MaryEmily Slate Trailblazer Award for Women in Steel
The deadline for submitting nominations for this award is 31 January 2025.
►Nomination Form
►Award Recipients
History and Purpose
Sponsored by the AIST Women in Steel Standing Committee, this award was established in 2024 to recognize a female who exemplifies resilience and determination, while laying the foundation for women to succeed in the steel industry where they account for less than one-third of the workforce. Named in honor of MaryEmily Slate, whose impact on Nucor, women in manufacturing, and the industry at large was characterized by her authentic leadership, compassion, and prioritization of teamwork.
NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominations shall be made by submitting the AIST MaryEmily Slate Trailblazer Award Nomination Form. In tandem, a brief biography/resume of the nominee is required, as well as a brief citation describing why the nominee would be the proper recipient. Lastly, this award requires a minimum of three endorsement letters, not to exceed ten. The principal nominator is welcome to write a letter and will count towards the minimum.
The principal nominator must be an active member of AIST. Posthumous nominations are permitted if the nomination is made within three years of their death.
All nomination information is considered confidential to the AIST Women in Steel Standing Committee and its subcommittees.
QUALIFICATIONS
This award shall be given to the female that actively engages with and promotes women in steel, is passionate about recruiting and retaining women in steel, has progressed in her career while empowering and evolving people along the way, and demonstrates authentic leadership qualities that transcend titles or positions.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Awards Subcommittee of the AIST Women in Steel Standing Committee will select a distinguished panel of experts in the iron in steel industry to judge all entries. While the intention is to honor one winner, the AIST Women in Steel Standing Committee reserves the right to recognize more than one winner, or to abstain from offering an award.
ABOUT MARYEMILY SLATE
MaryEmily Slate started her career in the steel industry as a receptionist at a service center and over time, worked her way up to billing clerk and then inside sales. She continued to advance through sales positions to become general manager before ultimately joining Nucor Corp. in 2000 as district sales manager at Nucor Steel–Arkansas.
She later served as sales manager at Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC, and then as cold mill manager. In 2010, she was promoted to general manager of Nucor Steel Auburn Inc., and was elected vice president of Nucor in 2012. That same year she was the first woman to be featured as the "goggle person" for AIST's annual AISTech — The Iron & Steel Conference and Exposition.
Slate then served as vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel–Arkansas from 2015 to 2019. In 2019, she became Nucor's first female executive vice president.
“MaryEmily was a true trailblazer in our industry, and there is perhaps no greater example of a teammate who lived out our belief at Nucor that the sky is the limit for your life, family, and career,” Nucor’s chief executive Leon Topalian said in a message to Nucor teammates.
Slate was a panelist in AIST’s Town Hall Forum in 2021, and was featured in a “Progress & Perspectives: Women in Steel” interview for Iron & Steel Technology.
MaryEmily passed away on 16 May 2023, at home following a long illness, surrounded by her family. She was 58.