ST. LOUIS, Mo. – IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sylvester Taylor is being saluted for his vision and leadership.

Taylor is the recipient of the 2024 MOKAN Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Since its founding 50 years ago, MOKAN has worked to grow opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned businesses on construction projects. The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1 and the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractor Association.

 Taylor has been dedicated to connecting young people in the region with careers in the electrical and communication technology industry.  In 2022, he was selected as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S Dept. of Labor. Taylor has used his more than 30 years of experience in the electrical industry with IBEW Local 1 to champion registered apprenticeship opportunities for people historically underserved.

For the past 21 years, Taylor has been the voice of minority workers as the co-founder and current president of IBEW’s Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. He has used that voice to help shape the Electrical Connection’s diversity goals, leveraging the modernization of infrastructure as a recruitment tool in underserved communities.