Women in Stone Introduces Award and Scholarship

Words: Terri BernerWomen in Stone has unveiled two new opportunities to promote the program’s efforts to promote women in the stone industry.

The Women in Stone Pioneer Award will recognize an advocate within the stone industry for their role in recruiting, retain, and advancing women. The winner’s performance in promoting women should be exemplary, honorable, and inspirational. Women in Stone co-chair Allyson Humphries (M S International) commented: “The Pioneer Award recognizes an individual who has ventured into the unknown to educate and empower women in our industry.” Co-chair Kim Dumais (Miller Druck Specialty Contracting) agrees: “There are many individuals within our industry who go above and beyond to educate and elevate women. This award has been established to acknowledge those individuals and recognize them publicly for their efforts.”

The Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship will provide an MIA+BSI member with an all-expense paid trip to a 2017 industry event (TISE, Coverings, or an MIA+BSI study tour). The winner will also be able to shadow industry professionals during the event, in order to gain a better understanding of different sectors of the industry. Applicants should be a first-time attendee of the chosen event, and should have between 2-5 years of stone industry experience. Dumais remarked: “The Empowerment Scholarship is designed to provide an opportunity that otherwise may not be accessible to women in the industry. The scholarship offers a unique opportunity to be personally guided, mentored, and exposed to all aspects of our industry.” According to Humphries: “The scholarship is the perfect vehicle for the woman who needs a kick start to her career and wants to learn more about our industry.”

Nominations for the Pioneer Award and applications for the Empowerment Scholarship are due by Friday, September 9th. To download forms, please visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/womeninstone.
Chairman's Message: REFLECTIONS SPANNING SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS
September 2025

MCAA has been posting lots of wonderful old photos from decades of records as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Many of these photos are black and white and show people at our MCAA events with men wearing suits and ties while the women wore dressy gowns

Business Building: What Are You Doing To Develop Future Leaders?
September 2025

When I ask my coaching clients if they have anyone in their construction company who could potentially move up from field superintendent to estimator or project manager, the typical answer is “No!” The same answer is usually given when asked if they have

Building More: Smoke Signals or Fire Extinguishers
September 2025

Ever watch a hot-potato game break out on your jobsite? It usually starts small. Somebody spots a crooked door frame, mutters, “I’ll make a note,” and flicks the issue to the next trade like it’s radioactive. By the time that frame comes back around, dryw

MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 27 Recap: Rob McKay, Chief Operating Officer at Instone
September 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Rob McKay from Instone joins the show to talk about his story as well as the processes and procedures of manufacturing natural stone. Getting Started in Masonry: Rob’s Story Rob entered the masonry field by