When BLD and I began discussing the idea of creating a women’s leadership initiative for the LBM industry, the goal was never simply to host another conference.

The vision was to create meaningful leadership development opportunities for women working across our industry. Opportunities focused not only on networking, but on building practical leadership competencies, strengthening confidence and communication, and creating community among professionals navigating many of the same challenges.

That vision began 2 years ago through BLD’s quarterly Women in LBM virtual leadership series and continued with the inaugural Elevate Women in LBM Conference. Over the course of two days, women from across the country and across every level of leadership gathered to engage in conversations around communication, executive presence, influence, self-awareness, trust, conflict navigation, and leadership under pressure.

What struck me most throughout the conference was not simply the level of engagement, but the depth of it. Attendees included CEOs, COOs, vice presidents, operations leaders, sales professionals, credit managers, administrators, and emerging leaders. Despite differences in title, experience, and career stage, many of the same leadership themes consistently surfaced throughout the event.

The conversations reinforced something I have long believed after spending more than three decades in the LBM industry: leadership development matters at every level, and strong organizations benefit when they intentionally invest in developing broader leadership pipelines and perspectives within their teams.

That reality becomes especially important when we consider that women currently represent only an estimated 12–13% of the LBM workforce, despite making up more than half of the overall U.S. workforce. As our industry continues to focus on workforce development, succession planning, recruiting, and retention, creating stronger pathways for women within LBM is not simply a cultural conversation, it is a business conversation.

Throughout Elevate, we focused heavily on practical application rather than abstract leadership theory. Sessions centered on the everyday moments where leadership is often evaluated: difficult conversations, communication under pressure, navigating conflict professionally, building trust, and learning to lead with greater intentionality.

At the same time, one of the most valuable outcomes of the conference was the sense of connection that developed among attendees. Women from different companies, regions, and career paths found common ground through shared professional experiences and leadership challenges unique to our industry.

Importantly, Elevate was never intended to be a one-time event. The quarterly Women in LBM webinar series will continue throughout this year and into the next, and planning is already underway for the 2027 Elevate conference as we continue building leadership development opportunities for women across the LBM industry.

As both the facilitator of Elevate and someone who has spent much of my career navigating leadership in this industry, I left the conference encouraged by the level of engagement, candor, and commitment shown by the women in the room. Real growth comes from real conversations.

The future of our industry depends heavily on our willingness to develop people, strengthen leadership capability, and create environments where talented professionals can continue to grow and contribute at high levels. Elevate was designed to support exactly that mission. As the industry continues to evolve, leadership development remains a critical investment, not only for individuals, but for organizations seeking to strengthen communication, build stronger teams, retain talent, and develop future leaders.

And based on what took place during those two days, I believe we are just getting started.