Over two hundred women and male allies laced up this week to celebrate women in manufacturing. The Lace UP & Lead conference which was sponsored by Nucor brought together members of the manufacturing industry from across Utah. Gathered at the Zions Technology Campus in Midvale, attendees connected with other women in the industry, heard from speakers curated to help them grow professionally and personally, and met with companies who came to support.
We kicked off the day with a delicious breakfast sponsored RAM Aviation. Followed by Kari Kovar, president/CEO of Cottonwood Millwork + Cabinet + Metalwork as our opening keynote speaker (sponsored by Torus). She spoke about her nontraditional path to becoming an owner of a manufacturing company and how she integrated into the community. Kari also highlighted how often women feel left out or isolated in these settings. By making all the women stand up and only sit if the statement did not apply to them, it showed the women in attendance they are not alone.
The first breakout session (sponsored by Rio Tinto) focused in on the importance of having difficult conversations and tools to handle them. Led by Martin Moore on the main stage with Jhon Saavdres leading the same discussion in Spanish in the breakout room they taught how to have the hard conversations. They walked through how to give feedback, when to recognize giving someone a second (possibly a third) chance, and when to let them go. This was a small snippet of the third training of the Frontline Leader Series UMA offers throughout the year and can bring in house.
The second round of breakout sessions (sponsored by CC Bank) featured three powerhouse women covering a variety of topics. On the main stage was Becky Marquette covering what a lot of women deal with … imposter syndrome. In such a male dominated field this is a common problem when you can be the only female in the room. We also featured Erin Barry talking about how you can negotiate to get what you deserve. As one participant admitted she didn’t even know that was an option until she was far along in her career. Our third speaker was Shila McLemore who taught everyone how to keep that resume up to date and what hiring managers are looking for.
Then we were onto our long break for lunch (sponsored by Zions), which was jammed packed. As everyone settled into their seats, we were joined by our second keynote speaker (sponsored by Holland & Hart), Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox. The theme of her talk was Show Up! Something she is passionate about especially when it comes to education. As we all know in manufacturing, we must reach the next generation while they are young and still deciding their future. After her inspiring speech we moved on to recognizing the hardworking women with the ForgeHER awards.
The winners of the 2026 ForgeHER awards were:
- Jenean Goodsell, Chief People Officer | Paramount Machine
- Danielle Hadley, Director of Product Development Engineering | 3Form
- Melissa Loader, Executive Director of Sales Operations and CX | Mitylite
- Kari Kovar, President/CEO | Cottonwood Millwork + Cabinets
- Leann Bice, Finance-OPEX | Traeger Inc.
- Kalecia Hulsey, Human Resources | Compass Minerals
- Marianne Greenland, Material Supply Operator | Lakanto
After celebrating these amazing women, we welcomed to the stage our superstar panelists who touched on topics ranging from work/life balance to owning companies and everything in-between. Always one of the big highlights of the conference as these women share relatable stories of their journeys to get where they are.
Our panel featured:
- Jhoane Robinson, Founder/COO/President | Cedar Bear Naturales
- Leann Bice, Finance-OPEX | Traeger Inc.
- Tiffany Clason, Senior Director of PR & Government Affairs | Swire Coca-Cola
- Kalecia Hulsey, Human Resources | Compass Minerals
- Brit Merrill, Partner | Holland & Hart
- Dr. Angela Trego, President/Founder | Angela Trego
- Ruth Garcia, Human Resources | Rise Bakery Co.
- Lauren Frisch, VP of Administration | Wasatch Container
- Jessica Toolson, Co-Founder/CEO | MixHERS
We then broke out into our third session (sponsored by Cottonwood Millwork + Cabinets) ending the day with some serious notes on moving forward in our careers. Megan Ware and Kari Kovar took the main stage to discuss the complexities of navigating a multigenerational workforce. Allison Christy spoke on behalf of workplace wellness. Which on that note take a moment to roll your shoulders away from your ears. Our last session was another dynamic duo of Brit Merrill and Sarah Perkins as they discussed employment law principles that every manager should know.
Finally, we want to take a moment to give a huge shoutout to all the vendors that showed up to support these women. These companies are here to help individuals and companies thrive and grow. Be sure to check them out and see if one or more fit a current need you have!
- Cedar Bear Naturales
- Altura/UMA 401K
- Altius ERP
- Utah Industry Partners
- ForgeHER: Lead with Confidence Leadership Training
- Interwest Transportation
- Utah OSHA Consultation
- Select Health
- Women in Trades
- FullRange CRM Consulting