STEP Awards recognize women in manufacturing.
Press Release Summary:
The Manufacturing Institute, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, University of Phoenix, and Deloitte announced recipients of first Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Awards, which honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of manufacturing industry, from factory-floor to C suite. Awards are part of larger STEP Ahead initiative launched to examine and promote the role of women in manufacturing.
Original Press Release:
Women in Manufacturing STEP Awards Recognize 122 Women for Excellence in Manufacturing
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Â The Manufacturing Institute, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, University of Phoenix, and Deloitte today announced the recipients of the first Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Awards. The inaugural STEP Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the C suite.
“These 122 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, president, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”
The STEP Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and best practices for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.
“The STEP Ahead initiative was founded to change perceptions of the manufacturing industry and create new opportunities for women in the sector,” said Latondra Newton, group vice president at Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and chairwoman of the STEP Ahead initiative. “This initiative is the call for action to transform the face of today's manufacturing talent and ensure that women can contribute to the future of this industry.”
“The stories of these 122 women—and the leadership they demonstrate in a diversity of careers—are also meant to inspire the next generation of women leaders in manufacturing,” said Tim Welsh, SVP National Industry Strategy Group, University of Phoenix. “We must empower today’s leaders to help attract and educate our future workforce to keep our manufacturing base and our economy competitive.”
A recent survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that nearly 70 percent of American manufacturing companies have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers. Manufacturing companies cannot fill as many as 600,000 skilled positions, even as unemployment numbers hover at historically high levels.
“As the nation emerges from the recession, we know that manufacturing is critical to our economy, and critical to the success of each manufacturer is a high-quality workforce,” said Mark C. Tomlinson, executive director/CEO, SME. “By telling the stories of real women in manufacturing, we not only will celebrate great careers, but also make a profound public statement about the significance of manufacturing.”
On February 5, The Manufacturing Institute and its STEP Ahead initiative partners will recognize the 122 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.
2013 STEP Award recipients include:
Karla Aaron                         Hialeah Metal Spinning, Inc.                                  Hialeah, FL
Lorrie Acord                        Pelco Products Inc.                                                 Edmond, OK
Susan Adams                     Able Manufacturing & Assembly, LLC                  Joplin, MO
Tracy Albers                        GrafTech International                                            Parma, OH
Amy Alberts                         Plexus                                                                       Neenah, WI
Deb Anderson                     Summers Manufacturing Co., Inc.                        Maddock, ND
Cathy Bailey                        Modine Manufacturing Company                          Trenton, MO
Connie Baker                      RoyOMartin                                                              Alexandria, LA
Jennifer Bare                       ConMed Linvatec                                                    Largo, FL
Teresa Beach-Shelow        Superior Joining Technologies, Inc.                     Machesney Park, IL
Christine Benz                     TRUMPF Inc.                                                           Farmington, CT
Ruby Bernard                       Eastman Chemical Company                               Kingsport, TN
Allison Blodig                       Bio-Microbics, Inc.                                                  Shawnee, KS
Diane Bond                          Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc.                            Edgewood, IA
Donna Bossman                  Ingersoll Rand                                                          La Crosse, WI
Sharon Bower                       ConocoPhillips                                                        Houston, TX
Norma Byron                         Ashlawn Energy, LLC                                             Painesville, OH
Margaret Cannon                 Eastman Chemical Company                                Kingsport, TN
Mary Jo Cartwright               Batesville Casket Company                                   Manchester, TN
Dawn Cavaliere                    LivingHR                                                                  Tampa, FL
Laurie Chandley                   Southeastern Container, Inc                                   Enka, NC
Lin Chape                             Vermeer Corporation                                              Pella, IA
Andrea Chavez                    Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp                   Boulder, CO
Terri Chicosky                      LAMATEK                                                                 West Deptford, NJ
Raquel Chole                       Dudek & Bock Spring Manufacturing Co.              Chicago, IL
Nancy Cole                           NCC Engineering                                                     Fernandina Beach, FL
Martha Collins                      Air Products                                                               Allentown, PA
Molly Conn                            HOERBIGER Corporation of America                  Pompano Beach, FL
Colleen Wood Cordova      Kennametal, Inc.                                                        Latrobe, PA
Cathy Costanzo                   Exide Technologies                                                  Milton, GA
Carol Craig                          Craig Technologies                                                  Melbourne, FL
Nancy Crews                       Custom Manufacturing & Engineering (CME)        Pinellas Park, FL
Bobbi Cummins                   Leggett & Platt                                                          LaVergne, TN
Leah Curry                           Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana                      Princeton, IN
Bethanne Dearmitt              Somerset Welding & Steel, Inc.                              Boswell, PA
Vickie DeThomas                FLIR                                                                            Freeport, PA
Diana Devlin                         Spartan Motors, Inc.                                                  Charlotte, MI
Julia DiCorleto                     Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics                        Aurora, OH
Melinda Donnelly                 The Novaflex Group                                                   Richmond Hill, ON
Annette Doyle                      TRUMPF Inc.                                                              Farmington, CT
Laura Drahn                          U.S. Silica Co.                                                           West Columbia, SC
Cindy Dyrda                         Meyer Tool & Manufacturing, Inc.                            Oak Lawn, IL
Cynthia Farrer                      Ingersoll Rand                                                            Carmel, IN
Dale Foerster                       Starr Manufacturing                                                   Vienna, OH
Cynthia Fowle                       LORD Corporation                                                   Erie, PA
Rosalind Fox                        John Deere Turf Care                                               Fuquay-Varina, NC
Elin Gabriel                           Alvogen                                                                      Pine Brook, NJ
Natalie Genova                    Honeywell International                                             Tempe, AZ
Wendy Gifford                      SC Johnson & Son                                                   Racine, WI
Sharron Gilbert                     Septimatech Group Inc.                                           Waterloo, ON
Karen Gilgenbach                Airgas USA, LLC                                                      Milwaukee, WI
Arlene Gonzalez                   NCI Group, Inc.                                                          Houston, TX
Rebecca Guinn                     Deere & Company                                                    Moline, IL
Kelly Hagedorn                     Kifco, Inc.                                                                    Havana, IL
Michelle Helm                       HOERBIGER Corporation of America                   Houston, TX
Erika Hendricksen               The Dow Chemical Company                                  Wilmington, IL
Anne Herman                       Mine Safety Appliances Company                          Cranberry Twp., PA
Jan Herschkowitz                 PRL, Inc.                                                                      Cornwall, PA
Amber Hinkle                       Bayer MaterialScience LLC                                     Baytown, TX
Collie Hutter                          Click Bond, Inc.                                                          Carson City, NV
Martina Igel                           Kennametal                                                                Latrobe, PA
Mary Isbister                         GenMet Corp.                                                             Mequon, WI
Brandy Johnson                   Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. Charlotte, NC
Kellie Johnson                      ACE Clearwater Enterprises                                   Torrance, CA
Claire Jones - Barboni        HOERBIGER Corporation of America                    Pompano Beach, FL
Pamela Kan                          Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation                              Pittsburgh, CA
Valerie Kelso                        Steinwall, Inc.                                                              Coon Rapids, MN
Tracy Kemp                           Ingersoll Rand                                                             Carmel, IN
Sherry Knipp                         John Deere Engine Works                                        Waterloo, IA
Christine Kurek                     Air Products                                                                Allentown, PA
Kathy Lamb                           ADCO Products, Inc.                                                  Michigan Center, MI
Alexie Lee                              GLOBALFOUNDRIES                                               Milpitas, CA
Teresa Lee                            NCI Group, Inc.                                                            Houston, TX
Susan Lewis                          The Dow Chemical Company                                   Houston, TX
Amalie Lyday                         Walex Products Company, Inc.                                 Leland, NC
Kathryn Lyublanovits             ConMed Linvatec                                                       Largo, FL
Heather Macholan                 Behlen Manufacturing Co.                                         Columbus, NE
Darlene Miller                        PERMAC Industries                                                   Burnsville, MN
Tammie Nelson                     AGCO                                                                          Beloit, KS
Annette Norris                        Enterprise Group                                                        Jackson, MI
Heather Olson                        Incertec                                                                        Fridley, MN
Linda Palladino                     Schneider Packaging Equipment Company, Inc.    Brewerton, NY
Nina Pathy                              AGCO Corporation                                                      Duluth, GA
Lisa Pauley                            Ball Corporation                                                           Broomfield, CO
Rona Pepmeier                     Rolls-Royce plc                                                            Indianapolis, IN
Carol Peters                           A.O. Smith Water Products Company                       McBee, SC
Charlotte Pett                          HOERBIGER Corporation of America                       Houston, TX
Kelley Platt                              Thomas Built Buses                                                      High Point, NC
Angela Ramsey                     Central Florida Box Corporation                                 Lake Mary, FL
Karen Randall                        Westinghouse Electric LLC                                         Windsor, CT
Kathryn Raymond                  ConMed Linvatec                                                          Largo, FL
Colleen Reiter                       MillerCoors LLC                                                            Golden, CO
Myrna Reyes                         TRUMPF Inc.                                                                  Farmington, CT
Becky Rieger                        Braun Northwest, Inc.                                                    Chehalis, WA
Charmaine Riggins              LORD Corporation                                                        Cary, NC
Lisa Rimpf                             Babcock & Wilcox                                                         Charlotte, NC
Sheila Rogers                       PTC                                                                                 Needham, MA
Kimberly Rosenberry            Miltec UV                                                                        Stevensville, MD
Liz Russell                              Stella-Jones Corporation                                             Pittsburgh, PA
Mary Pat Salomone              Babcock & Wilcox                                                         Charlotte, NC
Jan Santerre                          Hillenbrand                                                                      Batesville, IN
Joan Schork                           Air Products                                                                    Allentown, PA
Donna Shinkunas                  HOERBIGER Corporation of America                         Pompano Beach, FL
Dana Smith                            Spirit AeroSystems Inc                                                  Wichita, KS
Erikka Storch                         Ohio Valley Steel Company                                          Wheeling, WV
Jacki Strauss                         Paulsboro Refining Company                                       Paulsboro, NJ
Betsy Sundalius                     Metalist International Incorporated                                Lansing, MI
Barb Suski                             Bison Gear & Engineering                                             St. Charles, IL
Gretchen Swain                     Air Products                                                                     Allentown, PA
Mena Tazegul                        John Deere Engine Works                                             Wateroo, IA
Athena Theodorakis              LORD Corporation                                                         Cary, NC
Ngoc Kim Tran                        HOERBIGER Corporation of America                         Houston, TX
Dollie Unger                            HOERBIGER Corporation of America                        Pompano Beach, FL
Tana Utley                               Caterpillar Inc.                                                                 Mossville, IL
Anna Wald                              Wyoming Machine, Inc.                                                   Stacy, MN
Noelle Walsh                          The Dow Chemical Company                                        Midland, MI
Barbara Walz                         Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association  Westminster, CO
Sandra Westlund-Deenihan Quality Float Works, Inc.                                                 Schaumburg, IL
Karen Wilder                          The Schwan Food Company                                         Marshall, MN
Ellen Williams                         BP plc                                                                               London, UK
Racquel Willis                        Governair, LLC                                                                Oklahoma City, OK
Lisa Witte                               Thermo Fisher Scientific                                                 Waltham, MA
About the Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501 (c) 3 affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification, and development of world-class manufacturing talent. Visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org
About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its many programs, events, activities and online training division, Tooling U, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technologies and to the most up-to-date manufacturing processes. SME has members around the world and is supported by a network of chapters and technical communities. A 501(c)3 organization, SME is a leader in manufacturing workforce development issues, working with industry, academic and government partners to support the current and future skilled workforce.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning can help students pursue personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.
About Deloitte’s Process & Industrial Products Sector
Deloitte’s Process & Industrial Products Sector serves more than 670 clients in the United States, including the vast majority of market category leaders in chemicals, metals, industrial goods and paper products. Deloitte currently provides services to 95 percent of all Fortune 500 Industrial Companies. Please see www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Industries/Process-Industrial-Products/index.htm