Jodi Keller-Wheeler, vice president of Cicero, Illinois-based United Scrap Metal, has been awarded the 2016 Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award by The Manufacturing Institute.
The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers representing all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.
On April 21, 2016, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize 130 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, DC. The STEP Ahead Awards program will highlight each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing. The honorees represent more than 100 companies.
Manufacturing currently faces a skills gap and the STEP Awards program is an effort to entice more women into the profession. Today, as many as 80 percent of manufacturers can’t find the skilled workers they need. Women represent 47 percent of the workplace, but only 27 percent of the manufacturing workforce.
“I am incredibly honored to work for an aggressively growing woman-owned organization,” said Keller-Wheeler. “I am fortunate to have a career I am passionate about and that inspires me every day.”
As a member of the executive leadership team at United Scrap Metal, Keller-Wheeler has helped lead the company to double-digit growth in each of the past four years. A career in manufacturing was encouraged at a young age because of the influence of her sister, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, and her father who has more than 40 years of experience in manufacturing.
The 130 honorees were nominated by their peers. More than 400 women have been honored since the program’s inception in 2012. The STEP Awards call upon honorees to advocate for the manufacturing industry, mentor young women and girls, share best practices, and lead as an ambassador for manufacturing education.
Published in the April 2016 Edition of American Recycler News
