Melissa Boom (B.S. industrial engineering ’94 at ISU, M.S. management of technology ’06 at UMN), was recognized by the Manufacturing Institute as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards Honoree at a gala at the National Association of Manufacturers, Manufacturing Institute Women MAKE Awards and Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. in April.
This national honor is awarded to women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and production careers who are recognized as top talent in the manufacturing industry. The award is a part of the Manufacturing Institute’s Women MAKE America initiative, a program established to close the gender gap in manufacturing.
Boom’s first job post-graduation was for Eaton Corporation at a heavy-duty truck transmission plant as a manufacturing engineer. She later worked as an industrial engineer for Rockwell Semiconductor. Boom held other industrial engineering and management roles at Seagate Technology, MTS Systems, and Protolabs. Currently, she is Vice President of Business Excellence at Winnebago Industries.
“My work at Winnebago Industries reflects the idea that together we go further,” says Boom. She brings together brands while focusing on building a positive culture of continual improvement and shared culture of quality.
For Boom it is important to spend time on being a positive role model for female employees. She mentors several female leaders at Winnebago Industries and is committed to the success of STEM programming for young students in high school.
“I was honored to represent manufacturing women from Winnebago Industries and proud to support our current and future female workforce,” says Melissa, “I look forward to continuing the support of efforts to increase the number of women in manufacturing to 35% by 2030.”
Boom’s daughter, Emma Coburn, graduated with an industrial engineering degree from Iowa State this past spring.