Dawne S. Hickton, vice chair, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of RTI International Metals Inc., Pittsburgh, has been tapped as the first female president of the executive board for the International Titanium Association (ITA), a trade association founded 30 years ago. Now, in a spirit of stewardship and outreach, Hickton said she would like to establish a permanent path for other women to follow, so that they too can develop meaningful careers in the global titanium industry.

In order to help illuminate that path, Hickton - in her role as the president of the ITA - plans to establish a "Women in Titanium" committee as a way to inspire young women to consider careers and leadership roles in the titanium industry. Initial discussions for such a group took place at TITANIUM USA 2014, the ITA's annual industry conference and exhibition, which was held in Chicago. The ITA formally introduced new officers for its executive board on Sept. 23, during the Chicago gathering.

Hickton recalled how top executives at RTI served as mentors and provided her with guidance and opportunities early in her career. As such, her resume reflects numerous accomplishments in the titanium industry, including her recent appointment as the leader of the ITA board. She became the CEO of RTI in April 2007 and serves as a member of RTI's board of directors. Hickton has guided RTI's strategic transformation - from a manufacturer of titanium mill product to an integrated, value-added supplier of titanium parts and engineered structures, serving supply chains throughout diverse international markets. RTI has 21 manufacturing installations throughout North America and Europe. She is especially knowledgeable on business trends in the global aerospace industry - the titanium sector's largest market.

She has over 25 years of diversified metals experience, including more than 16 years in the titanium industry. Prior to joining RTI, she was employed at USX Corp., Pittsburgh, where she worked not only with the parent organization, but also with its subsidiaries: US Steel, American Bridge Co., and US Steel Mining Co. From 1994 to 1997, she was assistant professor of Clinical Law at the University of Pittsburgh. She serves as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Pittsburgh Branch and a trustee for the University of Pittsburgh. She is a 1979 graduate of the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, and received her juris doctor (JD) degree from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Law in 1983.

In recent years, Hickton and other ITA leaders have focused on the need for industry stewardship programs; dedicated efforts to cultivate the next generation of titanium designers, engineers, metallurgists and executives. Each year the ITA recognizes an industry pioneer with its "Lifetime Achievement Award." Concentrating on stewardship, in many ways, is the other half of the equation - sustaining the achievements of those early leaders, while creating opportunities for young people to pursue careers in the titanium industry. The ITA's "Women in Titanium" initiative is part of that overall effort.

Last year, Hickton's commitment to stewardship and education was highlighted when she was tapped as one of the "top 100 CEOs leaders" in the United States to support 21st Century STEM learning and workforce development. STEM Blog, a project of STEM Connector, cited Hickton's work to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) national education programs in public and private schools.

As spelled out in its mission statement, the Washington D.C.-based STEM Education Coalition works with the federal government and other organizations to raise awareness of the critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the United States "to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century. Members of the STEM Coalition believe that our nation must improve the way our students learn science, mathematics, technology and engineering and that the business, education, and STEM communities must work together to achieve this goal."

While specific plans for the ITA's emerging "Women in Titanium" program are still in the early stages of development, outreach efforts are likely to include a scholarship fund, earmarked for young women, in order to encourage careers in material sciences and the titanium industry. In addition, the program may sponsor and organize regional mentoring programs, where female college students are invited to visit titanium companies and gain hands-on experience. This would involve substantive interaction between students and mentors. The ITA also may form alliances with other industry associations that have established similar mentoring programs for women.

Hickton's call for an ITA "Women in Titanium" program comes into sharper focus when viewed against the backdrop of the national STEM campaign. She urged those working to promote STEM education to develop meaningful, long-standing partnerships with businesses in order to understand what types of STEM skill sets are needed in the workplace.

Quoted in a 2013 online interview posted on the STEM Blog (http://blog.stemconnector.org), Hickton described how her company has put forth a comprehensive strategy to connect diversity awareness with the STEM education thrust. RTI, she said, has an ongoing interest in recruiting material science (metallurgy), accounting/finance, engineering and IT professionals.

"As a business leader and woman in the STEM field, I am passionate about finding ways to increase the number of women and minorities in the field," she told the STEM Blog. "I'm passionate about increasing the number of candidates with strong STEM backgrounds, because RTI's reputation as a leader in 'Advancing Titanium' depends upon it. We believe that committing early to student education in the STEM fields will build robust pipelines of future STEM employees. Diversity initiatives are a core principle of RTI's strategic plan, and we use that commitment to support and encourage diversity in STEM fields.

"When we are identifying and selecting viable STEM candidates for anticipated openings, our goal is to identify at least one minority and one female for every open leadership position," she continued. "Women and minorities are vastly underrepresented in STEM fields, so this is a challenge, but one that we embrace. We must seek ways to make it attractive for U.S. students, especially women and minorities, to choose STEM careers."

Hickton, in the STEM Blog interview, underlined the need to produce more technical school and college STEM majors, in order for the United States to maintain its leadership as a global economic powerhouse for industrial innovation. "Top-notch STEM professionals are critical for American businesses to stay at the forefront of global innovation, but our technical schools, colleges and universities are not graduating enough of these professionals to meet the demand," she warned. "We must develop and support rigorous math and science curriculums in all American elementary and secondary schools so that there is a wide and deep pool of graduating seniors that are genuinely prepared for technical school and college-level STEM studies."

For additional information on the ITA's nascent "Women in Titanium" program, contact Stacey Blicker by phone (303 404-2221) or via e-mail (Sblicker@titanium.org). Based in Denver, CO, the ITA (website: http://www.titanium.org) is a non-profit, membership-based international trade association dedicated to the titanium metal industry. Established in 1984, the ITA's mission is to connect the public interested in using titanium with specialists from across the globe who may offer sales and technical assistance. Working through its extensive membership resources, the ITA seeks to expand the knowledge base for the metal, providing technical literature and sponsoring seminars and conferences.

For three decades the ITA has instructed thousands of professionals in all aspects of titanium usage, educating engineers, designers and business executives on titanium's superior properties and explained how those properties can be exploited to enhance products and services. The ITA also strives to advance ideas in research, design, metallurgy and engineering, and serve as the leading forum to cultivate the exchange of ideas and support a diverse, dynamic, global industry.

ITA membership includes more than 200 organizations and over 1,500 individual members worldwide. Jennifer Simpson serves as the executive director of the ITA.

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