The Manufacturing Institute recently honored 130 women with the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington. The STEP Ahead Awards program highlighted each honoree's story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.
For the fifth anniversary, the STEP Ahead theme was "IMPACT." STEP Ahead women all across the U.S. have made a pledge to promote the importance of women in manufacturing, and have made an impact on their companies and communities. New research by The Manufacturing Institute, Deloitte and APICS found that over the past five years, STEP Ahead Award winners have impacted more than 300,000 individuals, from peers in the industry to school-age children. The study also found that, compared to others participating in a women in manufacturing survey, STEP Ahead Honorees and Emerging Leaders have been promoted more often, have a clearer vision of their career paths and aspirations, and are committed to encouraging future generations of women to pursue careers in manufacturing.
"Companies across the U.S. agree there is a talent shortage in manufacturing. STEP Ahead is working to close this gap by tapping into a vital resource: women," said Heidi Alderman, 2017 chair of STEP Ahead and senior vice president, Intermediates North America, BASF Corp.
The 2017 STEP Ahead Award Honorees and Emerging Leaders included: Nancy Seleski of 3M; Laura Fisher, Regina Molisee and Ashley Thompson of BASF Corp.; Cindy Yielding of BP America Inc.; Paige Kassalen and Rebecca Lucore of Covestro LLC; Roselle Bleile, Jerrika Hall and Romy Ludwig of The Dow Chemical Company; Ashley Mohns of Eastman Chemical Co.; Heather Robinson of Honeywell; Kendra Carter of INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA; Connie Bradley of Marathon Petroleum Co. LP; and Rebecca Stehle of MSA Safety.
For a complete list of winners, visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
