The Manufacturing Institute has recognized Kathleen Slocum, Senior Manager, Corporate Quality for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., with a Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award for 2019. Slocum is among 130 women nationally who earned the honor this year from a field of hundreds of nominees.

The STEP Ahead Awards program, now in its seventh year, recognizes women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of manufacturing, from the factory floor to senior executive leadership. The STEP Ahead Awards are part of a larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent.

On April 11, winners of the STEP Ahead Award will be recognized at a reception in Washington, D.C., where honorees’ stories will be highlighted, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing as well as their roles in the community. Slocum, one of seven Cooper employees to receive this honor over the past four years, will attend this event along with members of Cooper’s senior executive leadership team.

“Kathleen is a hands-on leader who has made meaningful contributions to Cooper. She has dedicated her career to manufacturing and works directly with our plants to implement important quality initiatives. Her extensive technical experience, particularly in the field of tire uniformity, supports Cooper’s commitment to high quality products,” said Brad Hughes, Cooper’s president and CEO. “On behalf of everyone at Cooper, I congratulate Kathleen and wish her continued success.”

Slocum joined Cooper in 2016 with nearly 20 years of experience in manufacturing, with specialization in tire uniformity. She is responsible for ensuring consistent quality by developing and implementing global manufacturing quality systems and leading continuous improvement activities related to variation reduction and quality improvement. A Canadian immigrant to the U.S., Slocum is active at Cooper and within the local Findlay, Ohio, community, serving as a member of the Cooper Women’s Network, the Findlay Art League and the Findlay International Club. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.