A parade of ‘Rising Stars’ and ‘Business Excellence” award honorees descended on Chicago this week to help advance the role of women in the industry.
More than 200 industry professionals – predominantly women, but not exclusively – attended the opening night gala Wednesday. On Thursday, the attendees – winners, sponsors, allies and assorted others -- turn their attention to seminars, speeches and strategies.
HBSDealer Associate Publisher Amy Grant described the Chicago proceedings as high-powerd and high energy. “This event has been two years in the making and we are truly impressed by the industry’s support,” she said.
“We can’t stress enough that our mission here has two parts,” Grant explained. “Encourage women to enter the industry and, of course, stay in the industry. And to help them find the people or the resources to advance their careers. And we do that not just because it’s the right thing, but also because diversity is great for business, and it’s good for the industry.”
Speakers and presenters at the Chicago Top Women event include Sarah Alter, CEO of the Network of Executive Women; Jean Fahy, building materials manager at Do it Best Corp.; Alison Dowell, general manager of Emery Jensen; Evionne Silver, VP of install business at Builders FirstSource; and Jean Niemi, True Value senior VP of marketing and communications.
2021 honorees from LMC are listed below in each of the categories.
Business excellence: Award recognizes a leader who has demonstrated achievement, growth and success in the hardware and home improvement industry; embraced education and community service, and inspired others to follow a similar path.”
Winners from LMC included:
Business Excellence Winners
- Sunny Bowman, Dakota County Lumber
- Tammy Rubin, Hughes Lumber Co.
- Sue Lords, Kodiak Building Partners
- Kelley McFadden, LMC
Rising stars: “Award recognizes a talented professional with the potential to make a significant positive difference within her company and within the industry for years to come.”
- Narcisa Cuatlatl, Ashby Lumber
- Stacy Andersen-Bivona, Nebraska Builders Warehouse
- Sally Paul, Frontier Building Supply
- Rachel Hoops, LMC
For more information on the Top Women event, visit the event website here.
