The Manufacturing Institute has announced that Traci Tapani, co-president of Wyoming Machine Inc. and a member of the Initiative Foundation board of trustees, is a recipient of the Women in Manufacturing STEP Award.
The Manufacturing Institute’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Production Award honors 160 women nationwide who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers. They represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the chief executive officers.
“My greatest source of pride is staff development,” Tapani said. “For the past 20 years, I’m most proud of my ability to serve as a role model for women. I love showing women that they, too, can succeed in a male-dominated career. Watching employees and others accomplish this is exceptionally rewarding for me.”
The second annual STEP Awards are part of the Manufacturing Institute’s larger STEP Ahead initiative launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and best practices for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.
“This is a well deserved recognition for a leader in manufacturing who is making a difference on a regional, state and national level,” said Kathy Gaalswyk, president of the Initiative Foundation. “Traci makes important contributions to the Foundation’s work as well as to other Minnesota initiatives that focus on talent development and the growth of manufacturing sector.”
Tapani was nominated for the award by Ed Youdell, president and chief executive officer of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. “Traci Tapani has worked tirelessly for many years to bring attention to the serious skilled labor shortage in manufacturing and to propose and achieve solutions to this dilemma which plagues the manufacturing sector.”
In addition to her role on the Initiative Foundation board of trustees, Tapani has served for seven years as a board member with Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs®, the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International. The summer manufacturing camp and scholarship programs of Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® provides inspiration and training for the next generation of manufacturers. Tapani has served as a mentor for camps in Central Minnesota. She also has spoken at the local, state and national levels to bring attention to the manufacturing labor shortage and the need for better skills training opportunities.
The Manufacturing Institute will recognize the recipients of the national STEP Awards during a Feb. 6 reception in Washington, D.C. The STEP Awards program will highlight each honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.