Our Staff

Dave Robinson Business Agent 

Dave joined Local Union 916 Staff as a Business Agent/Organizer in April of 2006. He has been a member of Teamsters Local 916 since 1994. He worked 11 years in the Building and Construction Industry and was most recently employed as a security guard for City, Water, Light and Power before coming to join our team. Dave is a member of the Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, which is a coalition of Union leaders to promote Union Labor throughout Central Illinois. Dave is a Business Agent for the Construction, Industrial Trades and Public Sector Members.

Larry Larson Business Agent

A second generation Teamster, Larson was hired as a Business Agent in charge of warehouse accounts in February 2003. He is a lifelong resident of Springfield, and spent 14 years as a warehouseman at Bunn Capitol before joining the Local 916 staff. Larson is the business agent for the Warehouse, Food Processing, and Automotive Industries. In his spare time Larson fishes-winning numerous awards and prizes each year, enjoys golfing and hunting deer.

Mike Peoples Business Agent

Mike joined the Local 916 staff January 2017. Mike came from UPS Freight where he spent 8 years as a pick-up and delivery driver. Mike is a former Business Agent from Local 279 in Decatur, Illinois. As an Agent for Local 916, Mike handles warehousing, bakery and laundry, public schools, and industrial facility contracts. In his spare time, Mike enjoys fishing, golfing, and camping.

 

Jeff Crabtree Business Agent

Jeff joined the Local 916 staff in August 2017. As a Teamster for the past 10 years, Jeff has served primarily as a political and government affairs director for Teamsters Joint Council 25. Jeff's tenure at Joint Council 25 allowed him the opportunity to work with Teamster Locals throughout Illinois advocating for Teamster members in both the private and public sector. Jeff has also been appointed to various positions within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters including as Assistant Trustee to Teamsters Local 50 in 2016. Prior to joining the Teamsters, Jeff served as a policy analyst and committee staffer in the Illinois Senate with primary responsibilities to the Senate Labor Committee. Jeff has also served as an assistant on labor affairs in the Illinois Governor's office. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.A. in Political Studies and a Masters in Public Administration. Jeff is currently completing his Juris Doctorate at the St. Louis University School of Law. 
  

Trevor Clatfelter Director of Governmental Affairs

Trevor J. Clatfelter has been a public servant and involved in government nearly his entire adult life. Mr. Clatfelter has held high level government positions for a substantial portion of his service. At the young age of 24, Mr. Clatfelter was appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Emil Jones Jr., to the position of Deputy Director of the Illinois General Assembly’s bi-partisan commission, the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission, now commonly known as the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA). Prior to his 12 ½ plus years of service as Deputy Director of COGFA, Mr. Clatfelter was employed as a budget analyst for the Illinois Senate, staffing the highly important Senate Appropriations Committee. Serving as a budget analyst and then Deputy Director of COGFA, Mr. Clatfelter has become a well respected expert on state finance, the state budget and economy, state revenue projections, state employee pensions, the State Employees’ Group Health Insurance Program, the state’s bonded indebtedness, the state’s capital plan, and the state facility closure process.

Mr. Clatfelter also possesses a vast wealth of knowledge in the area of municipal and local government. Elected in 2003 to a four-year term, Mr. Clatfelter served as a member of the Village of Sherman Board of Trustees. Shortly after his election as Trustee, Mr. Clatfelter and the sitting mayor differed on fiscal spending priorities and policy in which Mr. Clatfelter subsequently challenged the 20-year incumbent mayor. Elected in 2007 to the position of mayor 58% - 42%, Mayor Clatfelter was recently unopposed and re-elected mayor for another four-year term. Mayor Clatfelter has served as mayor of the fastest growing community in all of Sangamon County and has presided over and facilitated record levels of economic development in the community using all of his talents and knowledge acquired over his many years in government. The Village of Sherman has been a model of success for other communities and Mayor Clatfelter’s advice and counsel is often sought by other mayors, government boards, developers, builders, and entrepreneurs. Mayor Clatfelter has focused on job creation in the Village of Sherman and has many successes to point to. Mayor Clatfelter is skilled in negotiating multi-million dollar incentive packages and exceptionally knowledgeable in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) matters. Mr. Clatfelter has served in other local capacities such as President-Elect of his local homeowners association and also as a volunteer firefighter for five years.

Mr. Clatfelter has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois majoring in Political Studies with a minor degree in Labor Relations and has some Master’s degree credit. Mr. Clatfelter has successfully negotiated union contracts on both sides of the table and possesses a family background centered on union membership, his father having been a union official and both brothers union members. Prior to his government service, Mr. Clatfelter worked in the government affairs and lobbying fields. Mr. Clatfelter has worked in government affairs for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, both the International and the local (916), the lobbying firm of Shea, Paige & Rogal and also the lobbying firm of Margaret Vaughn and Associates.

Mr. Clatfelter has always been attracted to the call of public service, serving honorably in the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, Peoria, Illinois as an Air Transportation Specialist and Rigger. Mr. Clatfelter’s responsibilities in the military included the uploading and downloading of cargo from C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Mr. Clatfelter was selected to attend the Army’s Quartermaster Rigger School in Fort Lee, Virginia where he was trained and certified to pack cargo parachutes for airdrop missions from various military aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules, C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster. Mr. Clatfelter was also a nominee for “Airman of the Year”.

Mr. Clatfelter was selected by the Springfield Business Journal as a class of 2009 “40 Under 40” award recipient. The 40 under 40 award salutes the top forty business leaders under forty years of age in the community as nominated and selected by the business journal.

Teri Hanner Administrative Assistant & Titan Operator

Teri was born and raised in Lincoln, Illinois, but has been a resident of Elkhart since 1980. She's the mother of two daughters, Jessica and Nicole, and three beautiful grandchildren. Teri is also a business owner. She owns The Blue Moon Tavern in Elkhart. She finishes her full time job at Local 916 then heads home to put in more hours in the business.

T.J. Ruenger Bookkeeper & TITAN Operator

T.J. first joined the Teamsters in 2015 as a member of Local 279. She is the former Bookkeeper and TITAN Operator for Teamsters Local 279. She joined the staff at Teamsters Local 916 in January 2017. T.J. was previously a union school bus driver for over 8 years. She lives in Mt. Zion with her son Noah.