Careers for women in HVAC&R on Philadelphia conference agenda

Back in 2001, during the AHR Expo held in Chicago, Illinois, Ruth King and Gwen Hoskins – two prominent women in the field, began a discussion about the increased number of women joining the HVAC&R industry and the need for a way to share knowledge through networking, while encouraging and supporting one another.

From this conversation they decided to form Women in HVAC&R. The first official conference was held in 2002, in conjunction with Comfortech (a large American trade show). It has been held every year since. The theme of this year’s event is "networking".

“My personal goal is to create a new mentorship program that will enhance our organization's value, and offer another avenue to encourage women to succeed in our industry," said Women in HVAC&R President Marjorie McAllister.

400 women participants will be attending. They include dispatchers, controllers, project managers, marketing professionals, students, technicians, counter sales, field sales and customer service staff, presidents, and even CEOs.

The industry is also realising the importance of encouraging women to participate. The event is sponsored by Embraco, a Brazilian compressor manufacturer, as well as AHRI and the AHR Expo.