Rising Wire: The Journey of Chad Dela Vega

Chad Dela Vega never expected to find his future in the electrical trade. At twenty eight, he was drifting between jobs that kept the lights on but never lit anything inside him. Hawaiʻi can feel small when you are standing still, watching other people move forward while you wonder where you belong. Chad wanted something real, something he could build with his own hands, even if he did not yet know what that was.

Tommy Titsworth was the one who nudged him toward a new direction. Tommy had always said that learning a trade was the smartest move a local guy could make. Apply, get in, learn something solid, and you will never be without work. Chad took the advice to heart. He applied. He got in. And that single choice opened a door he had not even known existed.

From the start, the union felt like the right place to be. Chad knew people inside, and they spoke about it with pride. Unlike today, in the early 2000’s, the pay was strong, the benefits were the best around, and the journeyman wages were on a completely different level. It was not just a job. It was a career, a craft, and a future. The trade wanted skilled people, the best and brightest, and Chad wanted to prove he belonged among them.

His five-year apprenticeship shaped him in ways he never expected. At KH Electric he touched everything. Residential wiring, commercial buildings, AC controls, industrial systems. He learned quickly and healed quickly and kept moving forward. In Hawaiʻi, word travels fast, and soon people knew Chad as the guy who showed up ready to work and ready to learn. Every job site taught him something new. No one knows everything, but someone always knows something, and Chad learned to listen.

Some jobs fade with time, but others stay with you forever. For Chad, Kapolei Rail Station was unforgettable. It was the first station he ever worked on, and the experience left a mark. The communication was strong, the crew was solid, and the work felt meaningful. For the first time, Chad felt like he was part of something larger than himself.

After KH Electric he moved to a couple of union shops, sharpening his skills even further. Eventually he became the kind of electrician people wanted to work with. He was no longer just pulling wire. He was proactive in the field working with crews and carrying the quiet confidence of someone who had earned his place.

What kept him in the trade wasn’t just the pay or the benefits—though those mattered. It was the challenge, the camaraderie, and the feeling of stepping onto a job site knowing that whatever the day brought, he had the skill to handle it. The union gave him security, the work gave him purpose, and the people gave him pride. Even on the hard days, he knew he was part of the top tier of the trades: electricians, plumbers, elevator mechanics—the workers who keep Hawaiʻi running. If elected, Chad says he hopes to strengthen Local 1186 and restore the level of excellence it once held.

Today, Chad Dela Vega stands as the kind of electrician young apprentices look up to. He remembers what it felt like to start from nothing and wonder if he would ever find his place. Now he is the one showing others the ropes, proving through his own story that a single decision can change everything.

He did not just become an electrician. He became a craftsman. A union brother. A leader. A man who built a future with his own hands.