Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. female employees have been recognized as 2019 STEP Ahead honorees by The Manufacturing Institute (MI).
Goodyear Engineer Associate Ali Ogburn, a mechanical engineer at Goodyear’s Proving Grounds in San Angelo, Texas, was recognized with the award for her leadership and project management skills. Ogburn manages a variety of capital and continuous improvement projects and serves as a test engineering liaison between the San Angelo facility and the Goodyear Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and in Luxembourg. In the seven years she’s worked at the company, Ogburn has been recognized for numerous Goodyear honors, including the 2018 Operational Excellence Award for her outstanding work in project management. She was also the first and only San Angelo Proving Grounds associate to achieve a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Within her community, Ogburn has been involved with The Junior League for the last eight years, where she served in four different leadership roles and recruited the largest new member class in the history of the local chapter.
“In receiving this award, Ali joins the ranks of the top women in manufacturing, and we are proud for her to represent Goodyear,” said Chief Technology Officer Chris Helsel. “This year marks the fourth consecutive year Goodyear associates have been honored with STEP Ahead Awards, a testament to our commitment to attracting and developing talent in STEM-related fields.”
Kathleen Slocum, senior manager for corporate quality at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., was also honored with the award for establishing tire quality practices for Cooper’s manufacturing facilities worldwide. Slocum joined Cooper in 2016 with nearly 20 years of experience in manufacturing, with specialization in tire uniformity. She is responsible for ensuring consistent quality by developing and implementing global manufacturing quality systems and leading continuous improvement activities related to variation reduction and quality improvement. A Canadian immigrant to the U.S., Slocum is active at Cooper and within the local Findlay, Ohio community, serving as a member of the Cooper Women’s Network, the Findlay Art League and the Findlay International Club.
“Kathleen is a hands-on leader who has made meaningful contributions to Cooper. She has dedicated her career to manufacturing and works directly with our plants to implement important quality initiatives. Her extensive technical experience, particularly in the field of tire uniformity, supports Cooper’s commitment to high-quality products,” said Brad Hughes, Cooper’s president and CEO. “On behalf of everyone at Cooper, I congratulate Kathleen and wish her continued success.”
The STEP Ahead Awards are part of a larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent. now in its seventh year, the awards recognize women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of manufacturing, from the factory floor to senior executive leadership. On April 11, winners of the STEP Ahead Award will be recognized at a reception in Washington, D.C., where honorees’ stories will be highlighted, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing as well as their roles in the community.
