Women in Manufacturing Bring Summit to Hartford Next Week
/The 800-member Women in Manufacturing (WiM) professional organization will hold their annual Summit at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, September 13 - 15, 2017. This annual Summit is geared toward women who have chosen careers in manufacturing and want to share perspectives and network with others in the industry. It is expected to attract more than 300 professional women in manufacturing, with titles ranging from production to CEO.
Attracting hundreds of women in manufacturing from across the country, WiM's annual Summit is the only national conference of its kind. This networking and educational event features manufacturing plant tours, professional development tracks, industry roundtables, keynote presentations and social events to expand participants' networks.
Plant tours that have been organized as part of the conference agenda include visits to Kaman Corporation, CNC Software, Hartford Flavor Comp
any, TRUMPF Inc., and Pratt & Whitney, all on the opening day of the conference on September 13.
Break-out sessions will focus on Technology, Leadership & Professional Development, Operational Excellence, and Diversity & Inclusion. Speakers at conference-wide sessions will discuss topics including “Engineering Young Women,” “Developing Your Personal Brand,” “Recruiting A Pipeline for Skilled Labor Positions,” “Empowering Women Through Sales,” and “The growing Digital Intensity of Manufacturing.”
Speakers will include Jonna Gerken, Manager, PCME Group, Pratt & Whitney and the president of the Society of Women
Engineers, and George Saiz, President & CEO of The Association for Manufacturing Excellence.
The Board Chair of Women in Manufacturing is Sheila LaMothe, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Goyer Management International, a Florida-based company. Previously, she spent 15 years responsible for the marketing and public relations activities for TRUMPF Inc. in Farmington, CT, initially serving as Marketing Manager before becoming Associate Director of Marketing & Public Relations. She founded the WiM Connecticut Chapter and served as chapter chair until her relocation to Florida.
Among the host committee members is the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. The New Haven Manufacturers Association and the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Manufacturer’s Council are among the Supporting Partners for the Summit.
This is the organization’s first summit to be held in the Northeast. The Summit location moves around the country giving attendees the opportunity to experience manufacturing and develop their networks throughout the United States. The 6th annual summit was held last year in Nashville, TN. Previous events were held in Minneapolis, MN; Schaumburg, IL; Dearborn, MI; Milwaukee, WI; and Cleveland, OH.
