More than 50 women and men attended the inaugural conference of Women in HVACR, held September 15, in St. Louis, MO. The day-long conference was kicked off by a breakfast featuring a presentation from Contracting Business' 2004 HVACR Woman of the Year Mary Garvelink, Commercial Design Engineering, Ltd. Colorado Springs, CO. Other sessions included:

• Women in Leadership, Sharon McGee, RM Mechanical Inc., Austin, TX

• How Would You Handle This Situation? Bob Cook, Preeminent Technologies, Tacoma, WA

• Earning Respect in a Male-Dominated Industry, Kathy Crosby, Harding Mechanical, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT

• Choose! The Role that Choice Plays in Shaping Women's Lives, Dottie Gandy, Dottie Gandy & Associates, Allen, TX

There was also a panel discussion featuring female HVAC business owners, managers, and technicians.

Sponsors of the conference included Ferris State University, American Standard, CertainTeed, NATE, and Goldner Associates.

Women in HVACR debuted last year at HVAC Comfortech, and has grown to more than 130 members. Members hail from all facets of the industry, including residential and commercial contracting, manufacturing, supply houses, consultants, trainers, associations, and publishing.

The association is launching its website www.womenin hvacr.org in the coming weeks. There, members will find important information on upcoming events and training opportunities, along with a membership directory for networking. For more information on membership or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Valerie Stakes, vice president of Women in HVACR, at 216/931-9439 or e-mail vstakes@penton.com.