(202) 637-3404 ccrawford@nam.org PRESS RELEASE/media/FC222F67F41543...Jennifer Kaye Cisneros...

73310thStreet,NW,Suite700• Washington,D.C.20001

Contact:CristinaCrawfordTheManufacturingInstitute(202)637-3404ccrawford@nam.org

PRESSRELEASEForImmediateRelease

5thAnnualSTEPAheadAwardsRecognizeWomenforExcellenceinManufacturingTheManufacturingInstituteWillHonor130WomenwithSTEPAheadAwards

WASHINGTON,March1,2017:TheManufacturingInstituteannouncedtheywillaward130womenwiththeWomeninManufacturingSTEP(Science,Technology,EngineeringandProduction)AheadAward.TheSTEPAheadAwardshonorwomenwhohavedemonstratedexcellenceandleadershipintheircareersandrepresentalllevelsofthemanufacturingindustry,fromthefactory-floortotheCsuite.Forthefifthyearanniversary,theSTEPAheadthemeis“IMPACT.”STEPAheadwomenallacrosstheU.S.havemadeapledgetopromotetheimportanceofwomeninmanufacturing,andhavemadeanimpactontheircompaniesandcommunities.NewresearchbyTheManufacturingInstitute,DeloitteandAPICSSupplyChainCouncilfoundthatcomparedtoothersparticipatinginawomeninmanufacturingsurvey,STEPAheadHonoreesandEmergingLeadershavebeenpromotedmoreoften,haveaclearervisionoftheircareerpathandaspirations,andarecommittedtoencouragingfuturegenerationofwomentopursueacareerinmanufacturing.Thefullreportwillbereleasedatthe2017STEPAheadAwards,andwillincludedataontheimpactofwomeninmanufacturing,aswellastheimpactSTEPAheadhashadontheindustry.“Congratulationstotheseoutstandingleaders.Thesewomenaremakinghugestridesinthisindustryandaredemonstratingwhatmodernmanufacturingcareersentail–rewardingandfulfillingcareerswithlimitlessopportunityforgrowth.Today’smanufacturingemployeesarebuildinganddesigningthefuture,andthe130womenbeingawardedaretheambassadorstomovethisindustryforward,"saidJayTimmons,presidentandCEO,NationalAssociationofManufacturers.TheSTEPAheadAwards,partofthelargerSTEPAheadinitiative,launchedtoexamineandpromotetheroleofwomeninthemanufacturingindustrythroughrecognition,research,andleadershipforattracting,advancing,andretainingstrongfemaletalent.IntheSkillsGap:2015andBeyondstudy,TheManufacturingInstituteandDeloittefoundthat80percentofAmericanmanufacturingcompanieshaveamoderatetosevereshortageofavailable,qualifiedworkers,andlessthanathirdofthemanufacturingworkforcearewomen.And,accordingtonewwomeninmanufacturingresearchconductedbyTheManufacturingInstitute,DeloitteandAPICSSupplyChainCouncil,lessthan10percentofwomenchosetraditionalmanufacturingindustriesasthebestinattractingandretrainingwomen.Closingtheskillsgapincludesclosingthegendergap.

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OnApril20,TheManufacturingInstitutewillrecognize130recipientsoftheSTEPAheadAwardsatareceptioninWashington,D.C.TheSTEPAheadAwardsprogramwillhighlighteachhonoree’sstory,includingtheirleadershipandaccomplishmentsinmanufacturing.“Thesewomenexemplifythepathanexcitingcareerinmanufacturingcantake,”saidHeidiAlderman,2017ChairofSTEPAheadandSeniorVicePresidentofIntermediatesNorthAmerica,BASFCorporationandSTEPAheadChair."STEPAheadrecognizeswomennationwidefortheirsignificantachievementstothefieldofmanufacturing,andthepositiveimpactontheircompaniesandtheindustryasawhole."LearnmoreaboutTheManufacturingInstitute’scontinuedleadershiponwomeninmanufacturinghere.MEDIARSVP:MembersofthemediainterestedincoveringorattendingtheawardsgalashouldcontactCristinaCrawfordatccrawford@nam.org.Tolearnmoreaboutthe2017STEPAheadAwards,clickhere.

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AboutTheManufacturingInstitute

TheManufacturingInstitute(theInstitute)isthe501(c)(3)affiliateoftheNationalAssociationofManufacturers.Asanon-partisan

organization,theInstituteiscommittedtodeliveringleading-edgeinformationandservicestothenation'smanufacturers.TheInstituteis

theauthorityontheattraction,qualificationanddevelopmentofworld-classmanufacturingtalent.Formoreinformation,pleasevisit

www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

HonoreesandEmergingLeadersarehonoredwithacustomcrystalaward.PhotobyDavidBohrer/NationalAssoc.ofManufacturers

*AsteriskindicatesanEmergingLeader

KristenActis-GrandeIngersollRandRekaAczelJabilCircuit,Inc.FranciscaKokuiAdesokan*Pratt&WhitneyTaylorAmponin*NewportNewsShipbuildingBrigitAnthonyCooperStandardAutomotiveNoraArellanoToyotaTechnicalCenter(TTC)LauraBasaraLAMATEK,Inc.KimberleyBencaLORDCorporationEricaBenischIntelCorporationMaryBergstromJohnDeereJenniferBiggs*TheProcter&GambleCompanyShannanBillingsShawIndustriesGroupInc.MaryBlairAccurideCorporation

RoselleBleileTheDowChemicalCompanyNickiBonczykJRAutomationTechnologies,LLCConnieBradleyMarathonPetroleumCompany,LPMicheleBroekemeierBehlenMfg.Co.LauraBrownGLOBALFOUNDRIESKrisCarrollGrady-WhiteBoats,Inc.KendraCarterINEOSOlefins&PolymersUSAWandaCartretteAshleyFurnitureIndustries,Inc.FrankieCasanasJohnMiddletonCoCynthiaCasmay*Merck&Co.,Inc.SandraChen*FacebookLuisaChinchilla*ArconicJenniferKayeCisnerosBio-Microbics,Incorporated

CarolClickOwens-Illinois(O-I)ValerieCoffmanXometry,Inc.RachaelConradRockwellAutomationAmandaCorder*LORDCorporationErinCulver*BWXTNuclearOperationsGroup,Inc.MadisenDahl*JDMachineCorpDebbieDalleyBASFCorporationStephanieDean*EatonChristineDooleyJohnson&JohnsonVisionCareInc.SkottiFietsamBorgWarnerInc.LauraFisher*BASFCorporationBarbaraFochtmanFMCCorporationSueFranzGentexCorporationAnkurGanguliGeneralMotors

*AsteriskindicatesanEmergingLeader

MicheleGariglianoDoverCorporationThomyaGoodeAbbottElizabethGubrud-HoweDoverCorporationJerrikaHall*TheDowChemicalCompanyBrookeHamiltonNPILynnHancockUSGCorporationEmilyHardieAGCOCorporationStephanieHayesFaureciaCaseyHedlund*LORDCorporationGentryHoffmanLORDCorporationAmberHollandShawIndustriesGroupInc.VickiHoltProtoLabsKimberlyHowardOwensCorningSales,LLCLoriJafarjianCummins-JamestownEnginePlantMaryJo(MJ)JeromeStroudSafety

JeanetteJohnsonDanaIncorporatedMonicaJungEatonCindyJurgensTheToroCompanySarahKaffenbargerAbbottLauraKayKappler-RobertsKappler,Inc.PaigeKassalen*Covestro,LLCDanielleLancianese*ShawIndustriesGroupInc.SusanneLaudaAGCOCorporationLisaLawrenceToyotaMotorManufacturing,Kentucky(TMMK)ChristineLinderCooperTire&RubberCompanyRebeccaLucoreCovestro,LLCRomyLudwigTheDowChemicalCompanyRochelleMaciejewskiJohnsonControlsPowerSolutions

StacyMaleckiPratt&WhitneyKalyaniMallelaPhilipsHealthcareDanaManderfieldHarley-DavidsonMotorCompanyLaurieMarkoeArconicColleenMeagher*GLOBALFOUNDRIESKathrynMillerHSTMaterials,Inc.AshleyMohns*EastmanChemicalCompanyReginaMoliseeBASFCorporationNatalieMonroeRoyOMartinJanetE.MortonBrunswickBoatGroupAneesaMuthanaPioneerServiceInc.MistiNehusSealAirCorporationDeliaNoblecillaMolsonCoorsKristinOkhuysenTheProcter&GambleCompany

*AsteriskindicatesanEmergingLeader

MerryParisottoTerexCorporationMbekePerez*TheGoodyearTire&RubberCompanyDianaPetersSymbolTool,Inc.JessicaPhillipsEliLillyandCompanyMaryKatePhillipsIllinoisToolWorksInc.AmberPratt-Lum*TheRaymondCorporationStacieRampeCooperTire&RubberCompanyAnitaRebarchakPratt&WhitneyCarolineRichardson*AbbottPointofCareHopeRiggsBallCorporationHeatherRobinsonHoneywellKaraRoederTheProcter&GambleCompanyJessicaRogersMitsubishiHitachiPowerSystemsAmericasMelissaRossTheGoodyearTire&RubberCompany

LauraRuiz-SantamariaCaterpillarInc.SharonRuppelEcolabElizabeth(Binky)SargentKennametalChristiSaunders*EliLillyandCompanyNancySeleski3MLenaSiegel*KennametalTammieSiracusaWestRockJenniferSlaterJohnsonControlsPowerSolutionsRebeccaStehle*MSASafetyJanetStephensSCAPierretteSwan*HuntingtonIngallsIndustriesLoriTapaniWyomingMachineInc.JoanneTetsillUTCAreospaceSystemsAshleyThompson*BASFCorporationRobinTindallHyperthermInc.

AmandaTolhurstWhirlpoolCorporationYuliaTyukhova*AcuityBrandsKarlaValdesCommericalVehicleGroup,Inc.CaroleeVanicekTimkenSteelCorporationKatelynVara*MercuryMarine/BrunswickCorporationSharonVasherTheSherwin-WilliamsCompanyCarolineVilla*JohnsonControlsInternationalNityaVittalJabilCircuit,Inc,KariWarbergBlockEarthKindMarceaWeissMercuryMarine/BrunswickCorporationKelseyWensink*CooperTire&RubberCompanyCarolWheelerCodeBlueCorporationSweeHarWilcoxArmstrongFlooring,Inc.

*AsteriskindicatesanEmergingLeader

DianeWilhelmHarley-DavidsonMotorCompanyMelshaWinchesterBishop-WisecarverGroupMaryAnnWinsemius*Owens-Illinois,Inc.CarlaYancyKohlerPowerSystemsCindyYieldingBPAmericaInc.