Manufacturing Women's Leadership Conference 2025: Fierce Connections

Stephen Gold has served as President and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance since March 2011. Over the past three decades, he has represented U.S. manufacturers in a variety of senior-level roles in nonprofit membership organizations, including in government relations, communications, and operations. Mr. Gold is presently a contributing columnist for IndustryWeek, and has served as an occasional guest columnist for The Washington Times. He regularly writes on topics such as the geopolitical challenges, automation and technology advances, workforce and demographic challenges, and public policy.

Micaela Bomhack leads the third-generation family ownership group as President and CEO of Rite-Hite and Chairman of theifamily office, SixSibs Capital. Rite-Hite is a world leader in the manufacture, sale, and service of a broad array of industrial products designed to improve safety, security, productivity, energy savings, and environmental control. She comes from 10 years of experience leading several divisions and M&A at the company. Bomhack aims to drive strategic visioning and planning as the organization continues to grow and expand around the world. SixSibs Capital seeks to invest in companies with a long-term hold philosophy.

Currently, she serves on the boards of both the Rite-Hite and SixSibs Foundation. Her passion lies in education-related issues, specifically scholarship and mentorship. She supports a variety of scholarship programs in the Milwaukee region, including All-In Milwaukee, an organization that provides financial and wraparound supports for students to help them succeed in higher education. As their company continues to grow, it is important to her to focus and align corporate giving and professionalize both foundations.

Bomhack and her husband, Pat Bomhack, two daughters Susie (4) and Betsy (8 months), and son Jack (3) reside in Milwaukee, WI. They love most sports, with lots of passion for basketball, golf and volleyball.

Bomhack holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Kimberly Ryan has served as a director and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since December 2021. Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Ryan was the Company’s Executive Vice President, beginning in June 2021.

Prior to that role, she served as President of the Company’s Coperion business beginning in September 2015, also overseeing Hillenbrand’s Rotex business during part of that period. She previously served as President of Batesville beginning in April 2011, at which time she was also named a Senior Vice President of Hillenbrand. Ryan began her career with Batesville in 1989, holding positions of increasing responsibility within Batesville and the Company’s former parent in finance, strategy, operations, logistics, and information technology.

Since 2014, Ryan has also served on the Board of Directors of Kimball International, Inc., a public manufacturing company, including as a member of the Audit Committee. She also served as Board Chair from November 2018 to October 2021. She served on the Board of Directors of Conexus Indiana from December 2018 to July 2021.

Jean Savage was appointed CEO and President of Trinity Industries, Inc. in February 2020. She has served on Trinity’s Board of Directors since 2018.

Savage is a member of the Parker Hannifin Board of Directors, National Association of Manufacturers Board of Directors, Manufacturers Alliance Board of Trustees, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Board of Directors, Dallas Citizens Council Board of Directors, and SMU Rowling Center Advisory Board. She also serves on the Texas A&M University Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMT) External Advisory Committee.

Prior to her role at Trinity, she served as the Vice President of the Surface Mining & Technology division of Caterpillar Inc., held leadership roles in Caterpillar's Progress Rail division and worked in a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions at Parker Hannifin Corporation. Savage is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, and served for nine years as an Army Reserve Intelligence Officer. Savage has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton.

Kristin Graybill has been with Manufacturers Alliance since 2016 and currently serves as Vice President of Commercial Strategy. She leads Manufacturers Alliance's marketing, sales, and research and content, focused on customer experience, partnerships, and member sales that enhance the manufacturing community.

Before joining Manufacturers Alliance, Kristin served as the Director of Digital Marketing for Government and Healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and the Director of Digital Strategy and Marketing at a government technology-focused agency. She started her career working for a Member of Congress, at a political consulting agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in press and policy-related support roles.

She received her B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and a Certificate on Strategies That Build Winning Brands from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Bridgette Scales is Managing Director on Seramount’s Advisory team. She is a diversity, equity, and inclusion expert with experience in sales and human resources. Bridgette joined Seramount from American Airlines in 2020, where she was the human resources business partner for customer experience. There, Bridgette was responsible for collaborating on people policies, talent management, career development, succession planning, departmental training initiatives, and aligning employee strategies with American Airline business goals.

Prior to her time at American Airlines, Bridgette spent 27 years at Proctor & Gamble. During her tenure at P&G, she was instrumental in developing and implementing strategies, programs, and processes across a complex and matrix organization. As a DEI practice leader for North America, Bridgette guided and counseled senior leaders on the integration of strategies that included awareness, cultural competency, leadership development, accountability and employee engagement. This led to better processes in the identification of high-potential employees, reduction in attrition rates of minorities, and increased DEI scores on the corporate employee survey.

Bridgette currently serves on the Global Advisory Board for the Women’s Leadership Forum within the P&G alumni network. She also sits on the She Runs It Foundation board’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Kristin Graybill has been with Manufacturers Alliance since 2016 and currently serves as Vice President of Commercial Strategy. She leads Manufacturers Alliance's marketing, sales, and research and content, focused on customer experience, partnerships, and member sales that enhance the manufacturing community.

Before joining Manufacturers Alliance, Kristin served as the Director of Digital Marketing for Government and Healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and the Director of Digital Strategy and Marketing at a government technology-focused agency. She started her career working for a Member of Congress, at a political consulting agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in press and policy-related support roles.

She received her B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and a Certificate on Strategies That Build Winning Brands from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Stephen Gold has served as President and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance since March 2011. Over the past three decades, he has represented U.S. manufacturers in a variety of senior-level roles in nonprofit membership organizations, including in government relations, communications, and operations. Mr. Gold is presently a contributing columnist for IndustryWeek, and has served as an occasional guest columnist for The Washington Times. He regularly writes on topics such as the geopolitical challenges, automation and technology advances, workforce and demographic challenges, and public policy.

Christina Kmiec is the Treasurer of Amsted Industries. Ms. Kmiec joined Amsted in 2004 and was most recently Vice President – International Finance and Strategic Planning at Amsted Rail. Ms. Kmiec has progressed through numerous roles at Amsted and Amsted Rail in Financial Planning and Analysis, Corporate Finance, Treasury, Procurement, and Business Development over her tenure with the company. Prior to Amsted, Ms. Kmiec was a senior financial analyst for Aon Corporation. Ms. Kmiec earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Masters of Business Administration from DePaul University.

Annette O’Connor is Corporate Controller. Ms. O’Connor joined Amsted in 2018. Ms. O’Connor comes to Amsted from RR Donnelley & Sons Company in Chicago, where she was Vice President Finance, Head of Internal Audit. During her tenure at RR Donnelley, she progressed through various financial roles including Investor Relations, Financial Planning & Analysis and Operations Finance. Annette began her accounting career with Ernst & Young LLP then went to McDonald’s and Follett Corporation before a successful career with RR Donnelley. Ms. O’Connor earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame and is also a certified public accountant.

Erica Zawadzki is the Human Resources Manager at Amsted Industries. Ms. Zawadzki joined Amsted in September 2021 and leads human resources initiatives in support of enterprise functions and leadership. Prior to joining Amsted, she held a variety of human resources roles at Young Innovations, where she supported both corporate and operational teams. Ms. Zawadzki earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.

Danielle Kurkjian is the Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Sustainability, and Equality, at Crane Company where she has held numerous roles of growing responsibility. Currently she is responsible for developing the reporting framework for Crane Company's ESG (branded internally as philanthropy, sustainability, and equality) initiatives and staying current on all developments in the regulatory space. Besides managing the program and evolving regulatory state, she works closely with the company’s senior leadership team to set organization targets. She has her Maters of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business and a bachelors in Marine Science, Business Administration and Management from Boston University.

Kate Rodgers is a seasoned brand marketing leader known for her storytelling prowess and ability to drive growth through innovative campaigns. With experience ranging from tech startups to Fortune 100 companies, she excels in brand strategy, digital marketing, and building exceptional teams. In her current role leading Global Employer Brand at GE HealthCare, Kate connects and creates business value through the $19.6B healthcare innovator’s 51,000 colleagues. She focuses on elevating the company’s reputation as a top talent destination, aligning employer branding with the company’s new brand, mission, and culture. Previously, as Global Brand Media Director, she managed creative media strategies and played a key role in GE HealthCare’s historic spin-off and rebrand, overseeing standout campaigns like the New York Times takeover and Care that Can. Prior to her multiple leadership roles throughout GE HealthCare, Kate led brand marketing for a SaaS company, leading their strategic rebrand, building out their marketing organization, and guiding their $100M acquisition.
 

Kate is a proud University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, a dance teacher, yogi, and concert connoisseur (175 and counting).

Aurra Fellows is an experienced trial attorney, negotiation trainer and career coach with expertise in helping clients align their purpose and vision with concrete and actionable strategic planning. Previously, she was a sociated with Vinson & Elkins LLP and served in multiple leadership positions. She has litigated a wide variety of commercial disputes in federal and state courts, and private arbitrations, and assisted clients with internal and governmental investigations.

Aurra has spent the last decade working with Columbia Law School training students, lawyers and diplomats in negotiation and conflict resolution. She is a distinguished graduate of Rice University, followed by Columbia Law School (2016), where she was designated a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar and awarded the Jane Marks Murphy Prize for exceptional interest and proficiency in advocacy in clinical offerings. During law school, Aurra had the privilege of serving as President of Columbia Law School’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA). During her service, Columbia’s BLSA was awarded “Best Overall Advocacy” for the organization’s work surrounding issues of diversity and inclusion on campus. Aurra has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), as well as a “One to Watch,” from Commercial Litigation (Houston), in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, she was recognized by National Black Lawyers as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” in Texas, 2019.

Aurra enjoys working with firms committed to equity, and empowering lawyers in their careers. In her spare time, she has volunteered for the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas, and the Greater Houston Partnership. She has been a competitive tennis player for most of her life, and her other hobbies include creative writing, philosophy, and reading transformative works.
 

Stephen Gold has served as President and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance since March 2011. Over the past three decades, he has represented U.S. manufacturers in a variety of senior-level roles in nonprofit membership organizations, including in government relations, communications, and operations. Mr. Gold is presently a contributing columnist for IndustryWeek, and has served as an occasional guest columnist for The Washington Times. He regularly writes on topics such as the geopolitical challenges, automation and technology advances, workforce and demographic challenges, and public policy.

Kuhrt has extensive experience over her 26-year career at Lincoln Electric, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. She formerly served as the Company’s Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President, Tax. Prior to joining Lincoln Electric, she held leadership roles in Tax at Elsag Bailey Process Automation (a unit of ABB) and at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accountancy from Case Western Reserve University.

Stephen Gold has served as President and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance since March 2011. Over the past three decades, he has represented U.S. manufacturers in a variety of senior-level roles in nonprofit membership organizations, including in government relations, communications, and operations. Mr. Gold is presently a contributing columnist for IndustryWeek, and has served as an occasional guest columnist for The Washington Times. He regularly writes on topics such as the geopolitical challenges, automation and technology advances, workforce and demographic challenges, and public policy.

Jana Croom is the Chief Financial Officer for Kimball Electronics, a global electronics manufacturing company (Nasdaq: KE). Croom is a trusted leader with 20 + years of strategy, finance, operations, regulatory and transformation experience. Croom prides herself on being a people champion who understands that financial success is human centered. As a C-suite executive, Jana drives strategic focus and prioritization, balancing customer, employee and investor expectations. 

Croom is a member of the board of directors for First Energy (NYSE: FE) a Midwest electric utility. In this capacity she serves on the Audit and Corporate Governance, Corporate Responsibility & Political Oversight committees. 

Jana is a member of Diligent’s 50 under 50 Next Generation Board Leaders, Russell Reynolds’ Black CFO roundtable and the Manufacturers Alliance’s CFO Council. Croom was part of the inaugural class of the McKinsey & Co. Black Executive Leadership Program (BELP). She is passionate about developing the next generation of finance leaders with a specific lens for diversity and is involved in many development programs offered by her company and externally. 

Jana holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of Wooster and a Masters of Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Alicia Davis is Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Lear Corporation. In this role, Alicia leads the Corporate Strategy and Development group, which works with the executive team to develop and drive Lear’s global strategy, coordinates the strategic planning process, and executes value-enhancing acquisitions, divestitures and strategic investments. Previously, she held the role of Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development. 

Ms. Davis joined Lear from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was a Professor and the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and focused her teaching and research on corporate governance, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. She continues to teach at the Law School as a Professor from Practice. 

Ms. Davis was previously a corporate lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis and prior to that an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and Raymond James, where she served as a vice president. Ms. Davis has an undergraduate degree in business administration from Florida A&M University, a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. 

Ms. Davis is a member of the Board of Directors of U.S. Steel Corporation.

Meenal A. Sethna joined Littelfuse in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Finance until assuming her current position in 2016. Prior to joining Littelfuse, Ms. Sethna served from 2011 to 2015 as Vice President and Corporate Controller of Illinois Tool Works Inc., a diversified manufacturer of specialized industrial equipment, consumables, and related service businesses. She has served on the board of directors of SPX Corporation since October 2019 and is a member of its audit committee. Ms. Sethna is a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois.

Michelle Drew Rodriguez is a Partner in Roland Berger’s Chicago office. She has over two decades of industry and consulting experience with a special focus on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, innovation, and next generation manufacturing. She has extensive experience and aptitude for creating and scaling growth opportunities, forging strong relationships, driving complex large-scale business transformations, developing industry recognized thought leadership, and building large high-performing diverse teams. She has led global players on growth & market entry strategies, organic and inorganic growth, broad based innovation, performance improvement, and business model transformation. Prior to joining Roland Berger, she worked with leading automotive and industrial groups around the world.

Rodriguez studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan.

With over 20 years of experience in education, training, and consulting across North America, Europe, and Asia, Jenn has worn many hats—strategist, consultant, leader, trainer, and operational expert. She’s committed to people-first leadership and believes that wellbeing and sustainable performance go hand in hand.

Her passion for neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and the connection between the nervous system and performance began during her years as a dedicated competitive athlete. Before joining Zest, Jenn trained executives and their teams to integrate neuroscience-based principles and behavioral psychology insights into their commercial messaging, internal communications, and board presentations to improve individual communication effectiveness and drive business results.  

As the Head of Sales and Operations and North American business lead at Zest, Jenn leads sales and account management strategy and execution plans, oversees operational excellence, and manages key accounts in North America.

Jenn grew up in Canada, but has called Arlington, Virginia a suburb of Washington, DC home for the last two decades. She lives with her husband and two teenage daughters and in her free time enjoys the outdoors, experiencing the world through travel and food, and reading a good book to unwind.

Rachel Lecrone is a Senior Solutions Partner in Verizon's 5G Acceleration Team, where she assists customers in accelerating their digital transformations through the use of private wireless networks.

Rachel's career began in manufacturing as a Controls Engineer in heavy-duty engine assembly. Over her 25+ year career in manufacturing, she has held various roles, including Plant Manager of the Cummins after-treatment assembly plant in Mineral Point, WI, and Manufacturing Systems Leader, where she oversaw the manufacturing execution and process planning software used by Cummins plants worldwide. Rachel also launched the Cummins Industry 4.0 initiative, which focused on applying the latest digital technology to transform manufacturing operations.

Rachel resides in Pittsburgh, PA, with her children, Anna and Eddie, and their dog, Zandy. In her free time she enjoys running, and she recently completed her first marathon at Walt Disney World in January.

Kristin Graybill has been with Manufacturers Alliance since 2016 and currently serves as Vice President of Commercial Strategy. She leads Manufacturers Alliance's marketing, sales, and research and content, focused on customer experience, partnerships, and member sales that enhance the manufacturing community.

Before joining Manufacturers Alliance, Kristin served as the Director of Digital Marketing for Government and Healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and the Director of Digital Strategy and Marketing at a government technology-focused agency. She started her career working for a Member of Congress, at a political consulting agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in press and policy-related support roles.

She received her B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and a Certificate on Strategies That Build Winning Brands from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Grace is the Senior Director of Global Revenue Growth at Donaldson Company, where she spearheads transformational, long-term strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing commercial excellence, deepening customer relationships, and driving sustainable growth. Drawing on 17 years of manufacturing experience, she has successfully led diverse global functions, spanning information technology, business analysis, product management, and revenue operations.

Grace's collaborative spirit allows her to forge strong relationships and effectively drive organizational change. Her strengths-based leadership style fuels her passion for empowering individuals to unlock their full potential by discovering and leveraging their unique talents. She champions the professional growth and development of women through various initiatives, including her role on the board of Imara Girls International. 

Grace earned her MBA from the Carlson School of Management.
 

Kristin Graybill has been with Manufacturers Alliance since 2016 and currently serves as Vice President of Commercial Strategy. She leads Manufacturers Alliance's marketing, sales, and research and content, focused on customer experience, partnerships, and member sales that enhance the manufacturing community.

Before joining Manufacturers Alliance, Kristin served as the Director of Digital Marketing for Government and Healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and the Director of Digital Strategy and Marketing at a government technology-focused agency. She started her career working for a Member of Congress, at a political consulting agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in press and policy-related support roles.

She received her B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and a Certificate on Strategies That Build Winning Brands from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.