Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition Announce 2014 Snow Industry Pioneering Woman and First Ascent Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Amy Luther, Program Director
513-202-6492
aluther@oiwc.org

Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition Announce Snow Industry
2014 Pioneering Woman and First Ascent Award Winners

BOURLDER, CO (January 10, 2014) – The Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC) is excited to announce OIWC’s 2014 Pioneering Woman and First Ascent Awards winners for the Snow Industry.

Kathy McGuire, Vice President Global Operations at K2 Sports has been awarded the Pioneering Women Award and the First Ascent Award goes to Laura Fergusson, North American Events and Athlete Manager for Arc’teryx Equipment, Inc.

Nominated by their peers, these awards recognize inspiring leadership exhibited both at the companies where these women work and also throughout the Snow industry as a whole. OIWC created the Pioneering Woman Award and First Ascent Award to honor women who have furthered the vision of the OIWC.

“We have been making strong strides within the Snow industry to grow inclusion and diversity. Having exemplary women leaders helping to pave the way by their example and mentoring of other women will continue to build on this mission. We are thrilled to recognize Kathy and Laura for all of their efforts,” said Deanne Buck, OIWC Executive Director.

The Pioneering Woman award recognizes a woman who has paved the way for women in the industry through outstanding commitment toward mentoring female colleagues.

About her award, Kathy McGuire commented, “what an honor and compliment to receive this award. It inspires me to continue to support and help other women in the Snow Sports industry pursue their dreams and reach their goals.”

Upon learning she would be receiving the First Ascent Award which recognizes a woman new to the industry who demonstrates strong potential for leadership, Laura Fergusson said, “It’s really nice to be recognized as a woman in the industry. I owe this to Nora Stowell, my amazing mentor. To win the First Ascent award is a big honor and I definitely feel a sense of pride.”

Kathy and Laura will be honored at the OIWC Keynote and Awards Presentation at the SIA Snow Show. The event will also feature a Keynote Panel of industry leaders discussing “The Money Stash: Uncovering the Economic Future of the Snow Industry.”

OIWC Keynote and Awards Presentation
Panel Discussion: “The Money Stash: Uncovering the Economic Future of the Snow Industry”
Day 3, February 1, 2014
7-9am, includes breakfast
Mile High Ballroom

Panelists:
Kelly Davis, Director of Research, SIA
Krista Parry, Senior VP, PowdrCorp,
Liz VerHoeven, Marketing Director of AIM Outdoor Group
Anne-Marie Daschyn, VP of Marketing, Burton Snowboards

Special thanks go to SIA Snow Show and Leisure Trends, an NPD Group Company, for supporting the event. For more information, visit OIWC’s SIA Snow Show event pages.

About Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition
Founded in 1996, the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition is the only national organization dedicated to workplace diversity and inclusion by expanding opportunities for women and companies in the Outdoor, Snow, Run, and Bike Industries. The OIWC provides for professional development and women’s leadership programming that promotes women’s advancement. For our over 90 industry partners, OIWC is the trusted resource for best practices and industry models around workplace gender equity, respect, and inclusion. To learn more about OIWC and to become a new member or sponsor, visit oiwc.org. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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