Women in HVACR - Experts & Thought Leaders

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration trades, announced a $100,000 donation from Synchrony Bank at their Women in HVACR Conference in October 2024. With the generous donation, the total endowment fund contributions reached $150,000 in 2024. With a goal of reaching $1 million to provide six scholarships to women in perpetuity, the fund was created to ease the cost of education for women seeking careers in the HVACR industry. Synchrony Bank’s contribution "Education is expensive, and we understand that," said Lori Tschohl, President of Women in HVACR, adding "The scholarship fund is at the heart of what Women in HVACR stands for. Synchrony Bank’s contribution, in addition to the other donations, takes us one step closer to reaching our goal. HVACR is such a rewarding industry, and these supporters help provide women with the education and resources necessary for success." Created in 2022 by Ruth King, Founder of Women in HVACR, the endowment fund has received donations totaling $122,000 in 2022 and $65,000 in 2023. Synchrony's commitment "By investing in scholarships for women in trades like HVACR, we're not only supporting individual career growth, but also strengthening the industry as a whole," said Curtis Howse, Executive Vice President and CEO, Home & Auto, Synchrony, adding "Our partnership with Women in HVACR aligns with Synchrony's commitment to expanding access to education and supporting diversity in trade industries." Women in HVACR accepts applications for scholarships through June 1 each year. Recipients are announced in September.

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, will host its 21st annual convention at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel in Dallas, on Oct. 21–23, 2024. The conference, entitled 'Lone Star Leadership: Rising Above the Crowd', will feature keynote addresses by Amanda Brinkman, the Creator, Producer and Host of the Emmy-nominated TV show, 'Small Business Revolution', and award-winning Marketing Executive; and, Maureen Zappala, a former NASA Propulsion Engineer and Founder of High Altitude Strategies. Women in the HVACR fields "Women in HVACR exists to improve the lives of our members by providing professional avenues to connect with other women in the HVACR fields, and this conference is an extension of that commitment," said Women in HVACR Executive Director, Amy O’Grady. Amy O’Grady adds, "Whether you are just starting out in your career or have spent years working in the industry, we believe this conference will provide you with education and networking opportunities." Optional networking events O’Grady said Women in HVACR got its start as a conversation during the AHR Expo in Chicago in 2002 In addition to two full days of educational programming, the conference also features several optional networking events, including the Boot Scootin’ Networkin’ event from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, and the Competition and Convo event on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. There will also be two evening events on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 21-22. O’Grady said Women in HVACR got its start as a conversation during the AHR Expo in Chicago in 2002. The group held a roundtable discussion about women in the industry at the Comfortech conference in Dallas the following year. By 2004, Women in HVACR was formed and began offering its own conferences. Growth of women "We’ve come full circle," said Amy O’Grady, adding "From a roundtable discussion in Dallas in 2003 to our 21st annual conference in the same city, we’re proud of the more than two decades we’ve worked to provide women in HVACR with mentorship and guidance." Women in HVACR was organized exclusively for educational purposes to further the growth of women in all areas of the HVACR industry, including in technical, sales, management, and ownership positions. Its goal is to provide its members with a variety of opportunities to network and develop in a professional environment.

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, announced that it is a sponsor of the 2024 ServiceTitan Elite Trades Championship Series (ETCS) to be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 11–13. “This competition is like the Olympics for HVAC employees in that it showcases the very best HVAC technicians and apprentices from across the country who will compete at an elite level,” said Women in HVACR Executive Director Amy O’Grady. “Women in HVACR is thrilled to sponsor such an exciting event that celebrates the skills that hardworking men and women of the trades have to perform every day to make sure we stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.” ServiceTitan ETCS series ServiceTitan ETCS series is a match of elite professionals and apprentices in the HVAC industry The ServiceTitan ETCS series is a competition of elite professionals and apprentices in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry who will showcase their skills in a custom-built arena. The program was built to celebrate the incredible range of skills tradesmen and women perform daily to install, maintain, and repair America’s HVAC systems. In addition to the competition, Women in HVACR president, Lori Tschohl, has been selected as a featured speaker at the ETCS Student & Apprentice Summit held alongside the championship competition. The summit welcomes hundreds of students who are studying or apprenticed to become skilled trades workers and allows them to experience some light hands-on activities to gain a deeper understanding of the trade, explore potential career paths and connect with industry professionals. Women in HVACR At the summit, Tschohl will give a 10-minute presentation and then answer student questions. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Women in HVACR to speak to the next generation of women about the advantages they have if they choose a career in the skilled trades,” said Tschohl, owner of Eagle Pipe & Mechanical, a pioneering HVAC contractor in Poulsbo, WA. “We’re excited about our role at the event and the student summit. We look forward to both the competition and to talking with students entering the HVAC industry.”

There is an enormous labor shortage in the skilled trades, and women have stepped up to assume many positions beyond office work alone. Throughout the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) industry, women are proving to be excellent technicians, service managers, sales people, marketers and more. Networking, mentoring, and education The increasing role of women in the HVACR industry is reflected in the rapid growth of Women in HVACR, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of its members by empowering women to succeed through networking, mentoring, and education. With a massive labor shortage, women make up a large untapped resource for a potential workforce to fill jobs Approximately 53% of the current skilled-trade workforce is 45 years or older. Estimates say that by 2022, 115,000 new jobs will be available. Currently only 4% of HVACR industry jobs are held by women, with only 1% of field technician jobs held by women. With a massive labor shortage, women make up a large untapped resource for a potential workforce to fill jobs. Members from virtually every sector of the HVACR field “Our organization has snowballed in growth, year over year, providing new avenues for networking, partnerships, collaboration and personal development,” says Danielle Putnam, 2019 Women in HVACR President. “For women excited about growing their careers in the HVACR industry, this organization supports each other and is unashamed to show vulnerability so we can better connect with each other to support and help.” The first international organization for women in the industry, Women in HVACR has 447 current members from virtually every sector of the HVACR field from technicians to contractors, distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers and more, at every level. The organization offers free student memberships as well. There are currently 79 participants in the mentorship program, and the Ambassador Program in 2019 has seven Ambassadors Mentorship programs Member benefits include scholarship opportunities, mentorship programs, a member-only online directory by state, and bi-weekly Zoom video conference calls. Additional benefits include regular updates on Facebook and LinkedIn, an annual conference, and quarterly newsletters. Members can serve as an ambassador for WHVACR and can participate in member-only discussions through HVAC-Talk (a knowledge sharing website), Service Roundtable (a site sharing contractor tips), and HARDI (an organization of distributors). The organization has awarded $19,000 in HVACR Scholarships since 2015. Sponsorship and membership have grown. There are currently 79 participants in the mentorship program, and the brand-new Ambassador Program in 2019 has seven Ambassadors and five scheduled events. Member Involvement “One of our key initiatives for 2019 is member involvement,” says Putnam. “We are focusing on this by setting strategic goals within each board committee to better engage our members. Women love to multi-task and get involved – it is our nature – so we want to make sure the communication channels are open wide and everyone clearly understands how vital they are to the networking, education and mentoring within our organization.” “Women in HVACR is a name that so many want to get behind and support, get involved and be a part of something,” says Putnam. “Member involvement is huge.” Given the interest generated during the panel discussion, Ruth King applied for status as a non-profit organization under the name Women in HVACR Women in HVACR The organization’s growth comes from humble beginnings. In 2002 during the AHR Expo in Chicago, Ruth King and Gwen Hoskins began a discussion about the increased number of women joining the HVACR industry and the need for a way to share knowledge and experience through networking while encouraging and supporting one another. This conversation between two women was the catalyst for the organization. From this simple discussion, a panel discussion was hosted by Comfortech entitled: Women in The Industry during the 2003 conference held in Dallas in conjunction with the Contracting Business Woman of the Year breakfast. The panel consisted of four women within the HVACR industry and was attended by approximately 40 people. From there, given the interest generated during the panel discussion, by the end of the year Ruth King had applied for status as a non-profit organization under the name Women in HVACR. As so it began. Advice To Women We have many male members, and even one male Mentor in our Mentorship program"Currently there are 70 or so sponsors of the organization at various levels. Top-tier Diamond Sponsors are PROPARTS HVAC Parts and Supplies, Ingersoll Rand, Trane, American Standard, York, Johnson Controls, Allied Air Enterprises, Magi-Pak, COSCO and Armstrong Air. One misconception about the Women in HVACR organization is that it is a women-only group. “Though we are a group whose mission is to support women in the HVACR industry, there is no requirement that you be a woman to fulfill this role,” says Karen DeSousa, Women in HVACR Vice President. “We have many male members, and even one male Mentor in our Mentorship program.” What’s the organization’s advice to women entering the HVACR field? “Don’t give up!” says DeSousa. “Though you will experience setbacks and hurdles in many forms, this industry is worth the long hours, sometimes difficult working conditions, endless need for continuing education and more.”