Confidence Boost and Leadership Skills
“I had decided to take a break and not serve as a mentor in the spring 2023 session. But my mind was changed during a recent supplier meeting. One of my mentees was in attendance, along with her manager and a number of coworkers. The manager pulled me aside and thanked me for mentoring. The manager mentioned several changes they'd noticed and credited them to our time together. I can't take all the credit but WOW!! That invigorated me. I signed up to participate in the spring session the next day.
As a mentor, you hope your experiences and insights can help an up-and-coming woman advance and grow - personally and professionally. But it goes both ways. The time spent with every mentee helps me learn and grow too.”
Sheila Hernandez - Vice President, Marketing & Supplier Relations - Summit Electric Supply
Sheila Hernandez has more than 30 years in the electrical distribution industry, joining Summit Electric Supply in 1987. After completing her MBA, she proceeded to take on increasing levels of responsibility, covering a wide range of roles within the company. Sheila joined Summit's senior leadership team in 2005 and her areas of responsibility have included Marketing, eCommerce, Master Data Management, Information Technology (IT), and Customer Experience, which also encompassed Learning & Development and Quality.
Active in the industry, Sheila spent nine years on the Marketing Committee and was a member of the Futures Group Task Force for IMARK Group. She was elected to the Board of Directors for IMARK Electrical in 2018, making her the second female board member in IMARK's history. She is currently serving her second three-year term. She has served on numerous committees and task forces for the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and has been a panelist for Modern Distribution Management, NAED, IDEA and IMARK Group. Hernandez is a Gold Level graduate of NAED's Electrical Products Education Course (EPEC) and Dare to Lead™ trained.
She has been a sponsor and a mentor since the Inaugural Empowering Women Mentorship Program and continues to advocate for women and empowerment.
