President's Message | October 2020
It is crazy that it has already been seven months since the pandemic has caused all of our lives to dramatically change. I cannot believe it is already fall, and before we know it, we will be in full swing celebrating the holidays.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons as we embrace wearing sweaters, spending time with family and friends enjoying sports, having impromptu backyard bonfires, and not feeling guilty about getting in pajamas earlier than normal because it is dark so much sooner.
Of course, this fall of 2020 is different than our normal season and I hope that you and your families find a way to enjoy the changing of the seasons in a safe manner.
Last month we celebrated our 10th annual SUMMIT virtually and we loved having the opportunity to host 677 guests from 38 states and 12 countries to our conference. We appreciate our members being open to this new way of participating in events. This platform allowed us to reach so many new women and men in manufacturing and we have committed to continuing to offer a hybrid option for all of our future conferences as a way to allow people to participate in a safe, travel-free and low-cost way.
My family is heading to our first staycation since the pandemic at the end of October in Hocking Hills, Ohio. This southern Ohio beauty is only a few hours from home and offers stunning scenic hikes, canoeing and lots of other outdoor activities. This has been an annual family trip since my teenagers were in pre-school, and I am counting down to getting away from our house and home offices, connectivity (there is no Wi-Fi there), and taking this time to soak in nature and all of the beautiful wonders of this season.
While I know not everyone is able to take a fall staycation, I hope all of you have an opportunity to celebrate fall and the start of the final quarter of a very interesting year. We greatly appreciate all of your support and continued participation in our organization!
Best,
Allison Grealis
Founder and President
Women in Manufacturing (WiM)