Women MAKE Awards recognize excellence in manufacturing

Middletown, Pa. – The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers—announced that Samantha Ortiz, lead product marketing specialist at Phoenix Contact USA, has been recognized as a 2023 Women MAKE Awards Emerging Leader. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from The Manufacturing Institute. This is very important to me because I want to encourage other women who are interested in engineering, math, and science to join this field,” Ortiz said. “Being a woman in a predominantly male working environment can be very daunting and intimidating, but by sharing my experience with other women, I hope to inspire and encourage other women to enter the field.”

The Women MAKE Awards are part of the MI’s Women MAKE America initiative, which is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing. Women account for about half of the U.S. labor force but represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Women MAKE America aims to create a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the industry.

The Women MAKE Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing and motivate them to mentor the next generation through an annual awards gala and associated leadership training program. The stories of these women and the leadership they exemplify will help inspire the next generation of women leaders in manufacturing and support talent already within the industry.

“Since first joining Phoenix Contact as an electrical engineering intern in 2017, Samantha has advanced rapidly in her young career. She’s held positions in technical service and manufacturing. She was recently promoted to lead marketing specialist for our Solution Center,” said Patricia Marrero, vice president of organizational development and talent acquisition. “Sam has an outgoing personality, is very driven, and is quickly becoming a leader at Phoenix Contact. She’s demonstrated her passion for promoting engineering careers to women through her active participation in our Women in Engineering Club and by volunteering for Junior Achievement.”

On April 20, the MI will recognize 130 recipients of the Women MAKE Awards in Washington, D.C. The evening will highlight each Honoree and Emerging Leader’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.