Fiber Broadband Association launches Women in Fiber Steering Committee

March 26, 2020

The group promotes the profile and opportunities for women in the optical access industry. The group also works to forward the aims of the association, which has women serving in its president and CEO as well as board chair positions.

Stephen Hardy

The Fiber Broadband Association has created a five-person Women in Fiber Steering Committee to direct the activities of the association’s Women in Fiber group. The group promotes the profile and opportunities for women in the optical access industry. The group also works to forward the aims of the association, which has women serving in its president and CEO as well as board chair positions.

The inaugural members of the Steering Committee are:

Kim Hartwell, senior vice president and COO, Corning
Alexa Edens, director of sales, KGPCo
Mary Ellen Grom, executive director of marketing, AFL
Tanya Kanczuzewski, senior manager of marketing and communications, Dura-Line
Holly Ruser, manager of specialty business, Graybar.

Activities on the Women in Fiber group’s agenda include a webinar series, engaging members at association events, and collaborating with other women’s groups in related industry sectors.

“Every year, the Fiber Broadband Association hosts a Women in Fiber luncheon at our annual Fiber Connect event. As more women joined us for conversations about the industry, how the technology workforce is changing, and the unique challenges women face, it became apparent to us the association needed to have a place for these discussions year-round,” explained Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Lisa R. Youngers. “We believe the advancement of women within the industry is a key part of advancing the field as a whole. The association and the Women in Fiber group hope to continue facilitating professional development and education, driving change and bringing innovative ideas to the table.”

“The Women in Fiber group and its steering committee offer a unique opportunity for women to not only come together to connect, but to grow from one another,” added Katie Espeseth, vice president of new products at service provider EPB and current chair of the board for the Fiber Broadband Association. “We are proud that the Fiber Broadband Association is taking a proactive step to make the industry more inclusive and to promote the amazing work women do.”

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.