NECA 2019 Las Vegas

Kathy Jo Van

K J Company


Kathy Jo (KJ) Van is an industry veteran and former Sr VP of Southwire.  Throughout her 30+ year career in the electrical industry, KJ built a reputation for her leadership skills and positive impact, for her employers and for the industry overall.  Following her retirement in 2017, KJ started another chapter of her life with a focus on staying connected and giving back to an industry that has meant so much to her and her family. Now, almost 5 years after retiring, KJ is, as her husband says, “the busiest retired person” he knows.  How does she stay connected and give back?  In 2020, she partnered with Stacey Felzer to launch the Empowering Women Mentorship Program (www.EWMP.info) – focused on providing up-and-coming women in the electrical industry with the opportunity to broaden knowledge, gain confidence, elevate capabilities and stand out through the power of mentoring.  She developed the Mentoring Program Toolkit that she successfully utilized to run four sessions of the EWMP program along with programs for PINKK (www.PINKKnow.com), E2E (www.E2ESummit.con) and other business organizations. KJ also serves as an Advisory Board for a privately-owned electrical distributor, is the Executive Sponsor for the Women In Industry Networking Group, is a guest on several podcasts, is a contributing writer for 2 industry magazines and provides workshops and custom programs that empower companies and individuals to understand the value of mentoring and define a path to capitalize on these benefits. A graduate from The University of Notre Dame, KJ earned her graduate degree from Northwestern University’s JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management.  KJ is an avid Cubs fan and enjoys splitting her time between Arizona and Chicago with her husband Ron, 3 children, 2 grand-daughters, and puppy Addison.

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