[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING SUSAN ELKINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LARRY BUCSHON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2014

  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Susan 
Elkington on her selection to receive a STEP Award from The 
Manufacturing Institute. As she is a fellow Hoosier and an inspiration 
to young women interested in technical careers, I am pleased to stand 
before this body of Congress to recognize her contributions to Toyota, 
the automotive industry, Indiana, and her community.
  Manufacturing is revitalizing our economy and making America strong. 
Investments in manufacturing, particularly in automotive manufacturing, 
multiply across the economy, creating jobs and growth in other sectors. 
Manufacturing is the backbone of our Nation's middle class. Today's 
manufacturing offers competitive wages, is high tech, safe, and offers 
great growth opportunities for women. Yet, over 80 percent of 
manufacturers still cannot find the skilled workers they need.
  Part of this skills gap is due to the lack of women in the industry. 
While women make up 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, they make up only 
24 percent of the manufacturing workforce.
  STEP Award Honorees, such as Ms. Elkington, are attracting more women 
to manufacturing careers by educating young workers. By telling the 
real stories of these women, we can inspire and encourage the next 
generation of women to join the manufacturing industry and pursue 
exciting and meaningful careers.
  Ms. Elkington has provided leadership and expertise at Toyota Motor 
Manufacturing, Indiana in a variety of influential roles as she 
progressed to become Toyota's first female vice president of 
manufacturing for a vehicle assembly plant. She has been a key player 
in Toyota's success in Indiana from the beginning.
  She joined Toyota as a manufacturing engineering specialist in 1998, 
serving on a team preparing for the start of production of Toyota 
Indiana's first vehicle, the Tundra full-size pickup truck. She rose 
through the ranks into the role of General Manager of Assembly and 
Stamping/Body Weld, where she oversaw numerous operations of 
Production, Conveyance, Engineering, Maintenance and new model 
preparation. She helped to plan and manage production of Toyota's 
Sequoia, Sienna, Highlander and the Highlander Hybrid models.
  Ms. Elkington is committed to diversity and inclusion within 
manufacturing both at Toyota and in the State of Indiana. She 
recognized the absence of women in manufacturing early in her career. 
Consequently, she led Toyota Indiana's diversity and inclusion 
initiatives as diversity champion, and as Toyota's champion for the 
Society of Women Engineers.
  I am thankful for the years of dedication and hard work by Susan 
Elkington, and I congratulate her for setting an example of 
professional excellence and advocacy of women in manufacturing, as well 
as her commitment to the greater community.

                          ____________________