James Minasian Named IBEW Apprentice of the Year
Local 40’s James Minasian always seems in constant motion, so when the moment hit that stopped him in his tracks, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
That moment came when Local 40 Business Manager Stephan Davis called to tell Manasian, a fourth-year apprentice and Local 40’s Reach out and Engage Next-gen Electrical Workers (RENEW) committee president, that he’d just been chosen IBEW Apprentice of the Year.
“This award is a really big deal for both James and for Local 40,” said Local 40 Business Manager Stephan Davis. “There are over 800 Local unions across North America, with over 900,000 members and James being given this award out of tens of thousands of apprentices across the US and Canada is huge.”
“I was at home alone when Stephan called to tell me that I had won Apprentice of the Year for the IBEW,” Minasian said. “I was looking for someone to tell but no one was around, so I told my dogs.”
Minasian’s spotlight came a few weeks later when he took the stage at the 2026 IBEW Construction and Maintenance Conference in Washington, DC to receive the Apprentice of the Year award from IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper.
“I wasn’t nervous until the second they called me up to the stage, and then my heart started racing a little,” Minasian said. “The memory that sticks with me is when they announced my name, they showed a highlight reel, because they had a camera crew follow me at work and in school, and I just thought, ‘This is this really happening.’ I started this apprenticeship a little over four years ago, and now I’m in Washington, D.C. meeting the international president. It was just like a dream come true.”
Despite the magnitude of the honor he earned, Minasian has taken the recognition in stride.
“I’ve always appreciated hard work because I grew up around it; my dad was a sheet metal worker for almost 40 years,” Minasian said. “I do what I do because I’ve been accepted by a family. I’m a member of that family, and I have to do my part, which means giving back and helping. I love being a part of Local 40 and the IBEW 40. It’s been the best decision of my life.”
On stage, Minasian was quick to thank his family (which includes a newborn son), praise his Local 40 Brothers and Sisters – “It’s an extraordinary honor, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of my Local 40 family” – and credit his instructors and mentors, singling out Training Director Jesse Barron and Board member Joseph Rodriguez.
“The way I see this is that I’ve been given an opportunity to be a part of something that’s great and wonderful, and I constantly have encouragement and support, and that means the world to me,” Minasian said. “So, in return, I’ll do whatever it takes to give back to my local because they’ve been just so supportive and treat me like a member of the family.”
“I cannot overstate how special this award is and how deserving James is,” Davis said. “From day one he has represented what Local 40 is all about.”
Afterward, Minasian admittedly geeked out a little and asked Cooper to sign his award, which he did.
“I waited until everyone started leaving, and then I went up to him and asked if he could sign it, because how cool is that?” Minasian said.
With the ceremony buzz behind him, and the Apprentice of the Year award assuming a place of honor on the television stand, it’s back to work.
“My plans moving forward are to keep following the advice I gave myself when I started: bring that same energy and motivation you had when you first started, don’t ever get comfortable, always be on your toes ready to learn, and go above and beyond,” Minasian said. “My goal is to hopefully teach one day when I turn out so that I can help bring a spark to our next generation of electrical workers and help them find their own motivation to continue their career.”
By Jeremy Kehoe
