If you’ve been paying attention to what God has been doing in his Kingdom work over the last couple of millennia, you realize that women hold a significant place in the history of the development of the church and the spread of the gospel. Beginning in the New Testament and throughout church history, women have been at the foundation of God’s plans. While men often get the spotlight, many women are patiently, effectively, and efficiently getting the job done behind the scenes.
We’re working hard to increase the diversity of our Halftime Fellows and coaching client population to better reflect the Kingdom of God. Given that our target client population is high capacity marketplace leaders in mid-life and our culture still has a long way to go in recognizing women’s contributions in leadership, we have had to be extremely intentional in our efforts to reach this demographic of women.
We have good news to share though – We’ve seen a sharp uptick in the number of women enrolling in our programs over the past year. In fact, this month, our Fellows June 2017 Cohort is going to be comprised 50% men and 50% women!
It’s a real pleasure to note the recent recognition of one of our female alumni by Insights Success Magazine as one of the “30 Most Inspirational Leaders in Business.”
Ellen Voie founded the Women In Trucking Association in 2007 to “promote the employment of women in the trucking industry, remove obstacles that might discourage women from considering a career in transportation, and celebrate the success of association members.” The 4,500 member association hosts an annual conference and expo to raise awareness of opportunities for women in the commercial transportation industry and also provides funding for scholarships to help young women enter the field.
Ellen has been recognized by the White House as a “Transportation Innovator Champion of Change.”
Ellen breaks the mold of a traditional “trucking industry” professional, where only 4-6% of drivers are women and less that 14% of management is female. She has even written
articles on Why Truck Drivers Are Mostly Male and what can be done to bring more women into the industry.
But it isn’t Ellen’s gender that makes her stand out in the industry – it’s her wit and intelligence.
Ellen has spent the past several years serving as President of Mensa of Wisconsin/Upper Michigan. She earned a Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, where her thesis research examined the complex identities of women married to professional drivers.
Ellen’s ideas and advice for managing complex family issues in the transportation industry (which often separates spouses and families for long periods) have been widely published.
Ellen is a great representative of the many Halftime
Alumni who stay in the marketplace and use their experience and environment to significantly impact the world around them. Ellen says,
“During my Halftime journey, I learned that my passion to help women succeed would keep me in my role as President and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association. Once I made that decision to stay, God has blessed both me and the organization in more ways than I could have imagined and our growth has been a reflection of God’s grace in giving me this opportunity to positively affect women (and men) in the trucking industry.”
What a great example of Halftime’s model of leveraging your “core” and “capacity” within your “context” to engage in the things Jesus cares about!
Ellen’s halftime Coach, Paul McGinnis, says of her Halftime journey, “Ellen is a great example of someone who leaned into the halftime process and embraced where God was leading her. She is stewarding her position at Women in Trucking to impact and serve those around her in order to let them see God through her.”
You can read the article naming Ellen one of the “30 Most Inspirational Leaders In Business” from Insights Success here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/05/prweb14359797.htm
As always, we want you to know that we’re here to serve you in having lasting impact in your second half. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help you through coaching or connecting in this season of life.
