Shawn Calter
Job Title: Foreman
Company: Power Design
Location: Stafford, Va.
Age: 26
Years on the Job: 5
Interests: Hiking, fishing, snowboarding, BBQ, music, playing games on the computer he built, and watching a good TV series with his girlfriend
As a 19-year-old, Shawn Calter was earning $10 an hour and working 60 hours a week at two jobs — one as a cook and one as a helper in a recycling plant. One night, his landlord invited him to play cards with his friends, one of whom was an electrician for Power Design. The electrician invited him to send in his resume. Three weeks later, Calter started work at Power Design. He entered the IEC apprenticeship program in Chesapeake, Va., in 2015, graduated in 2019, and went on to compete in the IEC 2019 Apprentice of the Year competition. During his apprenticeship program, he obtained his OSHA 30, CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications. In his fourth year, he went through IEC foreman training and is now one of the top total station operators in the company.
“Being a foreman for Power Design after just five years in the trade is truly a humbling experience,” he says. “Knowing they trust me to cover multiple scopes of work is heartwarming.”
Calter, who was born in San Antonio, moved around every two to three years because his father served in the military.
“I’m young, and I have been put into a position of authority, but that doesn’t mean I’m done growing and learning,” he says. “Between my outstanding work ethic and my eagerness to learn and perfect my craft, it helps me to stay ahead of the rest.”
Currently, his company is working on six different jobs in a single footprint. He just finished up a smaller project and is looking forward to hitting the ground running on his next one. He is also visiting surrounding job sites to get more hands-on training, learn from his peers, and help in any way he can.
“I thrive in being the ‘how can I help?’ guy,” he says. “Whether it’s on my job or another, it’s a good motto to have.”
In the next five to 10 years, he aims to move up to the position of superintendent, get a few jobs under his belt, add a few master’s licenses, become Revit certified, and dabble in project management.
“I honestly just want to keep growing, and I feel like at Power Design, the sky is the limit,” he says.
