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Some of the most impressive women in the industry gathered in Washington, D.C., last week for The Manufacturing Institute’s ninth annual STEP Ahead Awards—the first in-person ceremony since the pandemic began. The awards, and the leadership training program that precedes them, are designed to recognize and advance women’s achievements in the fields of science, technology, engineering and production. This year, honorees and “emerging leaders” from both 2020 and 2021 had the opportunity to attend the events, as last year’s events were online-only.
The leadership program: For the leadership training program, the MI brought in distinguished experts to help honorees advance their careers in the industry.
The awards ceremony: The awards gala took place on Thursday night. Nearly 600 guests gathered in person, adhering to strict health and safety protocols, including a vaccination requirement, while hundreds tuned in online. The program featured:
The awards sponsors included BASF, Johnson & Johnson, 3M, Trane Technologies, BorgWarner and Rockwell Automation. This year’s STEP Ahead Vice Chair and 3M Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Denise Rutherford and Ketchie Inc. President and Owner Courtney Silver served as the masters of ceremonies.
Leading in a crisis: The speakers acknowledged the toll that the pandemic has taken on manufacturers and praised the honorees for contributing to the industry’s robust response.
Creators needed: Timmons, who has been traveling with Lee to promote the NAM and MI’s Creators Wanted Tour Live mobile experience, talked about the importance of attracting more women to the industry.
Setting an example: Keynote speaker Sun had the crowd laughing and cheering as she talked about the critical importance of self-confidence for women.
The reactions: The social media response was excited and optimistic—and often just plain proud!
So excited to see @TheMfgInstitute @ShopFloorNAM honor Chief Scientific Officer Ashley Daugherty for her company leadership. She is blazing trails for women in manufacturing – and lifting women up as she climbs! pic.twitter.com/sTGrNZjbwU
— Nephron Pharmaceuticals (@NephronPharm) November 4, 2021
Erika Peterman, BASF’s Senior Vice President – Chemical Intermediates North America spoke to the 2020 & 2021 STEP Ahead award recipients and shared her insights as a female leader in manufacturing on how she has navigated through major inflection points in her career. #MFGWomen pic.twitter.com/Uo5VYv3gRC
— BASF North America (@BASFCorporation) November 4, 2021
Congratulations, Victoria Tester, 2021 Emerging Leader! #MFGwomen #WomenMakeAmerica #TalentHasNoGender pic.twitter.com/7FByW76jUY
— ABB Motors and Drives US (@ABBMotorsMechUS) November 4, 2021
THAT’S MY WIFE #mfgwomen pic.twitter.com/3MJaacirgh
— GrapplingBilly (@GrapplingBilly) November 4, 2021
The last word: As Lee told the honorees, “The ripple effect of your example goes a long way—strengthening our industry and changing our world.”
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