ISSA Today Archives • May-June 2023 • Straight Talk!

For Dr. Felicia Townsend, the start of the day oft en requires three cups of coffee and a prayer. Then she gets to work.

When you hear what she has on her plate, you get it. You understand her morning routine as she studies her packed schedule and gets everything organized inside her head.

Her days are full of activity, and there is a good reason for it. The organization she leads is successful and growing, and with that comes more programs, events, webinars, conferences, networking opportunities, and mentoring.

Dr. Townsend is the program director for the ISSA Hygieia Network, and as she reflects on its growth in the past few years, she is pleased with the progress it has made. With more than 800 members and on track to hit 1,000 by the end of this year, Hygieia has crossed borders outside the United States and now boasts representation across the globe, in countries such as Finland, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Lebanon, South Africa, and many more. Nearly 5,000 industry professionals have attended Hygieia events since 2019.

“I’m proud to say that Hygieia does a fantastic job of celebrating women,” Dr. Townsend says. “It is such a great thing, thinking about what’s happened over the years and what we are able to do.”

Hygieia has much to offer with its various programs, but one benefit that stands out to Dr. Townsend is the Mentoring Program. It’s close to her heart, and while successful in matching veterans in the industry with emerging young women leaders to mentor, there’s much more work to do.

As Dr. Townsend says, securing mentors continues to be a challenge for some individuals in the cleaning industry. “I will tell you this: Hygieia has a simple way to do it, all housed in our mentoring platform, with a database of professional leaders in the industry whom you can reach out to and connect with. We have a solution!”

What’s great about the mentoring program, Dr. Townsend says, is that it is free to join and open to everyone in the cleaning industry.

When asked about reaching the goal of 1,000 members by the end of 2023, Dr. Townsend jokes, “When you talk to me in 2024, I better have a thousand in the database. I’m putting pressure on myself.”

Learn more about the ISSA Hygieia Network. Get involved. You can make a difference in advancing women in the industry. Visit hygieianetwork.org/join.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & DIGITAL CONTENT
Graeme Golucki, graeme@issa.com