The three-day event in Las Vegas featured dynamic speakers, industry workshops and the debut of WHVACR’s new annual magazine, Empowered
Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, recently hosted its Bet on Yourself conference in Las Vegas, where it introduced its new president, honored award recipients and presented the organization’s new annual magazine.
Current Women in HVACR Executive Board Vice President Jane Sidebottom was named as the group’s new president for the upcoming year. She is the president and founder of Applied Marketing Knowledge, LLC, a marketing and management consulting company that works with manufacturers, distributors and service companies to grow their businesses.
Outgoing Women in WHVACR President Kristin Gallup said as vice president of the organization throughout 2025, Sidebottom is uniquely prepared to lead the organization in 2026.
“As Jane steps into the role of president, I’m confident she’ll continue to build on the incredible momentum we have experienced throughout 2025,” she said. “This momentum also culminated into a remarkable conference that was incredibly energizing. The caliber of speakers, the engaging workshops and the meaningful conversations throughout the exhibition hall exceeded expectations. This conference showed the power of women supporting women in this industry.”
Women in HVACR also took the opportunity to celebrate three outstanding leaders with its inaugural Pillar Awards. These awards recognize women who embody excellence in mentorship, education and networking within the industry:
- Stephanie Postell, co-owner and chief operating officer of Anchor Heating & Air, was selected as the Mentorship Pillar Award winner for building her business around mentorship. Postell continually shares her expertise and empowers women to enter the trades while guiding entrepreneurs across the country to launch their businesses with confidence.
- Nasim Rahman, senior product manager at Lennox, received the Education Pillar Award for her leadership in large-scale trainings, mentoring programs and advancements in electrification.
- Jessica Slaughter, marketing manager at Rapid Locking Systems (RLS), earned the Network Pillar Award for her outstanding work fostering partnerships through live events, digital communities and national training initiatives.
The group also unveiled its first-ever magazine, “Empowered,” an annual publication celebrating women who are shaping the HVACR industry as mentors, market makers, boardroom leaders and rising stars. The debut issue featured the Women to Watch recognition program, “Powering Progress: Influential Women in HVACR for 2025.” While the magazine was handed out at the conference, digital copies can be viewed at https://www.womeninhvacr.org/empowered and hard copies can be ordered from the organization’s Swag Store at https://whvacrswag.worrellstore.com/p1wtjpR/Store/Browse/Page/HOME.
Other highlights from the event include keynote speeches from Angela Gaffney, a leadership coach and the best-selling author of “Feel Good, Look Good, For Life” and Erin Hatzikostas, a recognized leader on the impact of authenticity in the workplace; a presentation honoring the ACHR News’ Top Women in HVAC; and a range of workshops and after-hour networking events.
For more information about Women in HVACR, visit https://www.womeninhvacr.org/.
About Women in HVACR
Since 2002, Women in HVACR has worked to increase the number of women in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigerant (HVACR) industry and empower women to succeed by providing members with a variety of opportunities to network and develop a professional environment through education and mentorship. The 1,200-member nonprofit organization holds a variety of regional and national events each year and provides scholarship opportunities for women who pursue careers within the HVACR industry, including those who seek engineering and business degrees or a trade school education. For more information about Women in HVACR, visit https://www.womeninhvacr.org/.
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