“Our Houston regional meeting showcased the incredible strength, talent and momentum of women throughout the HVACR industry,” WHVACR President Jane Sidebottom said. “The event gave attendees a chance to step back, think about their goals, share their experiences, and learn from one another while celebrating an exciting milestone for our organization with the reveal of our new logo.”

The event raised more than $18,000 to further the group’s mission. Event sponsors were Hunton Distribution, Daikin Industries, Pipefitters Local 211, and The Sauermann Group.

Attendees heard from keynote speaker Angela Gargano, who delivered an energetic presentation focused on resilience, confidence, and personal growth. The event also featured local industry leaders Tanya Gaitz, owner of Gaitz HVACR, and Connie Schroder, director of residential product marketing at Daikin Comfort Technologies, who shared insights from their careers and discussed opportunities and challenges facing women in the trades.

A unique feature of the event was a partnership with The Ink Factory, whose team captured presentations and discussions through live visual note-taking. The resulting illustrations highlighted key themes and takeaways from the event while creating an engaging and interactive experience for attendees, the press release said.