Empowered Nominations
We are excited to introduce the second edition of our magazine, continuing our tradition of honoring this year's Leading Ladies of HVACR: The Top Five and Pillar Award recipients.
This award honors emerging leaders in the home services and HVACR industries—those who are making early, meaningful marks through innovation, leadership, and impact. These up-and-coming professionals are driving change, whether by introducing new solutions, improving operations, or promoting a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.
Nominees will be evaluated on clear, documented contributions to the industry, with special consideration given to measurable outcomes, creative problem-solving, and community influence. This award recognizes the rising talent shaping the future of HVACR and aligns with Women in HVACR’s mission to uplift and empower the next generation of industry trailblazers.
Category Leadership Awards
Our specialized leadership awards recognize established excellence, dedication, and advocacy across distinct sectors of the trades. The categories are:
- Technician Leadership Award
- Honoring a woman in the field who leads from the truck, the crawlspace, and the rooftop. This award recognizes a technician whose skill, work ethic, and mentorship raise the bar for everyone around her. She proves every day that leadership is not a title—it is how you show up on the job, train the next generation, and represent women in the trades with pride.
- Manufacturer Leadership Award
- Recognizing a woman driving innovation and influence within HVACR manufacturing. Whether in engineering, product development, operations, or leadership, this award celebrates someone shaping the equipment and technology our industry runs on, while opening doors for other women to build careers on the manufacturing side of the trade.
- Vendor and Distribution Leadership Award
- Celebrating a woman on the supply side who keeps this industry moving. From the counter to the corner office, this award honors a leader in distribution, wholesale, or vendor partnerships whose relationships, problem-solving, and advocacy strengthen the connection between manufacturers, contractors, and the field.
- Office and Operations Leadership Award
- Honoring the woman behind the scenes who makes everything run. This award recognizes excellence in dispatch, customer service, accounting, HR, or operations management—the crucial roles that hold companies together. Her leadership creates the systems, culture, and customer experience that turn good companies into great ones.
- Influencer and Advocate Leadership Award
- Recognizing a woman whose voice reaches beyond her own company. Through content, speaking, mentorship, community building, or industry advocacy, she elevates the visibility of women in HVACR and inspires the next generation to see themselves in this trade. Her platform is her toolbox, and she uses it to change the industry.
The Pillar Award celebrates seasoned professionals whose long-standing contributions have strengthened and supported the HVACR industry over time. These women are the backbone of the profession—mentors, innovators, advocates, and leaders whose dedication has left a lasting impact on both people and progress within the field.
Ideal nominees are those who have consistently demonstrated excellence, inspired others through mentorship, championed diversity and inclusion, and driven significant advancement in the industry. The Pillar Award honors the individuals who have not only built a legacy, but who continue to uplift others through their knowledge, service, and vision.
There will be three distinct Pillar Awards granted:
- The Mentor Pillar Award
- Honoring a woman whose guidance changes careers. This award recognizes sustained, hands-on mentorship: the leader who takes new talent under her wing, develops future leaders, and shares her knowledge freely so others can rise. Her impact is measured in the success stories of the people she has coached, championed, and believed in, and in the culture of support she builds everywhere she goes.
- The Education Pillar Award
- Celebrating a woman who elevates the industry by teaching it. This award recognizes leadership in training, professional development, and continuous learning, whether through building training programs, leading workshops and speaking engagements, or bringing innovative tools and technology into the classroom and the field. Her contributions produce real results: certifications earned, skills sharpened, careers advanced, and a smarter, stronger HVACR workforce.
- The Network Pillar Award
- Recognizing a woman who builds the connections that move this industry forward. This award honors a relationship builder who creates opportunities for others through collaboration, association involvement, industry events, and advocacy. She brings people together across companies, roles, and backgrounds, strengthens the visibility of women in HVACR, and proves that a strong network lifts everyone in it.