Ferguson and NAWIC Leadership Academy for Women in the Trades
Ferguson has partnered with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to send 15 women through their leadership academy.
During the three-month series, participants take part in courses that cover topics such as transformational leadership, brand building, goal setting for career progression and more. Founded in 1953 and with over 115 chapters across the U.S., NAWIC is committed to championing women to impact the future of the trades industry, making them the perfect Ferguson partner for this opportunity.
Women represent less than 10% of the workforce in the trades industry. By 2029, there will be an estimated 1.4 million skilled trades job openings, which are prime positions for women to close the gap. According to a survey from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and Ambition Theory, 88% of women the trades are currently in, or would like to be in, a leadership role during their careers.
The NAWIC Leadership Academy helps prepare women to occupy and lead in this space, and the participants could not be more excited to get involved.
Meet the trade professionals
As Ferguson customers and professionals in the trades, each woman has a personal connection to the opportunity. See what 14 of these participants had to say about taking part in the program:
Molly Persigehl
Expediting lead
“I am most excited to represent my company and learn more about how I can use my strengths and leadership style to empower other women on my team to grow into their roles as leaders.”
Allie Perez
Chief marketing officer / Founder of Texas Women in Trades
“I’m most excited about learning from the industry leaders, speakers, presenters and resources that the NAWIC Leadership Academy will offer. This is a great opportunity to learn from others in this industry, in similar positions, as well.”
Anna Hamilton
Regional facilities manager
“What excites me most about NAWIC Leadership training is the opportunity to enhance my leadership skills and become a more effective guide for my teams. I’m eager to learn new strategies and insights that will help me support my colleagues better and drive our collective success.”
Julene Arregui
Vice president
“I'm excited about developing leadership abilities that have made me understand that my characteristics as a woman are not bad, that our sensibility and care about others are good, and that what I need the most is to understand the impostor syndrome. Once I have this knowledge, I will have a tremendous tool to help my daughters and all the women in my team to believe in themselves.”
Katie Byrd
CEO
“Participating in the NAWIC Leadership Academy is an opportunity to grow my strengths as a leader and build on the foundation I have developed. What is most exciting is meeting other women in similar roles to mine and developing relationships with them.”
Kayley Villegas
Construction manager
“With my participation in the NAWIC Leadership Academy, I am excited to be able to expand my knowledge base as well as meet other individuals within similar fields.”
Linda Cudmore
Buyer
“I am really looking forward to being a part of the next Leadership Academy and learning everything it has to offer.”
Meredith Butler
Assistant project manager
“I look forward to growing my leadership skills to better support other women in construction. It's my goal to come out of the program with the ability to lead with tact, confidence and humility that inspires women to pursue a career in construction.”
Rachel Duggan
Business owner
“I’m excited to participate in the NAWIC Leadership Academy so I can meet other like-minded females in a ‘man’s world’ so we can help support each other and help grow our respective businesses as women leaders.”
Renee Lenox
Business operations manager
“I'm excited to participate in the NAWIC Leadership Academy because I’ve never had the opportunity to engage in such an extensive leadership training program before, having only done smaller-scale classes. At this point in my career, I’m ready to level up, and I believe this academy will be the perfect platform to help me grow and refine my leadership skills.”
Sarah Smith
Service manager
“What excites me most about participating in the NAWIC Leadership Academy is the chance to better myself as a leader. There is typically not much opportunity for people at the leadership level to receive training, feedback or inspiration for their roles. A message that we preach to our employees that I think is also important for a leader is to recognize that there is always room for improvement, both professionally and personally.”
Skylar Halpin
Owner and general manager
“I am excited to participate in the NAWIC Leadership Academy because I believe there’s no better way to grow than to surround yourself with people who can challenge you and give you a new perspective. After all, any personal growth I can invest into my company directly benefits both our employees and customers.”
Stephanie Hadley
Community manager
“I am extremely honored for the opportunity to learn with and from like-minded women in our industry. In an existence where I am consistently vying for my validity in the industry, learning from the experiences of others before me will provide invaluable skills.”
Shelly Kalb
Vertical design manager
“I am excited to find my voice as a leader and meet other women who strive to do the same!”