Women2Women - Summer 2017 - 6

Women2Know

Community & Business Profiles, Insights & Highlights

BUSTING

BARRIERS
in the

Building Trades
By Susan Shelly, Hoffmann Publishing Group, Inc.

CATHY SLOAN'S INFLUENCE WITHIN THE HOME BUILDING
INDUSTRY IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AND RESPECTED.

is planning a series of events to raise money
to fund it, including a handbag bingo event
and a "dress for success" runway show.

AS FORMER PRESIDENT AND NOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOME
BUILDERS ASSOCIATION (HBA) OF BERKS COUNTY, SLOAN HAS SERVED AS A
BOARD MEMBER OF BOTH THE PENNSYLVANIA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION (PBA)
AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS.

Sloan was not planning on adding the
position of executive director of the Home
Builders Association of Berks County to her
already busy schedule. But, when the previous
director left earlier this year, she stepped up
and took up the reins.

the Professional Women in Building Council
and I thought it would be really good
for our HBA to have a women's council,"
explained Sloan, who serves on the board
of trustees of the Professional Women
in Building on the National Association
Home Builders.

"I was already serving as president of the
association at that point, but when I took
over as executive director I had to give up that
position," she explained. "I'm still a member
of the association, but I couldn't continue
serving as president because it could have been
a conflict of interests."

In 2013, she was elected as the first woman
president of the HBA of Berks County. She
was elected again to serve as this year's president, but relinquished the position when she
became executive director.
And, last August she led the organization of
the HBA of Berks County Professional Women
in Building (PWB) Council, a result of her
involvement with the National Association of
Home Builders Women in Building Council.
The Professional Women in Building Council
encourages members to support local, state
and national goals and activities. The organization represents members working in all
facets of the industry as builders, architects,
remodelers, trade contractors, designers,
mortgage brokers and marketers.

Her efforts to form a local council were
She holds down the position of executive
strongly supported by HBA President James E. director on a part-time basis, managing the
Gavin. "Research has shown that approximately office as an add-on to her responsibilities as
47 percent of privately owned businesses in office manager of Aluminum Associates and
the United States have women as the majority president of Hartman's Home Improvements,
owner or an equal partner," Gavin said. "The both in Muhlenberg Township.
creation of a PWB council allows us to bring
to Berks County an organization that has been
"I'm running both jobs," she said.
extremely successful on the national level. We "Fortunately, I can work both at the HBA
are excited to see what this council will do." office and out of my home."

"Being involved at the state and national
level, I got to know some of the women in

With 11 members, the local council has
established an education scholarship fund and

6 Women2Women Summer 2017

Sloan manages her time by sticking to a
strict schedule.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Women2Women - Summer 2017