When I first started working for Plumbing & Mechanical’s sister publication, The ACHR NEWS in 2014, I was often the only woman in the room at industry events. Those first few conferences were just a bit intimidating. In fact, it wasn’t until a HARDI annual conference that I first met other women in the industry — shout out to Colleen Keyworth, director of sales and marketing for Online-Access and immediate past president of Women in HVACR, for her immediate friendship then and for all the years since!

Today, when I look around the room, I’m encouraged to see more and more women in the audience. These incredible ladies are breaking stereotypes every day, and I love seeing that. I love hearing about what drew them to the trades in the first place. They are just as dedicated and talented as their male counterparts. Some have to work even harder, just to prove they belong in this male-dominated industry.