2023 Winners Announced!
Shelby Schwartz (Left) with Judy Garber and Jessica Reeder (Right)
In the spirit of our mission of connecting and empowering women in the energy industry, Women in Energy is proud to announce the 2023 winners of this inspiring award, the “Judy Garber Rising Star Award”.
This award recognizes two, up-and-coming professional women that have less than eight years in the energy industry and show great promise of becoming our future industry and community leaders. The award has been named in honor of Judy Garber to recognize her long career in the energy industry and contributions to the energy and dedication to the industry as a founder of Women in Energy and its creation six years ago.
About our winners:
Shelby Schwartz graduated top of her class from Lehigh Country Community College with an associate degree in HVAC/R. She is a technician with RF Ohl, Lehighton, PA. Shelby’s long-term goal is to design self-sufficient greenhouses and homes that can help sustain families with food and other utilities that provide comfort, She is a supporter of single moms in her community by supplying school supplies and clothing for their children.
According to Patti Hartman who submitted this nomination, “Shelby has a track record of making customers feel at ease, gaining their trust and winning their loyalty. Besides her technical abilities, she is a gifted trainer who works with the local high school students their company partners with.”
Since Jessica Reeder is the chair of the Awards Committee, it was tough keeping it from her. Jessica served in the United States Air Force, and she is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BS in Accounting and Business/Management. She is currently the Pennsylvania Petroleum’s Administrator & Membership Support, She values work-life integration and thus began her tenure at the PPA 6 years ago in a part-time capacity with the Association. She wanted to balance her time so that she could have a significant presence in the lives of her two teenage children.
According to Ted Harris, Executive Vice President, PPA, “Jessica’s role has significantly expanded in the past 6 years. This is directly correlated to her leadership qualities, work ethic, and positive attitude. She is viewed as a trusted and dependable resource for PPA members. She also played an integral role in the growth of the PPATEC training program which has tripled in capacity since 2017.”
Our winners this year and last year are wonderful examples of the make-up of our Association. Congratulations to our 2023 Winners. We will be announcing details for our 2024 awards Spring 2024.