Production Manager Katie Feser Receives Manufacturing Institute Award
Click Bond’s Production Manager Katie Feser to be honored at The Manufacturing Institute’s prestigious 8th Annual STEP Ahead Awards!
We’re excited to announce that Click Bond’s own Production Manager Katie Feser will be honored on April 30 at The Manufacturing Institute’s prestigious 8th Annual STEP Ahead Awards! Katie will be one of only 130 women this year to earn the STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead award, which honors women at all levels in manufacturing who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in their careers.
As The Manufacturing Institute’s Executive Director Carolyn Lee explains, manufacturers across the country have said that their greatest challenge is attracting and retaining talent, with women being greatly underrepresented in manufacturing. Closing this gender gap would go a long way toward addressing this challenge.
“The STEP Ahead Awards provide a platform to honor role models and motivate them to encourage the next generation of women in the manufacturing industry,” Lee says. “The Honorees and Emerging Leaders being recognized are industry leaders — and inspirations to the women and girls who will follow their example and pursue well-paying, interesting, and productive careers in manufacturing.”
The STEP Ahead Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing and motivate them to mentor the next generation through an annual awards gala and associated leadership training program. The stories of these women and the leadership they show will help inspire next-generation female leaders in manufacturing and support current female talent within the industry.
“The nomination from Click Bond alone is a tremendous honor!” Katie said. “I feel that it takes a village to create a leader. I attribute this award to the continuous support and mentorship I have received from my village of sponsors. It is through this environment that fosters professional development that I was able to excel and become a leader myself.
“Reading through the list of past recipients, it was inspiring to see the accomplishments and diversity of so many talented women in various facets of manufacturing,” she continued. “I am excited to attend the conference and bring back the learnings to continue my development as a leader as well as share with our next generation of leaders.”
Katie and the other award winner will be honored at a gala event in Washington, D.C.
“It has been a pleasure to see Katie’s growth as her career has progressed, from an attentive and professional account manager for our largest customer to learning and leading the manufacturing operations that deliver on the very commitments she previously made!” said Click Bond’s President Karl Hutter. “Katie is a model of the success that can be achieved when a smart, energetic person with a growth mindset is challenged and enabled.”