Celebrating Women's History Month – Fostering an Inclusive Workplace for Nursing Mothers
By Whitney Wilber, Global Employer Brand Marketing Communication Specialist
Women’s History Month is a time for recognizing the central role of women in US history, for Cummins, it is also about highlighting the significance of diversity & inclusion. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ve invited employees to share their personal stories, helping others to understand what this month represents, as well as the importance of an inclusive workplace year round.
Employee Highlight: Kathryn Clingenpeel, Group Leader, EBU Turbo and Exhaust System Team/Engineering
Years at Cummins: 8 (Celebrating 9 years at Cummins July 2016)
“When I was in high school, I worked at a pharmacy. One of my co-workers, a cashier, suffered a terrible tragedy when her husband, a police officer, passed away while performing an arrest. While saddled with grief, my co-worker was also worried that she would not be able to provide for her two girls. To me, this stressed the importance of continuing my education so that I could support my future family. Women’s history month makes me think of all the women who helped make higher education possible for women. I am grateful to them for allowing me the opportunity to study engineering and support my family of seven.”
Understanding the value of diversity inside Cummins…
“I have found diverse ideas to be key in driving innovation into our engineering work at Cummins. As a team leader, I have used the StrengthsFinder tool to help identify each of my team member’s unique strengths. Equipped with this information, I can better talk to them about which particular assignments draw their interest, allowing them to be more engaged in their work. A diverse team also helps me perform my best. For instance, I’ll ask a team member who is strong in communication to proofread an important memo for me or a team member who is strategic to vet my thinking on a complex issue.”
Feeling pride working within an inclusive environment…
“Cummins has been given several awards over the years for support of nursing mothers including awards from the Bartholomew County Breastfeeding Coalition, the Office of Women’s Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, and most recently, the Minnesota Department of Health. Most people probably don’t think of breastfeeding support when they think of an engine and power generation company, so I am proud that Cummins breaks the mold and supports nursing mothers.”
Living your values at Cummins…
“Cummins has been extremely supportive of me as a working mother. We have a fantastic “Family and Life Events” support group that was invaluable to me when I had my first child. From this experience I decided to “pay it forward” and have been co-leading this group, which is part of our Women’s Affinity Group, for the last six years. Based on the lessons I have learned from these women and on my own experiences as a working mother-of-five, I have started a YouTube channel all about support for working mothers called ‘Corporate Mothering’.”
Learn more about how our employees make a difference and how you could make an impact at Cummins by visiting careers.cummins.com, and check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Author Profiles
Whitney Wilber, Global Employer Brand Marketing Communication Specialist
Whitney Wilber is the Global Employer Brand Marketing Communication Specialist for Cummins Inc. Whitney joined the Company in 2010 and previously supported off-highway marketing communications for Cummins Emission Solutions. Prior to joining Cummins, Whitney specialized in advertising, marketing and public relations for one of the largest convenience store chains North America, as well as account management for a small, Kentucky-based agency. She earned her B.A. at Indiana State University and currently resides in Columbus, Indiana.