Q&A with Jon Hooker
After 22 years with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 481 and its contractors, Jon Hooker has recently been named president of the Central Indiana Building Trades. In this Q&A, Jon talks about starting his involvement with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis as a volunteer, the benefits of having skilled trade workers participate in Union Build Day, and his hopes for strengthening the partnership with the Indiana Union Construction Industry as a new board member.
How did you get involved with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis?
I’ve been involved with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis as a volunteer for a while through the IBEW, where I come from. I’m an electrician by trade, and it has been about 15 years since I first volunteered. I have always enjoyed it and eventually I became a union rep for IBEW, who was involved with the planning and coordination of volunteers.
How do you feel the Union Construction Industry benefits from partnering with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis?
The construction trades are where my heart is professionally. The Union Construction Industry does a lot of good things in the community that often go unnoticed, and we like it that way. Partnering with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis is a way to promote what we do all the time in giving back to the community.
Part of our ongoing relationship stems from working well with our managing contractors and partners as labor. Management and labor partner daily, so the opportunity to come together on a weekend and help our community is what keeps bringing us back to Rebuilding Together Indianapolis.
How do you feel Union Build Day benefits from the skilled trade workers who participate in Rebuilding Together Indianapolis?
The Union Construction Industry offers a unique perspective to home remodel and home updates in that—there is no doubt about it—we are the most trained and qualified construction group in the industry. Not a lot of us get to do residential work because that’s not what our companies are built to go after, but we all have that ability. As a construction, worker you get caught doing updates to your own house, so it’s fun to showcase talents to other trades, shine with our craft, and help homes not only look good, but make them safe.
How do you feel it benefits the homeowners for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis to partner with the Indiana Union Construction Industry?
Our professionalism and our training we bring to the table is a reassuring measure to the homeowner. We know it’s not always easy to go into someone’s house, and it’s not easy to do all the work in a one-day period. The amount of people who want their homes to be part of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis’ work speaks to the organization’s professionalism and to the Union Construction Trades being front and center with these homeowners to show them that we care.
What are you most looking forward to as it relates to working with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis as the president of the Central Indiana Building Trades?
I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the board and knowing where they come from and why they are involved. Mine is a unique situation where I chose to volunteer and do work for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis and am now a board member. It’s exciting to bring this level of commitment to the board and streamline communication with the construction trades to make this the best partnership it can be.
