The Manufacturing Institute will award Kellie Ballew, product sustainability manager, Reesie Duncan, Shaw Contract Group creative director; and Deanna Mathis, supply chain business solutions manager with the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Award.
The STEP Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry. Ms. Ballew and Ms. Duncan are among the 100 recipients to be recognized as honorees and Ms. Mathis is among the 30 emerging leaders selected.
This year’s program was the most competitive to date with hundreds of applicants from numerous manufacturers across the country reflecting the diversity of manufacturing sectors and positions.
Ms. Ballew was selected for the positive impact she has made within Shaw, and the industry, through her role in the development and implementation of Shaw’s EcoWorx tile reclamation operation; Ms. Duncan selected for encouraging innovation and inspiring others to push the boundaries of what is possible in product design manufacturing, as evidenced by 13 consecutive years of Best of NeoCon awards for the Shaw Contract Group brand; and Ms. Matthis selected for her leadership in managing Shaw’s parcel carrier transition from UPS to FedEx.
"These women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing," said The Manufacturing Institute President Jennifer McNelly. "We chose to honor these women because of their 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 in 2012 to promote the role of women in manufacturing through recognition and research. “The perspectives, judgment, market knowledge, and innovation of women throughout our organization are critical for the long-term success of our company,” said Vance Bell, CEO, Shaw Industries. “We are fortunate to have the tremendous talent represented by these award-winning women.”
The efforts of the STEP Ahead program parallel those of the Shaw Women’s Innovation Network (WiN), a program Shaw launched in 2014 to support the development of leaders at Shaw through resources and opportunities that help women drive successful careers. WiN recognizes the important contributions of women within the workplace and provides members with access to educational resources and training focused on career development and core competencies, mentorship, volunteerism, networking and more.
Ms. Ballew, Ms. Duncan and Ms. Mathis receive the STEP Ahead Awards on March 26, at a reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each winner, including her leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing. These stories will help inspire next generation female leaders in manufacturing and support current female talent within the industry.