Lorain County Community College’s NEO LaunchNET is preparing to celebrate Women’s History Month on March 28 during its first ever event in partnership with HHW Ohio.
HHW Ohio, formerly known as Hard Hatted Women of Ohio, began in 1979 with the mission to engage industry and community leaders to match women who need lifelong careers with employers who need a qualified skilled workforce.
“The event will highlight challenges women face in male-dominated occupations and fields as well as positive changes that have been made to better support women in the workplace,” said Kaci Roach, executive director of HHW.
Titled “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” the event will highlight three women leaders from Regency Construction Services, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy as they explain how they have managed to thrive in their male dominated fields.
This is the first event that NEO LaunchNET has held on the subject, but it isn’t planned to be the last.
“We want to continue to do events like these,” said Matt Poyle, program coordinator with NEO LanchNET. “We did a pop up event on Black history in February, and now we have this one in March.
“While we might night have them every month, we are definitely trying to connect with the community.”
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in PC113 in the Campana building, 1005 N. Abbe Road in Elyria.
“We had a representative from HHW reach out to us about doing a program like this and we were just thrilled,” Poyle said. “These women will be special speakers on a panel of sorts, and the event is completely free and open to the public.”
Tari Rivera, president and founder of Regency Construction Services; Nicole Smith, deputy director of Technology Demonstrations within the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA; and Sarah Wilder, workforce program analyst supporting the Workforce and Equitable Access team at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, are expected to delight and encourage other young women to push forward in their fields and leave the guests attending with a sense of empowerment, organizers said.
“NEO LaunchNET is all about helping see others succeed,” Poyle said. “We hope that this presentation can show others that they can succeed and go on to do great things.
“We also want them to know that the help they need can start right here at NEO LaunchNET where we are open to all majors and ideas.”
