The female movers and shakers of the electrical industry gathered recently at the 3M Austin Center for the National Association of Electrical Distributors Women in Industry Bootcamp. The all-day event began early with morning coffee and was followed by a full day of industry panels, Q&A, networking and education. Current 2014-15 NAED chair, Maureen ‘Mo’ Barsema, and 2013-14 NAED past chair, Sandy Rosecrans, kicked off the bootcamp by sharing their career stories. The theme of women’s leadership continued throughout the day in sessions titled, “Leadership Style,” “Conflict Management,” and “Communicating UP.”
Industry leaders such as Melinda Reitz, outside sales representative for Graybar, and Colleen Kramer, president of Evergreen Supply Company mixed with newcomers like Kanesha Strader, a territory manager for Greenlee Textron.
3M has long-standing roots in the progressive thinking that accompanies innovation. It’s a part of our corporate DNA, and as such, we’re thrilled to host events like the NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp which bring together a chorus of unheard voices and perspectives that challenge the status quo. Earlier in the week, the 3M Austin Center also hosted NAED’s Branch Management Bootcamp, offering certified continuing education to our clients, colleagues and partners throughout the electrical industry.
Click on the photos below for larger images.
Mary Carlson, managing director of 3M, responds to NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp attendees’ questions about career growth and leadership for women in the electrical industry. Carlson has worked from 3M for more than 30 years in various engineering and manufacturing capacities, including the overseeing of her very own plant in Taiwan.
Maureen ‘Mo’ Barsema, vice president of administration, Revere Electric, Inc. moderates NAED’s Women in Industry Bootcamp leadership panel, an open Q&A session with attendees. Barsema serves as the 2014-15 chair of NAED and sees great benefit to events like the one held at 3M Austin Innovation Center. “Bootcamp networking is huge. Women have the opportunity to connect to all the possibilities available in the industry,” said Barsema.
Colleen Kramer, president of Evergreen Supply Company, answers a prompt during the morning leadership panel of NAED’s Women in Industry Bootcamp on April 23, 2015. Also on the panel from left to right are moderator Maureen ‘Mo’ Barsema, vice president of administration, Revere Electric, Inc., Mary Carlson, manufacturing director, 3M, and Melinda Reitz, outside sales representative, Graybar.
NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp attendees break for catered lunch and valuable networking. The all-day event was held on April 23, 2015 at 3M Austin’s Innovation Center and included a full day of industry panels, Q&A, and education sessions. The overarching theme of the day was women’s leadership, with sessions titled “Communicating UP,” “Conflict Management,” and “Leadership Style.”
Kanesha Strader (left), a territory manager for Greenlee Trextron, eats lunch in the dining hall of 3M Austin’s Innovation Center during the NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp. Strader and other attendees had time to connect with industry peers during breaks and networking activities, an experience Strader found particularly valuable, “You feel like you’re part of something. It really is a sisterhood.”
NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp attendees gather around a 3M touchscreen to try their hands at a game of tabletop Angry Birds. During a break, Bootcamp attendees took a tour of the 3M Austin Innovation Center, where the event was hosted on April 23, 2015.
An NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp attendee pauses at the display screens in 3M’s Austin Innovation Center. The women took a break from the packed schedule of industry panels and education to tour the leading-edge technologies on display at the center.
After a full day education and workshops, a crowd of attendees of the NAED’s Women in Industry Bootcamp gather for a final networking session. The event, hosted at 3M Austin’s Innovation Center, boasted more than 85 attendees, ranging from 30-year career veterans to those in the first formative years of their career.
Tagged with NAED, tED, Women in Industry