programs such as drug-free education, donating and staging vehicles for train- ing. They offer gift cards for positive google reviews.

Level Field

As for being a woman in a male-dom- inated industry, McMillon isn’t fazed by it. “In recent months there has been a lot of coverage in the media about sex- ual assault, harassment, unequal pay. I understand that I am in a unique posi- tion being a woman in this industry. I’ve also never worked for a man that wasn’t my father, so I have never encountered the behavior that some men have used against women. “I have had men make comments to me that were unwanted – I think every woman has. I remember when I was 16, I worked delivering parts. I would shyly, self-consciously walk into many customer’s businesses where there would be inappropriate images of women hanging on the walls. It certainly made me feel uncom- fortable, but we’ve come a long way since then and I think most professional recyclers understand that busi- ness is not the place for that.

McMillon with her parents and brother.

are leaders for our industry. We grew up during a time in society where sons took over the family business because that’s what was supposed to happen. It was not solely because he was the better choice over his female sibling. I hope that this is changing. I have two daugh- ters that I hope are never made to feel less than in this way. “As a society, we have a long way to go. As an industry, I am very proud of the gains we have made. We have evolved as the professional automotive recycling businesses we operate today. I can tell you that I have been treated with nothing but the utmost respect from my peers, most of whom are male. They have accepted me as a peer and have always made me feel adequate for my role. I wanted to address this since it is a very relevant topic. I don’t often think to myself, ‘What is the most important thing I work to accomplish ‘as a woman’ in the industry,’ but instead I work to accomplish things as an person who cares deeply about our industry, and that is my focus.”

“More and more women are not only working in, but

Caryn Smith is the editor of Automotive Recycling magazine and a writer covering the industry for over 20 years.

AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING • March-April 2018

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