As we celebrate Women’s History Month and Women in Construction Week, Supply House Times is shining the spotlight on 10 influential women who are leading the PHCP-PVF industry to great success.

How long have you been in the industry, and how did you get your start?

I have been in the plumbing industry for 25 years. I have taken on many distinct roles during this time – engineer, contractor, and now technical sales manager.

I got into the plumbing industry in an unconventional way. I started college as an architecture major. At the time, I needed extra money to pay for college, and I landed a part-time job working for a husband-and-wife team who had an architecture and engineering firm. While I thought I would be working for the architecture department, I instead was asked by the wife (Who was a professional engineer AND architect) to work in her plumbing engineering department instead. Well, the rest was history. I switched majors and graduated as a civil engineer. And all this because a female engineer saw something in me and gave me a shot. She was my first female mentor in the business.

What skill has been most critical to your advancement that people might not expect?

I would say the power to listen has been invaluable in the advancement of my career as a sales representative. When a client feels heard they in parallel feel respected. I once heard that top performers do not sell products, they offer solutions. I could not agree more. When you stop and actively listen you can tailor your approach and in time become a trusted advisor.

Where do you feel you are currently making the greatest impact in your organization or industry?

For my organization, the greatest impact I am currently making is at the intersection of my technical knowledge and relationship building. By combining my background in engineering and construction with sales, I can bridge the gap between design intent and real-world applications. In doing so I have gained the trust of my clients and built stronger relationships.

For my industry, the greatest impact is serving as a mentor to the next generation of women in the industry. As the Region 3 Liaison for Women of ASPE (American Society of plumbing Engineers) I try to create a space for women to grow confidently by sharing my real-world experience, encouraging leadership development, and fostering supportive networks across chapters.

Where do you see the most opportunity for growth in our industry?

While I feel it's still in its infancy stages of acceptance for the plumbing industry, I really do believe that embracing and understanding AI is where the future lies. At first, I really resisted even acknowledging AI was a viable tool. Now, however, I understand it is a powerful tool that can, for example assist in analyzing customer data, forecasting demand, and personalizing outreach. This in turn allows sales professionals to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time building relationships.