The Winpisinger Center has announced it is accepting applications for the 2026 Chris Wagoner Memorial Leadership Grant, with a submission deadline of November 30. The grant aims to help locals send current and emerging leaders to leadership training when they do not have sufficient resources.
According to Official Circular 908, the grant will provide funding each year to one local from every IAM Territory. This includes the Eastern, Midwestern, Western, Southern, Canadian, and Air Transport Territories, as well as Headquarters and vicinity areas such as the Rail Division. The grant reimburses all costs related to sending a member to a leadership program at the Winpisinger Center.
The selected local can renew the grant annually if their chosen member successfully completes each leadership program and the local submits an accountability statement confirming that the member has been active in and contributed to local activities. A member may attend up to four annual leadership programs under this arrangement.
In 2025, seven locals across North America received the inaugural Chris Wagoner Memorial Leadership Grant: Local 550 (Surrey, British Columbia), Local 4538 (Towson, Maryland), Local 1894 (South Ozone Park, New York), Local 2916 (Corpus Christi, Texas), Local 104 (Huntington, West Virginia), Local 1613 (Vandalia, West Virginia), and Local W38 (Shelton, Washington).
The grant was established by delegates at the 2024 IAM International Convention in honor of Chris Wagoner. Wagoner served as Director of the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center until his death in 2022. He was a member of IAM for three decades and supported expanding opportunities for leadership training within the union.
“Brother Wagoner… believed that expanding opportunities for Leadership training was critical to our future growth and strength as a union.”
