Women Leading the Industry Announces Speakers

Women Leading the Industry will kick off with a high-powered panel discussion at ISA International Sign Expo® 2019, with leaders representing all facets of the sign, graphics and visual communications industry. The initiative is launched by the International Sign Association® in partnership with Sign Builder Illustrated.

 “WLI – The Female Leader: Passion, Empowerment and Confidence,” held at 8 a.m. Friday, April 26, includes Taylor Blanchett-O'Donnell, marketing, client support, Blanchett Neon; Betsy Ewart, national sales executive, Pattison Sign Group; Courtney Rycyna, chief commercial officer and co-founder, Cirrus Systems; and Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO. The panel will be moderated by Ashley Bray, managing editor of Sign Builder Illustrated.

Table leads will help further discussions and lead networking sessions and include Tabitha Bowen; All-Right Sign; Ellen Dyar, Yorston and Associates; Amanda Hurley, Ad Light Group; Melanee Jech, ICON; Sarah Norris, Cummings; Stephanie Poyant Moran, Poyant; Angie Schmidt, GSG; and Betsy Swan, Allen Industries.

“As soon as we announced the WLI initiative, we started hearing from women in the industry who were excited about this opportunity to connect and learn from each other,” Anderson said. “The interest in this program has been high and I am excited to see how our industry can grow with this many leaders in one room. It is clear that our industry provides an excellent career path for women, many of whom have become leaders in local and national sign companies as well as manufacturers and suppliers.”  
After ISA Sign Expo 2019, WLI and ISA will host ongoing events that encourage professional and personal growth through specific education and networking opportunities. SBI has launched a website channel that focuses on news about women in the industry at https://www.signshop.com/category/wli/.