few years as a member, Jonathan has risen to Vice President of both RENEW and EWMC. He has logged a remarkable record of community work: raising $2,000 or more at each RENEW Trivia Night from 2021 to 2026, helping the EWMC's Coats for Kids drive reach over 14,000 coats, organizing a $15–20,000 rehabilitation of a Division of Youth Services cottage for youth offenders, and leading volunteers to restore Greenwood Cemetery, one of the oldest historical cemeteries in North St. Louis County. He has also founded the Ryan Dintleman Classic: BBQ Competition, set to benefit the IBEW Local One Relief Fund, EWMC, and Safe Harbor Victims of Crime.

Jonathan holds certifications as a Certified HVAC Tech I and serves as a point of contact between the EWMC and the Division of Youth Services. He is also a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Prince Hall FAM.

In His Own Words

"The moment I became a member of the IBEW Local One I realized I had joined a deeply rooted family and craft that has opportunities to improve communities and impact individuals lives in such a profound and meaningful way. I swore to myself to leave this organization exponentially greater than I found it. Representing Local One has become a passion and lifestyle for me."

About Dennis Ruggeri

Dennis Ruggeri is a proud 32-year member of the IBEW and a graduate of Ranken Technical College, where he earned an Associate's Degree in Industrial Electronics. He came up through the apprenticeship and, in his words, "worked wherever the trade took me when times were slow," gaining the experience that shaped who he is as a wireman and a leader.

During his time in the field, Brother Ruggeri has worked his way through every step of the trade, from Wireman to Service Truck Electrician to Foreman to General Foreman. He has served the Brotherhood both on and off the job site: as a Tutor, a Night-School Instructor, a Steward, as Sergeant-at-Arms, and as a former Executive Board Member of IBEW Local 1. He is also a member of the St. Louis Labor Club.

In His Own Words

"I'm committed to strong representation, quality craftsmanship, and mentoring the next generation. I believe in putting the membership first and continuing to strengthen our local and our Brotherhood."

About Bernie Ryan

Bernie Ryan came to the IBEW from politics. He was working as a legislative aide for a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, who happened to also be Vice President of IBEW Local 1, when his boss turned to him and asked, "Son, would you like to learn a trade?" Bernie answered yes. He entered the Local 1 Inside Apprenticeship in 1987 and was initiated into IBEW Local 1 in September of that year. He topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on October 11, 1991.

During his time in the field, Brother Ryan has worked as a Foreman and as the sole Company Representative out of town. He has held Steward and Foreman titles at the same time on the same job, a dual responsibility he describes as "an expression of trust in my judgment by both parties." On other jobs, he has, in his words, "been the spine for a weak steward that needed one." Steward appointments have come, in his words, "many times over 39 years. It just happens."

Bernie's broader labor service is exceptional in scope. Since 1999, he has served as IBEW Local 1's Delegate to the St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO, a 27-year tenure. He served as Sergeant-at-Arms of the St. Louis AFL-CIO CLC in 2025–2026, and was Sergeant-at-Arms at the 2002 Missouri AFL-CIO Convention. He was appointed to staff at the Missouri AFL-CIO in 2025. As a longtime trainer for both the "People Not Politicians" and "Respect Missouri Voters" petitions, he traveled the state coordinating and training union members in collecting and properly recording voter signatures, work he describes as "salvaging what democracy we have left."

Bernie's political résumé runs deep, beginning before his IBEW career: President of the Young Democrats in Kirksville (1984–85), Volunteer Coordinator for Frontlash at the Missouri AFL-CIO (1984–85), National Vice-President for Labor Affairs, Young Democrats of America (1992–94), former Democratic Committeeman of Tesson Ferry Township, campaign manager for a Missouri legislative race, and a candidate for the St. Louis Community College Board of Directors at the request of Local 1. He is a founding member (1993) of the South County Labor Political Organization, where he was Executive Board member from 1999 and Elected Recording-Secretary from 2004 through 2025.

Outside the labor movement, Bernie is a longtime leader in the Boy Scouts of America, where he serves as American Labor Merit Badge Counselor and as Coordinator of the American Labor Merit Badge Workshop. That work has educated hundreds of young people on the history and benefits of organized labor. He is a board member of the Labor Jam music festival, a stop coordinator on the St. Louis Labor History Bus Tour, and a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, where he works the soup kitchen at SS. Peter and Paul in Soulard. Earlier in his career, Bernie served as Director of "Labor Vision," the public-access cable program in St. Louis, from 1989 through 1993. He holds a B.S. from Truman State University (1985), and was a Business Representative at SEIU Local 50 in 1986 before entering the IBEW.

Bernie is a college-educated student of Robert's Rules, and he was recommended for Convention Delegate by Business Manager Frank Jacobs.

In His Own Words

"I never had a problem keeping a job until I would open my mouth. Sometimes you have to speak up!"

On his motivation to run: "I'm flattered. I thought my time was over. I was asked by Business Manager Frank Jacobs."

About Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter applied to the IBEW in 1987 and was selected after two interviews. He started his apprenticeship in July 1988 and was initiated into IBEW Local 1 in February 1989, beginning a career that would carry him from apprentice to Journeyman Wireman. He is a 2nd-generation IBEW member with deep family roots in Local 1.

During his time in the field, Brother Hunter has compiled the kind of résumé that comes with thirty-seven years of doing the work. Currently he is Job Steward on the Zooseum project for Kay Bee. Earlier, he drug up a data-center job in Des Moines to come home and answer Local 1's call on the massive Amazon warehouse in St. Peters, Missouri, where he served as Foreman for two months before stepping up to General Foreman for the remainder of the build. He has been Foreman at Mallinckrodt, MasterCard, and Ameristar Casino for Sachs Electric, and Steward at the M.C.I. call center for Tel-Vi, among many other projects. Those years as Steward, going back to his first appointment in 1993, gave him a foundation in Local 1's scope of work and trained him in reading the personalities on a job and resolving grievances and conflict. He has held more steward appointments than he can count.

Kyle's union service today is as broad as his career. Within IBEW Local 1, he is the current Press Secretary (2023–Present), an OSHA Instructor (2022–Present), and the President of the Safety Committee (2021–Present). He volunteered at the Local 1 Credit Union from 1993 through 2000.

Kyle's activist streak first showed up at the school-board, alderman, mayoral, and ballot-proposition level. In 1999, then-President Tom George recognized that streak and sent him to Camp Carnahan for the campaign-activist training. Since then, he has worked lit drops, parades, and poll-work for Mel Carnahan (Senate), Jay Nixon (Governor), Claire McCaskill (Governor and U.S. Senate), John Kerry (President), and Barack Obama (President). He is a member of the Tri-County Labor Club and supports the IBEW Relief Committee through fundraising. As Kyle puts it: "Every election season, April, August, or November, it was always a race to see who called first, Greg Booth looking for help, or me looking where does he need the most help."

Kyle was recommended for Convention Delegate by Business Manager Frank Jacobs, who called him during his OSHA class to ask if he'd accept the candidacy.

In His Own Words

"I believe I will honorably represent and vote for this union's interests at the International Convention. 38 years of representing that ethos on the job is why I feel you should vote for me."

About Mike Cleveland

Mike Cleveland came to the IBEW after wrestling in college and working at a sheet metal shop. He took his family's advice and signed up for the apprenticeship ("Great Advice!"), and was initiated into IBEW Local 1 on October 1, 2005. He topped out as a Journeyman Wireman on June 11, 2010. He is a 2nd-generation IBEW member, with deep roots through both the Cleveland and Dinnella branches of his family.

During his time in the field, Mike has served as General Foreman, Foreman, Bull Steward, and Steward across PLAs, NMAs, and Local 1's Inside Agreement. He was first appointed as Steward at JF Electric in LU 649 by Business Manager Greg Booth in 2011, and has continued in that role for multiple contractors ever since: Paynecrest at Charter Building (2015), Sachs Electric at the GM body shop (2021–2022), and currently as Bull Steward at Sachs Electric on the Boeing Brownleigh Expansion since January 2026. He has logged eight steward appointments to date.

Outside the hall, Mike's commitment to family, community, and labor is the throughline. He is a member of the Tri-County Labor Club and the Warren County Labor Club. He volunteers with Rebuilding Together, the S-F Scout Ranch, the National Lights Out program, and the Labor Day BBQ team. He coaches wrestling, baseball, and softball. He canvassed to defeat Proposition A, walks for labor-friendly candidates, and helped collect signatures for the Respect Missouri Voters initiative. As a steward, he has helped raise several thousand dollars for the IBEW Relief Committee and for injured co-workers.

Mike has been recommended for Alternate Delegate to the 41st IBEW Convention by Business Manager Frank Jacobs.

In His Own Words

"The IBEW to me is family, a career, and a lifestyle. Local One has been instrumental in my life, and I was taught to leave something better than you found it. It would be a great honor to represent this membership at the 41st IBEW Convention."