WofA’s session, “Women in the Workforce: Recruit, Retain and Promote,” will take place on Friday, March 17, 2023, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. PT. A panel of industry leaders will address the importance of attracting qualified women and addressing the needs of women to keep them in the asphalt industry, while developing a culture of inclusivity. Key learning objectives include understanding why women are underrepresented in the industry, learning what organizations are currently doing for women in the asphalt industry, and best practices to apply in an organization’s recruitment and retaining efforts.

Panel speakers include Shawn Boyce, CRO of Brothers National, Latrell Cates, HR Business Partner and EEO Officer of Reeves Construction Company, Mary Katherine Harbin, VP Foothills Division of Maymead, Inc., and Ashly Rieman, Project Manager of Milestone Contractors. The session will be moderated by WofA Board Member Rachel Quam, Americas Area Manager of Caterpillar Inc. 

Shawn Boyce helped start Brothers National in 1998, and has made critical decisions along the way including expanding its services offered, surviving the great recession of 2008, and expanding customer segments, which has led to the continued success of the company. Boyce has been in the Paving and Concrete industry for 25 years. He is currently the chief revenue officer at Brothers National located in Northern Virginia which employs around 200 men and women.

Latrell Cates graduated with a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Business and Organizational Communication from USC-Upstate in Spartanburg, SC. Latrell is the HR Business Partner and EEO Officer for Reeves Construction Company, a Colas Company. She has been with the group for 17 years. Latrell sits on several committees within Reeves/Colas, including the Colas USA DEI Committee and the Women Enterprise USA Subcommittee, both focusing on building a more diverse and inclusive community at all levels of the organization. Latrell has been a proud member of WofA since 2019.

Mary Katherine has been with Maymead for 15 years, and currently serves as the company’s Vice President of the Foothills Division. During her time at Maymead, she has also served as the Assistant Area Manager, Area Manager, and EEO Officer. In 2016, in conjunction with Mitchell Community College, Mary Katherine developed the curriculum for Roadway Construction Basics—a classroom curriculum that was initially taught by herself and various Maymead managers and has been used throughout North Carolina by the Board of Workforce Development, to prepare individuals to enter the construction industry. In November 2017, Mary Katherine helped found Western Carolina Safety, LLC, to provide traffic control services for Maymead, Inc.’s highway construction projects. Since 2018, this company has been tasked with providing advanced work zone signs, highway closures, and traffic diversions on projects located throughout western North Carolina. Mary Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science from Furman University. She has found a passion for workforce development—specifically working to develop the role of women in the asphalt industry. Most notably, she started an all-women’s paving crew to help attract women into the construction trades and has become a nationally recognized speaker on the topic. Mary Katherine is an active member of the Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association Executive Committee, serving as its 2022 Vice President and 2023 President. 

Ashly Rieman graduated with a degree in Construction Engineering Management. Ashly started out interning for the Heritage Group in the asphalt mix design lab. She later transitioned to Milestone Contractors and became full time in 2018. Ashly is a Project Manager for the general construction division, and is currently working on the I-69 finish line project as the pavement coordinator. She enjoys working with every division in road construction, but holds a special place for asphalt. She advocates for those in the field any chance she gets.

With 20 years of experience at Caterpillar Inc., Rachel Quam’s career has spanned roles in engineering, sales, strategy, and leadership. She leads a team focused on dealer and customer training, customer experience, prioritizing product needs/gaps within the regions, and driving profitable growth aligned with the enterprise goals. She holds an MBA from Bradley University and an electrical engineering degree from South Dakota State University. Quam is highly engaged in Society of Women Engineers, Women’s Initiative Network (a Caterpillar Inc. employee resource group), and Women of Asphalt, proudly helping launch the Women of Asphalt Minnesota/Dakota Branch and serving as the Vice Chairwoman.

Please note additional registration is required to attend this session. Visit: www.conexpoconagg.com