In an industry built on circuits, wires, and voltage, Marilyn Akers Stansbury brings something even more powerful—connection. As Chief Executive Officer of IECRM (Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain), she has transformed a regional trade association into a force for innovation, workforce development, and industry advocacy. Under her guidance, the organization has become not only a training ground for thousands of electricians but a model for what modern construction leadership can look like.
Stansbury didn’t arrive at IECRM to maintain the status quo. She came to reshape it. With a background that spans government affairs, nonprofit leadership, and economic development, she brings a multi-dimensional perspective to a sector that often operates in silos. She entered the electrical contracting world with fresh eyes and bold ideas—elevating programming, expanding partnerships, and creating pipelines to fill one of the nation’s most critical skilled labor shortages.
The past three years have marked a crescendo in that mission. IECRM’s student enrollment has reached new heights, while graduation rates have outpaced national averages. Stansbury has introduced cutting-edge curriculum updates, virtual learning platforms, and state-of-the-art lab spaces to ensure students are equipped for tomorrow’s job sites. Through legislative engagement and community outreach, she’s also raised the visibility of the trades, working to erase outdated stigmas and make the electrician’s path one of prestige and promise.
What makes Stansbury’s leadership truly distinctive—and why she has earned First-Year Titan 100 Honoree recognition—is her instinct to build ecosystems, not empires. She understands that the future of work isn’t just about automation or AI—it’s about inclusion, resilience, and adaptability. Under her leadership, IECRM has embraced diversity initiatives, launched leadership development cohorts, and supported women and veterans entering the trades.
Reigniting her own enthusiasm is rarely a challenge. Stansbury thrives in the energy of her students. Watching first-year apprentices grow into licensed professionals reminds her of the deeper purpose behind every board meeting, policy proposal, or funding negotiation. It’s this ground-level impact that keeps her focused and energized.
When asked what skill she would master instantly, she names negotiation—an art she’s already well-versed in, yet continues to refine. Whether she’s securing grant dollars or advocating for pro-trade legislation, her ability to influence outcomes without compromising values has been critical to IECRM’s sustained growth.
The organization she leads is not the same one she inherited. It is more dynamic, more connected, and more future-ready. Under Stansbury’s watch, IECRM has launched new satellite campuses, invested in green energy training programs, and forged alliances with national contractors and policy influencers. She has turned a regional player into a recognized voice at the national level.
Her proudest moments are not personal accolades, but the stories of transformation she witnesses daily—apprentices who become business owners, students who lift entire families through skilled labor, and communities that thrive because of it. Stansbury leads with clarity, compassion, and conviction. In doing so, she’s helping to electrify the industry—one career, one classroom, one connection at a time.
