06/17/2026

2026 NECA Future Leaders Conference - June 15 - 17, 2026

The Conference was held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.

2026 NECA Future Leaders Conference
June 15 - 17, 2026
Pittsburgh, PA

The NECA Future Leaders Conference was held on June 15 – 17, 2026  at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.  The Chicago Chapter attendees were able to participate with a Pre-Fab Tour at Lighthouse Electric, presentations from Economist for NECA and ELECTRICAL Contractor Magazine, numerous presenters / expert speakers.  The Western Pennsylvania HAPTER, NECA, also sponsored a special reception at Acrisure Stadium (the official home of Pittsburgh Steelers games, University of Pittsburgh Panthers Football games, WPIAL Championships, and legendary concerts).

This stand-alone conference is committed to enhancing leadership skills through education, innovation, and collaboration.  With a renewed focus on industry excellence, the Future Leaders Conference is designed to empower emerging leaders through professional and personal development.

Sessions included:

“How to Work with Anyone”
Melody Wilding

NECA Leadership Journey
Tauhira Ali, NECA

ELECTRI Roundtable
Jessica Cardenas, ELECTRI

“Drafting the Future: How the Next Generation Will Shape Electrical Safety”
Kyle Krueger, NECA

Opening Remarks
Jon Mandl, NECA

"The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Difficult Conversations"
Christine Padula, Leviton

“Can We Talk for Real? Practical Tools & Techniques for Courageous Conversations”
Karin Hurt

NECA Government Affairs Update
Ryan McGuire, NECA

“What Next? Scenarios for the 2026 and 2027 Economy”
Chris Kuehl, Armada Corporate Intelligence

Speakers included:

Chris Kuehl
Armada Corporate Intelligence
Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corpora

Christine Padula
Leviton
Christine Padula is the Senior Director, Human Resources at Leviton Manufacturing, with over a decade of experience leading HR strategy, employee e

Clay Scroggins
Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader’

Jessica Cardenas
ELECTRI

Jon Mandl
NECA

Karin Hurt
Karin Hurt is a keynote speaker, author, and CEO of Let’s Grow Leaders.

Kyle Krueger
NECA

Melody Wilding
Melody Wilding is the author of Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge. For more than a decade, she’s helped smart, though

Ryan McGuire
NECA

Tauhira Ali
NECA

Todd Grossweiler
Allison-Smith Company

Todd Mikec
Lighthouse Electric

We thank all that were able to attend these dynamic sessions!

Omni William Penn Hotel

Acrisure Stadium