2025 Fall Leadership Conference
2025 North Central Region Fall Leadership Recap
The North Central Region gathered on September 26, 2025, for Fall Leadership at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters. Members from across the region came together for a full day of learning, networking, and leadership development.
The event featured an inspiring lineup of speakers who shared valuable insights on leadership, communication, and professional growth.
Featured Presentations
- Molly Escher, The Lathrop Company – “The Do’s and Don’ts of Resume Writing”
- Holly Henn, CBA – “Understanding the Different Types of Leadership”
- Jillian Penkin, Penkin Consulting – “Level Up Your Leadership: Walk the Talk with Intention”
- Dr. Iris Ware – “The Art of Effective Communication”
Attendees connected with peers from across the region, exchanged ideas, and strengthened their leadership skills through engaging presentations and discussions. The day also included time for networking, a shared lunch, and meaningful conversations about professional growth and collaboration.
We were honored to have NAWIC National President Rita Brown in attendance. Her leadership, encouragement, and commitment to supporting women in construction continue to inspire members throughout the North Central Region.
A special thank-you to our speakers for sharing their expertise, to our host venue at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters, and to everyone who contributed to making this event a success.
We also extend appreciation to National Representative Shawna Alvarado, whose participation added to the energy and enthusiasm of the day.
Fall Leadership Conference
Welcome
Esteemed NAWIC members, allies, sponsors, and friends,
This gathering is more than a meeting on the calendar. It is a deliberate pause in the rhythm of our work lives—a chance to focus, to sharpen, and to align. Each of us is here not only as individual professionals but as contributors to a larger mandate: advancing women in construction and ensuring that NAWIC remains relevant, resilient, and responsive.
Our association stands on a 70-year foundation of advocacy, safety, opportunity, and equity. But legacy alone will not carry us. The future demands progress. It asks us to be open to fresh approaches, willing to challenge familiar patterns, and courageous enough to define what success looks like on our own terms. That means seeing beyond what was and leaning into strategies that reflect the realities of today’s industry and tomorrow’s possibilities.
Most of us here are in the prime of our careers. This is our moment to build—not just projects, but pathways. For ourselves, for our chapters, and for the women who will follow. Together, we can create momentum that expands leadership opportunities, amplifies our collective voice, and secures real influence in the workplaces and boardrooms shaping construction.
Over the next days, you’ll find practical tools, candid conversations, and tested strategies that will help you return home with clarity and confidence. But more importantly, you will leave with a charge: to turn knowledge into action, collaboration into results, and ambition into sustained growth.
So, let’s move forward with intention. Commit to progress. And let’s remember that when we level up individually, we build strong collectively. NAWIC’s future—and the industry’s future—is in the hands of those willing to lead it with courage, conviction, preparedness, and vision.
Level Up, Build Strong,
Rita Brown
President
NAWIC
2025 Fall Leadership Conference
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