Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, hosted their 21st Annual Convention at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel in Dallas, on Oct. 21–23.

The conference had record attendance with almost 600 attendees, and could have fit more in if they could, but maxed out the capacity of the venue. That excitement and enthusiasm to be in attendance brought the event to life. The conference was entitled “Lone Star Leadership – Rising Above the Crowd.”

There were many surprises that took place during the conference, such as the Synchrony partnership, and the announcement of the 2025 President, Kristin Gallup. The conference also featured great keynote speakers like Amanda Brinkman, of the Emmy-nominated TV show, “Small Business Revolution,” and Maureen Zappala, former NASA propulsion engineer and founder of High Altitude Strategies.

In addition to two full days of educational programming, the conference also featured several optional networking events, including the Boot Scootin’ Networkin’ event from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, and the Competition and Convo event on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. There were also two evening events on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 21-22.

One of the big announcments was the 100K donation from Synchrony, starting a great partnership that will make lasting impacts on the lives of women in the trades. It is just the beginning of  the funds that will build the 1million dollar endowment that the organization is looking to develop in the coming years.

Kristin Gallup of Carrier Enterprise, and 2025 President stated, “What a remarkable two days it has been! The energy has been infectious and over the course of this time, you’ve seen that 2024 has truly been a year of growth and change for us. This community is rooted in three core pillars: education, mentoring and networking. And in each of these areas, we’ve made strides that show how dedicated we are to our mission and your success.”

“An area of focus for 2025 is driving awareness to women and men in our industry. The labor shortage in our industry is real and therefore we are looking at two opportunities to introduce the possibility of HVAC to kids early on, inspiring the next generation to join us.”

“Women in HVACR exists to improve the lives of their members by providing professional avenues to connect with other women in the HVACR fields, and this conference was an extension of that commitment,” Women in HVACR Executive Director Amy O’Grady said. “Whether you are just starting out in your career or have spent years working in the industry, we believe this conference will provide you with education and networking opportunities.”

O’Grady said Women in HVACR got its start as a conversation during the AHR Expo in Chicago in 2002. The group held a roundtable discussion about women in the industry at the Comfortech conference in Dallas the following year. By 2004, Women in HVACR was formed and began offering its own conferences.

“We’ve come full circle,” O’Grady said. “From a roundtable discussion in Dallas in 2003 to our 21st annual conference in the same city, we’re proud of the more than two decades we’ve worked to provide women in HVACR with mentorship and guidance.”

Women in HVACR was organized exclusively for educational purposes to further the growth of women in all areas of the HVACR industry, including in technical, sales, management and ownership positions.

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.

The location of the 2025 Annual Women In HVACR Conference will be held in Las Vegas. For more information about Women in HVACR, visit https://www.womeninhvacr.org/.

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