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moldmakingtechnology.com 33 president in March. Over the years, Francine has met with Illinois and federal legislators about rebuilding American manufacturing, and she continues to make them aware of policies that are hurting domestic manufacturing. Francine has also worked with com- peting companies to better the overall working envi- ronment for manufacturing businesses. A tireless promoter of mold manufacturing as a viable career to young women and young men chapter's ability to exhibit at the 2014 IMTS Smartforce Student Summit to educate the young adults, teach- ers, counselors and parents in attendance about mold manufacturing. In 2016, Francine was honored with the Illinois Technology & Manufacturing Association's Rose Mottl Leadership in Manufacturing Award for her work to advance the manufacturing industry and for serving as an inspiration to current and future generations of women in manufacturing. alike, including a speaking engagement at a local high school where she shared her experiences as a woman working in a nontraditional career for women, Francine established the first Education Committee for the AMBA Chicago Chapter. She has enthusiastically led that group in achieving its goals, including creat- ing a website (moldyour- career.org) and brochure emphasizing the reward- ing aspects of working in manufacturing. Francine was also instrumental in the Monika Frary CEO/Owner Thermal-Tech Systems Inc., West Chicago, Illinois "I never really gave any thought to being a woman entering a male- dominated industry." Twenty-three years ago, Monika Frary was a single mom looking to start a career. She answered an ad in the paper for a person to sell products to the plastic processing industry and was hired on the spot by Thermal- Tech's founder and her men- tor, Marshall Harmon. "Lucky for me, I not only found my passion, but the opportunity to support all areas of the business as a key sales person, engineer, R&D; inventor, manager and a lead- er," Monika says. On top of that, Harmon's complete sup- port allowed her to develop an entirely new hot runner repair division within the company. "I am so honored that he further entrusted me to carry on his legacy when he passed away from a long- term illness in 2004." As its CEO, Monika has helped Thermal-Tech evolve into a leading services and products supplier to the injec- tion molding and hot runner industries. She believes her biggest contribution to the industry is helping to grow a one-stop shop with in-house tooling experts, products and services designed to create top-notch maintenance plans that prevent shut-down emer- gencies for all hot runner sys- tems and tooling needs. Monika continues to focus the company on building customer relationships, solv- ing problems and expanding a support system for molders dedicated to using hot runner tooling. She says her great- est joys have been mentoring the company's growing team, listening to customers and expanding its service model as a leading hot runner refur- bishment service. She believes the building blocks of any suc- cessful business are the people who contribute to playing a big game. "I'm fortunate and honored to work with a tal- ented team who puts custom- ers first and is always ready for a challenge," she says. To bring more women onto manufacturing industries, Monika believes it is essential for young women to maintain a commitment to learning and exploring so they can find their passion and carve out a powerful career path. She says her job has been "a career of a lifetime," so she remains on the lookout for women to hire who have a mechanical aptitude and a hunger to create a career that contributes to others in this unique industry.