Emerging Leaders

The Emerging Leaders of AWRF exist to inspire, support, and develop the next generation of wire rope industry professionals. Through mentorship, meaningful education, networking, and industry engagement, we cultivate a welcoming community where early-career talent from all backgrounds can connect, grow, and lead ensuring a strong future for our companies and our association.

Next Event:

 Fall General Meeting, Maui Hawaii

Emerging Leaders Brunch & Learn with guest speaker Mark Mathews

Tuesday, October 20th 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

As we continue to grow the AWRF Emerging Leaders group, we are excited to introduce a new leadership structure designed to give ELs more opportunities to get involved, take ownership, build relationships, and gain greater visibility within AWRF.
The goal of this structure is not simply to assign titles or fill positions. It is about building a stronger Emerging Leaders community, improving communication within the group, and creating meaningful opportunities for ELs to participate in the work of AWRF and develop their leadership experience.
The new structure includes the following leadership/workstream opportunities:
  • Committee Lead – Provide overall direction, establish annual priorities, and represent Emerging Leaders with AWRF leadership.
  • Deputy Lead – Support the Committee Lead, coordinate activities, track action items, and help with leadership continuity.
  • Programs Lead – Develop educational, networking, leadership, and mentoring opportunities for ELs.
  • Membership Lead – Help recruit, welcome, engage, and retain Emerging Leaders while connecting members with opportunities to get involved.
  • PIE Lead – Coordinate Emerging Leaders participation in the Product Information Exhibition and student outreach.
  • Preservation & History Lead – Help capture industry stories, history, lessons learned, and knowledge from our members.
  • Marketing & Communications Lead – Coordinate EL communications, updates, event promotion, and content across AWRF channels.
  • Finance & Sponsorship Lead – Help with budgeting, financial tracking, and sponsorship/funding opportunities.
These roles are designed to align with existing AWRF functions while giving Emerging Leaders a more defined voice and presence within the association.
There will also be opportunities for each lead to build a small project team or appoint a deputy, so these positions are not intended to be something you have to do alone.
We would like to hear from you!
Please take a few minutes to complete the form and let us know which roles you may be interested in. You do not need to have all of the experience or knowledge associated with a role today. We are looking for people who are interested in learning, contributing, and helping us build something valuable for the Emerging Leaders group.
We will use the responses to better understand everyone's interests and determine where we have the strongest alignment between people and the various workstreams.
This is an exciting opportunity to make Emerging Leaders a more visible, connected, and active part of AWRF. We hope you'll consider getting involved and helping us shape what this group becomes.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing where everyone's interests and ideas take us!
- Matt Marks & Melissa Searle 

We invite you to share your interest by Friday, September 11th to be considered.

Mentorship Program

One of the most exciting initiatives is the launch of the Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program. If you have questions on how you can get involved, please contact:

 

Nicole Sauve: nicole@awrf.org

 

Matt Marks: mmarks@dcl-usa.com