WNM 2021 Women In Manufacturing

Join WESST Farmington Women’s Business Center and NM Manufacturing Extension Partnership for Manufacturing Days as we celebrate women in Manufacturing. Manufacturing has traditionally been a male-dominated industry—fewer than one third of manufacturing employees are women. Working women who are moms and leaders within their family and community often go unrecognized and balancing of work life is particularly tough on women. Though there have been improvements in recent years, women are still under represented in the manufacturing industry.

To inspire future women in the industry and recognize those that are paving the way; we want to start a conversation about what can be improved. Join us for a panel presentation with Moms in Manufacturing where we start a greater conversation around closing the opportunity gap, showcase the opportunities that abound in the manufacturing sector, and shine light on the impact women are making in manufacturing.

Guest Speakers Include:

• Sue Mueller, Tooling U-SME, Senior Workforce Development Strategist. Sue has 30 years’ experience in the training and development industry. Sue has spent her time designing, developing, and delivering training in the US and abroad. Sue holds a MA in Sociology and has designed over 60 modules of training for use by manufacturing and service organizations. As a workforce development specialist at Tooling U-SME, Sue works to build partnerships between local educational institutions and manufacturers to build flexible training solutions that help fill the skills gap. She has been employed by several training and development organizations throughout her career, including AchieveGlobal, VisionPoint, and BizLibrary. Sue resides with her husband and two children in Sussex, WI.

• Carey Beam, President of Eelahas Resources, LLC. Carey Beam followed an unconventional path to realize her true potential for leading teams and building communities, both inside and out of the workplace. Her passion for sharing stories and articulating complex ideas give her a well-rounded skill set to operate at all levels from the production floor to the boardroom. A passionate certified educator, Carey is accredited in public relations and has an extensive background in continual improvement and quality assurance.

• Mary Ben, Mary Ben and her partner Zachariah Ben have a 5-acre farm in Shiprock, NM, where they grow Navajo White Corn. They produce a value-added traditional Navajo food, known as "neeshjhizhii." This year, they established Bidii Baby Foods, in an effort to start manufacturing this traditional food in a more formal market, and to create a new product focus on early childhood nutrition. Mary served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia (2012-14). She holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and is currently a doctoral candidate at Johns Hopkins University, pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Health Equity.

• Kristen Worthington, owner of Worthington Farms LLC DBA Worthington Pecan Farm in Las Cruces, NM. Kristen her Pecan Farm business in April of 2019. Kristen has started two manufacturing business, Angora Cottage in the early 2000s that was a yarn and fiber business and Worthington Farms 2019. She loves to work with her hands to create new and innovative products, which brings her the greatest satisfaction to help others through the process.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Please notify Holly Patterson at (505) 566-3715 when you register for the class, or no later than 24 hours prior to your class, so that WESST can make sure necessary accommodations are available. All programs and services are provided to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

The Women's Business Center is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.