Shannon Thomas thought he was in trouble when he got a call from his manager Monday night.
He wasn’t.
The electrician and southside Syracuse native was asked if he wanted to introduce President Joe Biden during his visit to Syracuse Thursday to announce Micron would receive over $6 billion in federal funding.
“Sure, sure,” Thomas replied.
Three days later, Thomas, wearing a red International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers polo, stood at a podium marked with the presidential seal while speaking to a crowd inside the Museum of Science and Technology.
“I would like to bring out our president of the United States, Joe Biden,” Thomas said, concluding his remarks as he turned around, extended his right arm and shook Biden’s hand. Biden told Thomas to keep up his good work and be a proud American, Thomas said after the event.
“It’s a life-changing, historical day,” he said. “I’m excited, I’m still shaking afterward. It’s something that I’ll always remember and will always be proud of.”
Thomas said he was surprised to hear Biden would return to Syracuse this week, given the president recently visited in October 2022.
On that visit, Biden celebrated Micron’s selection of Central New York for a new chip plant. And it was Shawni Davis, a Syracuse native and master electrician, who introduced the president that day.
Davis attended Thursday’s event, too, and said beforehand she was hoping to speak with Biden again, joking she would ask him to have lunch sometime.
“This is massive. I’m glad to be a part of the first event and then see what’s happening now, see the money that’s being generated for Micron. I’m just excited to be here, excited to be a part of it again,” Davis said.
Davis owns Luminary Electrical, which she says has grown significantly since Biden’s last visit. The opportunity to introduce him gave the company needed exposure and contracts. She said she now gets recognized everywhere she goes in Syracuse.
Micron’s arrival means Luminary Electrical will get even more contracts, Davis said, but she’s also excited to see how it will impact all of Central New York.
“It’s so huge, and we’re ripe for it, right? The Syracuse area has been in need of some kind of investment in this area for a long time, and I can’t even fathom how the area’s gonna change based off this investment,” she said.
Davis said she knew Thomas would do a good job introducing Biden. Thomas said he sent a bio to the White House early in the week, and their team helped him write the final introduction.
He kept the message of his remarks simple: he wanted everyone to know who he was and the struggles he had endured. Three years ago, with bills, loans and a family to take care of in the midst of the pandemic, Thomas was laid off from his job as a cable technician. He saw an ad about the Pathways to Apprenticeships program, which led to his current role as a second-year apprentice with Emerald Electric.
Thomas also highlighted the importance of his 17-year-old son, a student at Nottingham High School, being in attendance.
“Him being a part of this, and him being able to see this, is huge. He was with me every step of the way, and it was a big deal for me, so I know it was a bigger deal for him,” Thomas said.
Micron is expected to begin construction on the plant some time next year. Officials have said the $100 billion project could bring nearly 50,000 jobs to Central New York.
“Micron’s investment is a life-changing ordeal — for everyone in this area,” Thomas said. “From people who will work there or people who will live around there, it’s a big deal. It’s gonna bring up Central New York, up 10 times more.”
