As the owner’s daughter, she’d worked hard all her life. She had skills and ideas for growing the family business. She felt she’d earned a shot at the top job. Dad disagreed. He was convinced that a man – a son-in-law would do – should get the top job. Only when he passed away did the daughter get her chance to lead the company. She’s run the business successfully for years since then and never looked back. This was one of many stories that 25 female laundry operator and supplier partner executives shared during a two-hour TRSA Virtual Roundtable on May 19.

TRSA recently completed the final installment of its two-part webinar series titled “Racial Equity and Workplace Culture.” The series was presented by TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Cintas Corp., Mason, OH, recently announced that Max Langenkamp has been promoted to the newly created position of senior vice president of human resources, effective June 1, according to a news release.

TRSA recently held the first of a two-part diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) webinar series titled Racial Equity & Workplace Culture. Jejuana C. Brown, M.Ed. CDP, served as the featured speaker for the program, which included data from McKinsey & Co. on workplace diversity trends. The one-hour webinar – sponsored by TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee – drew more than 30 attendees from the linen, uniform and facility services industry. TRSA’s Salita Jones and Kristin Mudd served as co-moderators for the program.

Several TRSA operator and supplier partner members recently were named to Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2021” list. In collaboration with analytics firm Statista, Forbes identified the top employers for diversity through an independent survey of more than 50,000 employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations, according to a news release.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021 is now a reality. Signed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, the $1.9-trillion bill is mostly known for payments to individuals. But of critical concern to the owners, managers and shareholders of linen, uniform and facility services businesses, are provisions that include the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) and more.

TRSA members and staff participated in International Women’s Day’s #ChooseToChallenge campaign on March 8. The campaign is designed to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality by striking the #ChooseToChallenge pose.

What does a successful corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiative look like? Angela Howard, vice president, people development and human experience for Spindle, Woodridge, IL, described her vision by citing an analogy from consultant Verna Myers, who said, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”

While women still face overt sexism in some instances, it’s the subtler, everyday slights that females typically find are more pervasive and in some ways harder to combat. Gina Radke, a business entrepreneur and author, gave an online audience of nearly 50 women from TRSA member companies a slew of useful tips for dealing with these challenges during TRSA’s Jan. 14 Virtual Roundtable: Women in the Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Industry.

Elena Lai, the recently named secretary general of the European Textile Services Association (ETSA), says she’s eager to work with laundry operators, suppliers and industry trade groups across Europe and North America in order to advance solutions to challenges, including COVID-19 relief/rebuilding, healthcare textile supply chains, advancing a pro-environmental “circular” economy, promoting equal opportunity in a diverse industry and more.