5 Minutes with Dori Blitzstein, VP at Vice President at Roesel-Heck Co.

Women in the Floorcovering Industry (WIFI) planned an educational breakfast at The NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 16, 2023, in partnership with The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD). We caught up with Dori Blitzstein, who is vice president at Roesel-Heck Company, Inc., and president-elect at NAFCD, about the advice she aims to give to women attending the event and the importance of networking and education for women in flooring. 

WIFI: What is your goal for hosting the WIFI event at The NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention?

Blitzstein: According to LinkedIn, women make up 50% of the workforce but only one-third of females are in senior leadership positions. Women do better in workplace environments that offer mentoring. The floorcovering industry is finally catching up and making a big deal about it, too. We developed multiple affinity groups for women that offer mentoring opportunities. WIFI provides a way for females to learn with industry counterparts at this convention, as well as many others, not overshadowed by the overabundance of males. Many positives result from non-profits like WIFI- professional growth, mentorship, and leadership to name a few.

Women are distinguished, productive contributors to the supply chain and we should routinely be acknowledged as such and utilized, motivated, promoted, and paid on the same scale. This convention allows for these conversations to happen.

WIFI: Why was it important to Roesel-Heck Company and NAFCD to be a part of WIFI? 

Blitzstein: Being a woman is not easy when you’re in a leadership position in a male-dominated industry. We all know that. The women here are not here to make small steps, we are here to jump up the steps.

I hope that through the partnership and WIFI and NAFCD, we can empower women to embrace their strengths and mentor the next generation of strong females through teachable moments.

It is important to my company as well as NAFCD that women are encouraged to take on leadership roles and model for the next generation so that we can build an industry of diversity and talent.

The first steps to this goal are to generate comfortable relationships by discussing real topics that affect all of us in our professional roles and providing outreach in as many ways possible.