More than 3 years ago, Southern Star formed a Women in Natural Gas (WING) employee resource group. One of their first initiatives was to begin hosting a Girls Inc. Day at their headquarters on KY 56.
On Thursday, they hosted both the Rolling Heights and the Owensboro Christian Church campuses of Girls Inc. for a fun-filled day. The schedule was jam-packed with a welcome address from Southern Star President and CEO Shawn Patterson, a tour of the entire operation, sidewalk art, activity tables, and more.
More importantly, they heard from the “Women of Southern Star,” who shared several inspirational stories. Environmental specialist and WING co-chair Kennedy Hayden said a primary objective is to show the girls that women work in natural gas despite it being a more “industrial” setting.
“We partner a lot with the community, particularly Girls Inc.,” Hayden said. “We enjoy the opportunity to host them and hopefully empower them and show them that women can thrive in this profession.”
WING is one of three employee resource groups at Southern Star. Hayden said it offers employees fellowship, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
“It’s been great,” she said. “We have an annual conference each year to promote development. That’s one of our primary focuses, and who knows, maybe it will grow into something even bigger.”
After learning about natural gas, Southern Star’s work, and the locations of its pipelines, attendees heard various women discuss their specific careers in the field. Rates analysis and WING co-chair Marissa Schlenther said the speakers shared their backgrounds and education and encouraged the girls that they have what it takes to be whatever they want.
“We wanted to provide activities that would make (the girls) feel empowered and welcome here,” Schlenther said. “We are big advocates of their ‘Be smart, be strong, be bold’ statement, and we want them to feel that when they are here.”
Schlenther referred to the entire day as inspiring and enjoyed sharing her story and more about Southern Star with the girls.
“It’s only a brief overview, but you never know what you can say to them that’s really going to brighten their day or maybe inspire them to work in a field like this. I think sometimes you look at corporate responsibilities, and you think it’s scary, so bringing them in and welcoming them to show them it’s not and that we’re here for them is important.”
Hayden added that their mission this year was to make the experience more interactive and to keep the girls moving and interested. She said they knew they were doing something right when they discovered a sucker wrapper left on a table by one of the girls that said, “I love myself.”
Vice President for Human Resources Ashley Knight echoed a similar sentiment and shared her excitement about the program.
“It’s more than an initiative or a program. WING has become a culture of Southern Star, and it’s made great movements across the company, offering a platform for women to stand up and stand out,” Knight said. “Girls Inc. is the mirror of who we are in the community, so this has been an amazing opportunity.”
Girls Inc. CEO Tish Osborne expressed her gratitude to Southern Star for hosting.
“They have been doing this for years, and they’ve always been so intentional, and each year gets more intentional about finding ways to help the girls understand their work and the various career opportunities in the field,” she said.
Osborne also said she appreciates how the staff at Southern Star go above and beyond to ensure the girls see everyone working there and constantly reiterate that these positions are attainable for the girls.
