The 1st Annual Carolina Women In Timber meeting was kicked off on May 22, 2019. The meeting was held at The Front Porch in Richburg, SC. The Front Porch offered a small meeting room, along with providing a buffet style luncheon. A total of 33 women from North and South Carolina all working in the timber business showed up and showed out to attend! I reached out to 2 women that were well known in the business, Holly Welch and Emily Oakman. I asked them if they would be Guest Speakers at the event. Both agreed. They wowed the crowd providing the group with very informative information relative to our industry!

Each participant gave an introduction about themselves. It was fun to learn about who they were, where they were located, and how they were contributing to the timber business. It was interesting to learn about the role they played in the timber industry. Each woman was impressive in her own way!

A luncheon was catered by The Front Porch. Each member brought a gift related to the timber industry and was raffled off to each member. I gave each member an insulated stemless wine glass. These were laser engraved with the Carolina Women In Timber logo by my coworker, Glenn Sheehan.

This meeting allowed for a great deal of networking. Some women had been working with each other for years and had never met. Facts were learned, ideas were shared, contacts were made and relationships were built! The women were already excited about the next conference!

I’ll be honest. I was a bit worried it wouldn’t work out. Many of these women did not know me, nor my involvement in the business. But there were some that did. I previously worked for Hancock Forest Management in Pennsylvania from 2006 - 2016 and worked with several staff members in the Charlotte, NC office. A total of 12 women from Hancock attended the meeting that day to show their support of my endeavor. I am forever grateful to all of them for making time to attend the very 1st meeting!

And just like that…..in 3 hours, my vision was now a reality! An impressive group of women working for and contributing to the timber industry had been established. I remember the drive back to the office that day. I smiled the entire way. I was so proud to have founded such a group and knew that this was just the beginning of something grand for all of us!