NAWIC announces 2011 Crystal Vision Award winners

Fort Worth, TX – The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is pleased to announce the winners of its 17th annual Crystal Vision Awards. The mission of the Crystal Vision Awards is to recognize individuals who promote, expand and encourage the role of women in the construction industry. Colleen White is the recipient of the Crystal Vision Award, which is given to a non-member of NAWIC, and Renee Conner, CIT, is the recipient of the Crystal Achievement Award,
which is presented to a NAWIC member.

Colleen White, president and owner of Strategic Workplace Solutions, Inc., has made numerous advancements on behalf of women in the construction industry. As business manager of the Sign Painters Local 820, White became the first woman delegate to a Building and Construction Trades Council in the entire United States. She was also the first woman to run a department for an international building trades union when she served as director of the Department of Safety for the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades. She has also testified before the U.S. Congress and served on OSHA and EPA regulatory committees. In addition, White was the first woman to serve as director of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards, where she regularly testified before the state legislature and provided input on women’s issues for the Department of Labor.

As president of Strategic Workplace Solutions, White authored “Diversity in Recruitment and Training in the Kansas City Area Construction Industry,” a study used to set goals for women and minorities in the Kansas City, Missouri Workforce Diversity Ordinance.

White is not alone in her efforts to raise the profile of women in the Construction industry. Renee Conner, CIT, president of Precision Tapping, Inc., collaborated with fellow NAWIC chapter member Diane Quimby to start the Mentoring a Girl in ConstructionTM (MAGIC) Camp. This is a free weeklong summer day camp for young women in high school or GED programs. It is designed to introduce these young women to careers in the construction trades. Tradeswomen and other women
working in the construction industry offer the campers hands-on training, educate them on scholarship and apprenticeship opportunities, and give them an idea of what the construction industry has to offer. In 2010, 16 MAGIC camps were held across the country. Conner’s next goal is to introduce MAGIC camps to countries around the world.

White and Conner will be honored during the 17th annual Crystal Vision Awards Gala at NAWIC’s 56th annual Meeting and Convention in St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 2011. NAWIC members from across the country will gather at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel in St. Louis for the Convention, which will culminate at 7 p.m. on Sept. 3 with the Awards Gala.

Contact Autumn Daughetee, NAWIC communications director, at autumnd@nawic.org or (800) 552-3506 for more information about the Crystal Vision Awards, photos or to arrange an interview. Visit the NAWIC website at www.nawic.org.

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About the Crystal Vision Awards
NAWIC Past National President Susan Levy established the Crystal Vision Awards Program in 1995. The program recognizes individuals who promote the role of women in the construction industry through initiatives, policies or legislation. The Crystal Vision Award recognizes a non-member of NAWIC and the Crystal Achievement Award recognizes a member of the association. Since the first
visionaries were selected in 1995, this one-of-a-kind program has not only fulfilled its purpose of recognizing exemplary leaders in the industry, it has developed a reputation for honoring individuals who are committed to building a diverse work force amidst the demanding backdrops of the industry today.

About NAWIC
NAWIC is an international association serving approximately 160 chapters across the United States. It was founded as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, Texas in 1953 to enhance the success of women in the construction industry. In 1955, the charter was expanded to allow chapters to form across the country and the National Association of Women in Construction was born. NAWIC’s Core Purpose is “To enhance the success of women in the construction industry.” The association has expanded to include international affiliates in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

National Association of Women in Construction
327 S. Adams St.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Contact: Autumn Daughetee, communications director
800-552-3506
autumnd@nawic.org
www.nawic.org

This release was published on openPR.