International Women’s Day
In 2013, Andrea Page Lee, Vice President of Operations for Lee Antenna & Line Service, saw there were only a couple of women’s organizations operating in the vast world of telecommunications. As a new member to NATE, she felt the association should be on the ground floor of launching their own group geared towards nurturing women in the male-dominated world of wireless infrastructure. Lee told Inside Towers she brought the idea to Paula Nurnberg, NATE’s Chief Operating Officer, although the two had been kicking around the idea for years. When Lee joined NATE’s Trade Show Committee in 2014, she took the first step by adding an Administrative Track to the list of educational sessions at the NATE UNITE conference. That would be the catalyst, according to Lee, to prove that if they provided sessions for women in administrative occupations at the conference, they would attend.
“It worked!” Lee said. Fast forward to today and Nikki Gronau, NATE’s Director of Operations reports that an estimated 550 women, a record number, attended the recent conference in Orlando.
The Women of NATE feel they have set a standard for programs like this one. NATE Chief Operating Officer Paula Nurnberg said they have been approached by a number of other telecom organizations for collaborations on launching their own women’s divisions.
“We award scholarships each year to young women furthering their academic career as a stepping stone to our industry,” Nurnberg said. “We publish a monthly online newsletter to spotlight women in the industry, articles on safety, health, employee development, and educational resources.”
Nurnberg said it is encouraging and exciting to see the growth that NATE, Women of NATE (WON) and the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Industry have experienced in the seven years since WON was launched. In that time, the group has seen women play an increasingly prominent role as leaders and visionaries in the advancement of wireless and broadcast communications.
“Through the establishment of WON, the Association is proud to continue to recognize the vital contributions and continued growth and success of women in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure industry,” added Nurnberg.
The WON committee was Jessica Cobb’s initial entry point into participating in a variety of NATE committees and initiatives, which ultimately led to her running for the Board of Directors. Cobb, Chief Executive Officer of MDTS, is now in her second term on the board. “I view WON as a platform to highlight the accomplishments of women in all areas of the industry and in all stages of their careers,” Cobb told Inside Towers. “Representation is key to engagement and credibility reinforcement.”
Cobb said she feels having two women currently on the board doubles the group’s exposure and potential impact of young women who may not have previously thought about a career path in the wireless communications industry. “It acts as a reinforcement of the skills and accomplishments women bring to the table, which reinforces the credibility of women leading in the workplace,” she said.
In May, WON will hold its next session in their series of Virtual Seminars followed by their third annual one day Women’s Leadership Summit in Grapevine, Texas, on September 21, 2023. The group has also launched its new initiative entitled “Women Investing In Women” this month. The effort is an outreach program from the WON Committee to Women of NATE members to network and connect. They hope to start a program in the near future to attend Career Fairs in 8th-12th grades, and share the number of opportunities that the industry holds.
“I could not be prouder of working with this talented group of women on giving women a voice, a seat at the table, and an opportunity to collaborate,” Lee said. “We look forward to continuing our commitment to create opportunities for women in our industry.”
By Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor
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