Celebrating a Decade of Empowering Women in the Stone Industry
Women In Stone began as an idea that has blossomed into a tremendous movement – bringing females in the industry together for education, support and sharing knowledge
Women In Stone celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Photo courtesy of Women In Stone
In 2014, an idea came about to start a group for woman professionals in the stone industry. The spark soon grew into a flame, and 10 years later, Women In Stone (WIS) has grown to include more than 2,100 members. With many intelligent and ambitious ladies holding leadership roles in the organization during the past decade, WIS has developed numerous programs and initiatives that benefit not only women, but the industry overall.
“Eleven years ago, Jim Hieb [Natural Stone Institute (NSI) Chief Executive Officer/executive director] told me he had heard of an organization that had started a program just for women,” said Brenda Edwards of TexaStone Quarries. “I was the only female on the board of the Marble Institute of America (MIA) at the time, so he asked my opinion. He wanted to know if I thought it would work in the stone industry? I said, ‘For sure.’ He told me to run with it, and I did. I picked two very talented and active ladies to head the first chairs of ‘Women in Stone,’ Brie Pfannenbecker [of Connecticut Stone] and Jennifer Sayles [of TexaStone Quarries].”
A WIS launch party was planned during Coverings, which was held in Las Vegas, NV, that year. “Patrick Perus of Polycor held the first event honoring WIS,” said Edwards. “It was a last-minute event, but we pulled 59 ladies in for it.
“It is amazing what these ladies have accomplished in the last 10 years,” she went on to say. “WIS is led by the steering committee. They meet once a year to set the goals for the following year, discuss problems and how to solve them. I have ladies contacting me weekly on how to get involved with the WIS. They are all great ladies who are leaders in the stone industry. I am proud to be a part of their organization.”
The initial core group of women dove right in to get WIS off the ground. “We quickly established our mission: To recruit, retain and advance women in the natural stone industry by providing networking connections and educational resources,” said Kim Dumais, vice president of sales at Miller Druck Specialty Contracting, Inc., also a member of the NSI executive board and original WIS steering committee member. “All of our efforts moving forward had to align with our mission, which has been our North Star.”
In subsequent years, WIS added a Vision Statement: “A thriving industry with passionate and diverse leaders.” And more recently, they created a “Why” statement: “We provide a pathway for women who share a passion for natural stone to reach their full potential and become a valuable contributor to advancing our industry.”
Susan Van Etten of Murphy Marble headed the steering committee in 2018 and helped to develop the “Why” statement. “As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of WIS, I am reflecting on WIS in my life,” said Van Etten, who was a member of the steering committee in 2018. “WIS has introduced me to many new women in different roles, throughout the country, and also globally. I have made and developed some wonderful friendships and relationships. It has been a special experience for me. I believe when you lift others up, your work life has more meaning.
“I have enjoyed contributing through the mentorship program, and also, when I was on the steering committee, I enjoyed learning from others as well as leading the group.”
Hieb looks back with pride on how his idea has flourished into the strong group it is today. “Successful trade associations either have or create opportunities for member engagement,” said Hieb. “In 2014, the NSI was considering whether to launch an emerging leaders’ group OR a women in stone group. Regardless of the group chosen, we saw huge potential in offering mentoring and empowerment opportunities. At the time, I looked at our board of directors and saw only one woman – Brenda Edwards. I knew instantly which route we needed to proceed.
“Fast forward 10 years, the WIS advocacy group now offers programs which recognize women, mentor women and create networking opportunities for women,” Hieb went on to say. “This initiative will go down in my top 10 list of proudest moments in my career. I only provided the spark which created it. The success of this initiative is because of talented women (and some men) who rolled up their sleeves and made it happen.”
In 2015, WIS developed a CEU course titled “Wine & Stone” and created a networking kit to help members build relationships locally with professionals in the design community and beyond. In 2019, the program was moved into NSI’s CEU program instead of a stand-alone kit, and is still a popular event today.
“The momentum continues to grow, as you can see from our list of accomplishments,” said Dumais. “Collectively, I think we are all so proud of the mentorship program, which started in 2016 and continues to go strong. We now offer a peer-to-peer option in addition to the original mentee/mentor relationship. We have gotten much more research driven in our peering, resulting in a much higher success rate in the program. We are always striving to improve.”
WIS always welcomes new members. “There are so many reasons to join, and we hopefully offer different programs so there is something for all,” said Dumais. “Whether in-person or virtual, we try to offer an array of programs -- spanning across all industry sectors, allowing for that individualized experienced for all women. Again, our mentorship program has been most popular, however, the Amazing Race held at TISE grows every year. Our Block Talk segments have a regular following and with new people joining every Talk. There are quite a few in-person sessions which we try to include education, as well as networking opportunities. There is also our scholarship and Pioneer program -- both started in 2016.”
Also in 2016, several sub-committees were established which evolved over time to meet the needs of the steering committee and initiative. They include the following:
- Education/Mentorship
- Communications
- Recruitment/Engagement
- Special Projects
- Events
- Internship
- Book Club “Block Talk”
- Career Videos
- TISE Amazing Race
- Legacy Series
When asked if there are any particular memorable times through the past decade, Dumais notes there are so many to mention. “We certainly started with a bang,” she said. “Polycor organized a flash mod at our inaugural event. I think it took all of us a few minutes before fully understanding what was going on.
“The Amazing Race is always a fun event with different clues and challenges every year -- the swag bags have gotten so much better,” Dumais continued. “A HUGE shout out to all our sponsors over the years. The Legacy Series featuring Brenda Edwards will always be a standout for me. It is truly inspirational hearing the stories of those who paved the way ahead of us.”
Another initiative of WIS was organizing their first charitable contribution for Dress for Success during TISE 2019. Moreover, in May 2019, WIS committed to deploying a monthly Women in Stone e-Newsletter to highlight upcoming events and opportunities to engage, as well as showcase recent accomplishments. The monthly updates continued in 2022 and are well-received.
And the planning doesn’t stop for WIS. “The steering committee does a phenomenal job each year of evaluating current programs and identifying the needs of its members through evaluations and surveys throughout the year,” said Dumais. “In 2025, we are trying some new virtual networking concepts, as well as organizing informal meet-ups in conjunction with industry events. We are also considering some enhancement to the mentorship program.”
“As current chair of the steering committee, my goal is to lead remembering the vision of our founders and our ‘why,’” said Tia Emery, controller at Miles Supply. “It’s very inspiring to see how this group and our initiatives have evolved over 10 years into something we can all be proud of.”
Influential Leaders
Brie Pfannenbecker (Connecticut Stone), 2014-2015
Kim Dumais (Miller Druck) and Allyson Humphries (MS International/Walker Zanger), 2016-2017
Kathy Spanier (Coldspring), 2018-2019
Marcella Prado (Laticrete), 2020-2021
Susan Van Etten (Murphy Marble), 2022-2023
Tia Emery (Miles Supply), 2023-2024
2014 Steering Committee
Brie Pfannenbecker, Connecticut Stone
Jennifer Sayles, TexaStone Quarries
Kathy Spanier, Coldspring
Allyson Humphries, Walker Zanger
Tiffany Aryeh, Amalfi Stone & Masonry Company, Inc.
Kim Dumais, Miller Druck Specialty Contracting Co.
Diane Bridges, Pacific Shore Stones
Kathleen Carle, JC Stone
Steering Committee Additions
2015 -- Marcella Prado (Laticrete) and Amie Gilmore (Informa)
2017 -- Jacqueline Tabbah (International Stoneworks) and Katie Hatfield (CDC)
2018 -- Karen Roe (NM Motif), Katherine Teel (Continental Cut Stone) and Susan Van Etten (Murphy Marble)
2019 – Maria Vittoria Grassi (Grassi Pietre Srl)
2020 -- Mary Gilson (Ardex), Alison Mullins (Triton Stone Group), Karla Forest (Northern Stone Supply)
2021 -- Michaela Steinbach (Mario & Sons), Tia Emery (Miles Supply), Analisa Fraga (Picco Engineering)
2022 -- Sylvie Beaudoin (Polycor) and Beth McBride (Montana Rockworks)
2023 -- Marcette Gordon (Gallegos Corporation)
2024 -- Corri Melling (Melling Granite), Brittany Stewart (Cleaner Image Marble) and Holly Rohrer (Halbert Mill Co)
Pioneer Award Recipients
2017 -- Brenda Edwards (TexaStone Quarries)
2018 -- Kathy Spanier (Coldspring)
2019 -- Monica Gawet (Tennessee Marble Supply)
2020 -- Patsy Fell-Barker (BG Hoadley Quarries)
2021 -- Brie Pfannenbecker (Connecticut Stone)
2022 -- Kim Dumais (Miller Druck)
2023 -- Katie Jensen (Triton Stone)
2024 -- Denise Daniels (MB Stone Care)
2025 -- Susan Moser (Fausk Marble)
Empowerment Scholarship Recipients
2016 -- Jessica Lussier (Granit Designs)
2017 -- Amy Petersen (Arizona Tile)
2018 -- Kimberly Hawley (Connecticut Stone Supplies)
2019 -- Jennifer Burlak (Northwoods Granite)
2020 -- Nicole Renko (Colorado Custom Stone)
2021 -- Andrea Carlson Claus (Mont Surfaces)
2022 -- Bre Covell (Pacific Shore Stones)
2023 -- Joanne Bish (DuBois Granite & Quartz)
2024 -- Anabell Suggs (Marble Today), Aya Mubarak (ABC Stone)
WIS Time Line of Events
October 2014 -- Leadership Conference before TISE East with David Mitchell and Lisbeth Calandrino.
January 2015 -- Wine & Stone, hosted by Las Vegas Rock, during TISE West.
April 2015 -- Meeting & Panel discussion during Coverings.
November 2015 -- Building for the Future workshop during TISE East.
November 2015 -- Don’t be Taken for “Granite”: Maximizing Women Leaders in the Stone Industry; Keynote Speaker: Danielle Crough during MIA+BSI Study Tour in Washington, D.C.
January 2016 -- Team Building Workshop during TISE West.
April 2016 -- Speed Mentoring Workshop during Coverings with Julie Kantor.
September 2016 – Sponsored Happy Hour during MIA+BSI Study Tour in Vermont.
September 2016 -- Increased international awareness during Marmomac in Verona, Italy.
January 2017 -- Speed Mentoring and Work/Life Balance discussion panel during TISE.
April 2017 -- Speed Networking Workshop during MIA+BIS Annual Convention in Daytona Beach, FL.
April 2017 -- Leadership Development & Networking with a Purpose Workshop during Coverings with Lucy Sorrentini.
September 2017 -- Wine & Stone sponsored during the MIA+BSI Study Tour at 3D Stone in Indiana.
January 2018 -- Career Advancement Workshop during TISE 2018.
April 2018 -- Women in Stone: A Project Model (Show floor tour) during Coverings 2018.
January 2019 -- The Power of Communication Workshop with David Mitchell & Mentorship Reception during TISE 2019.
April 2019 -- Women in Stone: An Interactive Stone Project Competition during Coverings 2019.
January 2020 -- Women in Stone’s Amazing Race during TISE 2020.
Coverings 2020 -- Planned NOLA Natural Stone Landmarks & Architecture Tour, Canceled due to pandemic.
November 2020- Virtual Women in Stone discussion panel.
January 2021 -- Virtual David Mitchell Be Resilient: The Power of Understanding People.
February 2022 -- Women in Stone’s Amazing Race during TISE 2022.
April 2022 -- Legacy Series featuring Barbara Cohen during Coverings 2022.
September 2022, November 2022 -- Block Talk: Women in Stone’s Virtual Stone Chat
2023 (six) Block Talk: Women in Stone’s Virtual Stone Chats.
January 2023 -- Women in Stone’s Amazing Race during TISE 2023.
April 2023 -- Women in Stone’s Block Talk: Live and In-Person during Coverings 2023.
September 2023 -- Legacy Series featuring Brenda Edwards during NSI’s Colorado Study Tour.
2024 -- (six) Block Talk Women in Stone’s Virtual Stone Chats.
January 2024 -- Women in Stone’s Amazing Race during TISE 2024.
May 2024 -- Women in Stone Welcome Webinar.
November 2024 -- Women in Stone Call to Action Webinar.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
