Women Working In A Male-Dominated Position
vBy Brandi Bue
Women working in a typically male-dominated position is
becoming more and more of a norm, but there are still leaps to be
made. Catalyst studies show that in IT positions, women only make
up 23%. Here at Her Voice, we want to tell the stories of women who
work locally in jobs that are stereotypically male dominated roles.
Three women from three different manufacturers in town responded
to our survey to tell a little more about their jobs, Pam Erickson
from TruXedo, Inc., Jodi List from Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. and Cary
Stainbrook from Manitou America.
Pam Erickson has worked for
11 years as the Manager of Information
Technology at TruXedo, Inc. She
started working with databases in
college in the USD’s Art Department.
She obtained her business degree
from University of South Dakota
and started working in management
shortly after college. She became the
database administrator at Shur-Co and
from there transitioned from Shur-Co
after the TruXedo Truck accessory
division was sold to Truck Hero.
Pam oversees all IT and all business systems of IT at TruXedo which
include software, databases, security, data process flows, electronic data
interchanges, enterprise resource and material planning software. She
also assists with projects, writes reports, and manages the IT budget
and hardware and software purchases. Pam stays on top of technical
changes in her field by attending conferences that relate directly to
their software and reads articles and blogs. Pam doesn’t feel that she
has been discouraged or faced any issues with being a female working
in her field. “I understand business, manufacturing, and accounting
processes and have been working in IT for a long time. Understanding
these processes and how our IT software works allows me to provide
input into process improvement projects and ensures that our
company’s business runs smoothly from an IT perspective.” She works
with several female managers within the company and their sister
companies and corporate office. “They have always been encouraging
and helpful, and provide great resources.” Pam loves her job and the
opportunities it brings. “I really like to stay behind the scenes and
make small changes that can make big impacts on our employees’
jobs and efficiencies.” Pam also loves the challenges her job brings and
how it allows her to do different things
every day. “I always feel that if you
stand back and listen, you give yourself
an opportunity to ask questions and
learn new things.”
Jodi List is the Information
Systems Manager for Kolberg-Pioneer,
Inc. and has been working in this
position for 30 years. Jodi became
interested in the IT field because
she has always loved math and she
thought the IT area would be a great
opportunity. She began part-time at
KPI in the Inventory Control department while she attended college at
the University of South Dakota. Once she graduated with her Bachelor
of Science degree, she was hired full-time as the Assistant Data
Processing Manager and from there was promoted when the Manager
found a new position. Jodi works in a department of three, where
they are responsible for the network/phone system/ and the ERP and
barcoding systems. They write reports an applications and follow
through with paperwork for SOX testing and auditing. They answer
user questions. “There is never a dull moment!” During all this, Jodi
stays on top of technical changes by speaking to others in the IT area
and asking questions. “Reviewing new software and brainstorming
and more efficient procedures.” Jodi feels that “every day there is a new
opportunity to improve something.”
Cary Stainbrook is the Junior
Systems Administrator for Manitou
America, a position she has had since
July 2017. Cary first became interested
in the IT field at Southeast Technical
Institute. She earned a degree in
business but based on her interest in
computer sciences, she took additional
classes regarding computer support.
Prior to working at Manitou America,
she was transitioned into various
technology support roles which helped
build her love for IT work. Currently,
Cary is the sole IT person stationed in Yankton. There is a big team in
West Bend, WI they utilize for external support. Day-to-day, however,
Cary assists users who are experiencing problems with hardware,
software, networking and other computer-related technologies. Cary is
also responsible for installing, configuring, and managing PC hardware
and software upgrades. “I work on a wide array of equipment that can
include anything from computer printers to lasers.” Manitou America
has great opportunities for Cary to continue learning and growing. She
performs personal research and heavily utilizes internet search engines
to benchmark what the rest of the industry may have experienced
and what solutions worked for them. “I am proud to work with an
amazingly strong team at Manitou. To find a company that gives you
this much opportunity to grow is a true rarity.”
Jodi and Pam both have words of wisdom for young girls looking
to move into a field that is typically a male dominated field. Pam said,
“Always ask questions. There are always people willing to share their
knowledge, so take it all in and don’t be worried if you don’t know
something.” And Jodi said, “Always give it your best shot and never
give up. Listen closely and think things through completely. Having an
open mind is beneficial.” n
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HERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2019v21