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AWMI Announces 2012 International Member of the Year

05/24/2013 - The Association of Women in the Metal Industries is proud to recognize Lauren Kerekes, international treasurer and member of the Columbus Chapter, as the recipient of its 2012 International Member of the Year Award.

The Association of Women in the Metal Industries is proud to recognize Lauren Kerekes, international treasurer and member of the Columbus Chapter, as the recipient of its 2012 International Member of the Year Award. The selection was made at the International Board of Directors meeting 12 April 2013 and the award will be officially presented at the opening banquet of the 2013 AWMI International Conference in Nashville on 14 November 2013.
Lauren graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Accounting, and in 2006 obtained her Master of Business Administration from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. She began her career with Worthington Industries in May 1995 and has held varying positions at Worthington’s Pressure Cylinders division, including credit manager, plant controller, and business unit controller for the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) business unit. She currently holds the position of Worthington Cylinders regional controller, with responsibility for financial reporting and analysis, forecasting, SOX compliance and other accounting related areas for several of its North American locations.
Since becoming a member of AWMI in 2004, Lauren has served in numerous board positions of increasing responsibility including the Columbus Chapter programs chair and president, and central regional director. In 2013, Lauren was appointed as international treasurer, the position she currently holds. Lauren has been involved in many committees, including the Columbus Chapter Golf Committee, and International Leadership Conference and Website Committees during her tenure with AWMI.
In 2011, Lauren and a committee of women from the Central Region started exploring the possibility of expanding AWMI into the Cincinnati area. After an extremely successful exploratory event in the area in the fall of 2011, a board of women from that area was formed and the process started for chartering a new chapter. In March 2012, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Chapter was made a reality, having met the requirements for affiliate chapter status in a very short period of time. The mentoring and development of this chapter — AWMI’s 21st — has been one of Lauren’s proudest moments with AWMI.
Lauren resides in Westerville, Ohio, with her husband, Ron, and in her spare time enjoys reading, taking cruises and traveling to her home state of Michigan for visits with her family.
The Member of the Year award is the highest honor awarded by AWMI. Members are nominated and selected by their peers for exemplifying the Association’s goals of education, mentoring, networking and growth.
The Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI) is an organization of professionals, founded in California in 1981, to promote and develop the growth of women in the metal industries. AWMI believes that women in similar industries can benefit themselves and their companies through relationships, education and shared knowledge. The programs and activities of AWMI are intended to enhance members' skills and experience, address challenges confronting the industry, and promote members' career growth with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of women employed in the metal industries. Membership is open to both women and men who are seeking to develop all aspects of their professional development and career advancement.