Women working in and supporting the snow and ice management industry have long been a small and relatively quiet minority. But over the past few years, that has started to change. More and more women are succeeding in pivotal roles, both in the field and in management. SIMA and some of its members are helping to elevate the profile of these important industry contributors.

SIMA has hosted roundtable networking, panel discussions and informal meetups at the most recent Snow & Ice Symposium events. Seizing on that momentum, Membership Manager Amanda Pruss, who came to SIMA after a successful career in business development in the industry, created the Women in Snow Interest Group (see below) to give women a space to learn, grow and foster connections both with current industry professionals as well as the next generation.

"In college I was one of a handful of females in my agronomy major; in work I was often the only female in the room or on the jobsite. I was never told no, but I was never encouraged either," she says. "From that point, I wanted to create an atmosphere around me that would welcome women; to support women in the industry so they too can grow their career and support their family doing something they may love."

Since starting, the group has discussed ethical leadership, recruiting and retention best practices, mental health and abuse...some serious, tough topics. The diversity of the group helps to make the conversations really fulfilling.

"We have women from all over North America. Some are just starting out in their careers, others have decades of experience. Some work in the supplier world, others are contractors in various roles," Pruss says. "I can see the group starting to spread out, and I love that! They are asking each other for help on topics outside the group and coaching one another on how to handle situations. The value of the information and guidance that is being shared between members is inspiring."

Burns Landscape and Snow Management Vice President Jillian Burns, CSP and Val Lesak recently embarked on a passion project to bring together women in the industry after being introduced by Val's husband, Scott, owner of Kasel Rocks Landscaping. They formed an immediate connection and used that initial "encounter" to create Influential Encounters for Women in Snow, building off a similar concept Jillian developed for women in construction.

Jillian joined the company about nine years ago to help rebuild the business after a major financial setback. It was during that time that she realized the importance of having a network of people to rely on.

"Hard times shape who you are. That\'92s how Influential Encounters came to be - for women to come together to support each other through ups, downs and everything in between. It's been an incredible experience for me, but also for the women in the room," she says. "One of the things I've realized after connecting with many women in the industry is, I'm not alone. I had a call with a colleague in New York, and she said, 'This is exactly what I need.' No one understands it, and you're not going to have those conversations if you don't put yourself in a room like ours."

Similar to Amanda, Val looked at the workforce perspective - she advises Kasel Rocks on recruiting strategies and saw a lot of room for growth in bringing women into the industry.

"About 10% to 15% of the workforce in landscaping is women - that can be a recipe for isolation and loneliness. The industry needs two things to get women excited about being part of it: to be sure that women have a place in the industry, and to make it a welcoming place to work," Val says. 

Influential Encounters

Influential Encounters aims to create a strong and supportive community for women in male-dominated industries, to foster deep connections and create relationships, and to empower them for home and work.

"Women in snow" is a broad term, says Val Lesak. She formed the group with Jillian Burns, vice president of Burns Landscape and Snow Management. "It's not just people like Jillian who are directly involved, but it's also those who are in front-line positions, suppliers, and those who are in supporting roles like wives and partners."

The group's first dinner took place in early December; they're hoping to plan 4-10 such events a year. Each event features a keynote speaker, and the gatherings are small to make the experience more intimate.

"The hope is people will find someone they have a good connection with and will continue to pursue the relationship," Lesak says. "Influential Encounters is about making close connections. It can change the industry if we can do this right."

Learn more at www.influentialencounters.com, contact Jillian at jillian@influentialencounters.com or Val at val@influentialencounters.com, or find Influential Encounters on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Women in snow interest group

SIMA's Women in Snow Interest Group has over 75 members who are invited to meet virtually every other month. The group was created and is managed by Membership Manager Amanda Pruss.

"When you work in an isolated market you can feel like you're the only one," she says. "When I worked for Brickman I had a built-in network to share best practices with. Later in my career I transitioned to a single proprietorship company, and I felt very isolated. I missed that network. When I started with SIMA, I wanted to create a space where women could connect professionally to network and learn from each other without a huge price tag. I'm so glad to be doing this under the SIMA umbrella - as a nonprofit, we are here to serve."

Pruss is quick to note that the group is not just for women. "Valuing women in the snow industry is not just for women to do. I applaud the men who join our meetings and want to learn more."

Visit https://www.sima.org/interest-groups or contact Amanda at amanda@sima.org to learn more.

Cheryl Higley is Director of Education and Content for SIMA. Contact her at cheryl@sima.org.