May 24, 2024 – Oregon Women in Lumber (OWL), a new coalition dedicated to championing and elevating women in the forest sector, held its inaugural workshop, “How Women Rise,” in Portland, OR on May 16, 2024. The event was attended by 100 women from the Pacific Northwest forest sector, representing forestry, manufacturing, sales, international trade and a variety of related fields.
The workshop, led by Stefanie Couch of Build Women, focused on helping women break through the unique barriers they face in their professional lives, allowing them to take control of their careers and rise to new heights of success.
The event also featured a panel discussion with five esteemed women leaders from the forest products sector. These included Lea Eastman, National Accounts Manager with Hampton Lumber, Terry Haddix, Operations Manager with Patrick Lumber, Jill Bell, Area Manager with Weyerhaeuser, Tiffany Roddy, Government Affairs Manager with Roseburg Forest Products, and Lois Perdue, Mill Manager for Hampton Lumber. The panelists shared their experiences, insights, and advice, providing valuable guidance to those at the beginning of their careers. The panel emphasized the importance of networking, mentorship, and continuous personal development.
OWL, founded by Tara Takano and Kristin Rasmussen of Hampton Lumber, Julie Woodward of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, and Terry Haddix of Patrick Lumber, aims to support and elevate women in the forest products industry by providing networking, skill-building, and mentoring opportunities. Through events like the “How Women Rise” workshop, OWL strives to cultivate an environment where women can thrive and lead.
“We are thrilled with the success of our first workshop. The enthusiasm and engagement from attendees have been incredible. It’s inspiring to see so many women come together to support each other and grow both personally and professionally,” said Tara Takano.
The workshop was made possible thanks to the support of OWL’s sponsors Hampton Lumber, Roseburg Forest Products, Oregon State University College of Forestry, Weyerhaeuser, Parr Lumber, and Patrick Lumber.
For more information about future events and sponsorship opportunities, please visit OWL’s Facebook page or contact:
Tara Takano: TaraTakano@hamptonlumber.com
Kristin Rasmussen: KristinRasmussen@hamptonlumber.com
About Oregon Women in Lumber
Oregon Women in Lumber (OWL) is a coalition dedicated to championing and elevating women in the forest products sector by providing a supportive network, advocating for inclusivity, and offering tailored resources and mentorship. Through collaboration, OWL strives to cultivate an environment where every woman can thrive while fostering a powerful, interconnected community of forest sector leaders.
About Hampton Lumber
Hampton Lumber is a fourth-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. With over 80 years in the sawmill business, Hampton operates nine sawmills in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia and markets wood products all over the world. Hampton also manages a wholesale and lumber export division and numerous reload and remanufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. All of Hampton’s forestlands are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes sustainable forest management. SFI certified forests play an important role in water conservation, wildlife habitat, and climate solutions.
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