>>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS...I'M GERRY DICK.
WE HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR THIS WEEK'S SHOW! I'M GOING TO OPEN THE SHOW AS USUAL, BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE
FEMALE GUEST HOSTS FOR EACH OF OUR SEGMENTS FOR THIS ALL-WOMEN'S EDITION OF OUR SHOW.?
MELINA KENNEDY GREW UP IN INDIANA, WENT TO IU, WAS A PARTNER AT THE LAW FIRM OF BAKER & DANIELS AND SERVED AS DIRECTOR
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DEPUTY MAYOR FOR INDIANAPOLIS MAYOR BART PETERSON. SHE HAS MOVED UP THE RANKS AT
CUMMINS AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT COMPLIANCE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS.
SHE TAKES PRIDE IN SOME OF THE KEY WOMEN'S INITIATIVES CUMMINS IS DOING TO EMPOWER WOMEN. SHE'S HERE TO EXPLAIN THE
PROGRAMS AND THE CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES SHE HAS FACED AS A WOMAN THROUGHOUT HER CAREER. THANKS FOR JOINING US!
WE WILL TALK ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY BUT CUMMINS BECAUSE A LOT OF COMPANIES TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND EMPOWERING WOMEN BUT THERE
RE A LOT OF EXAMPLES WHERE THIS BIG COMPANY IS EMPOWERING WOMEN IN INDIANA IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE GLOBE.
>>: THANK YOU. I LOVE WORKING AT CUMMINS FOR LOTS OF REASONS BUT THE INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY IS GREAT
IT STARTS WITH OUR LEADERSHIP AND THEY ARE DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE WOMEN HAVE A VOICE IN THE PLACE AND OUR TOP LEADERSHIP IN
CUMMINS IS REPRESENTED BY 40 PERCENT ARE WOMEN. ARE ORDERED OF DIRECTORS HAS THREE WOMEN AND WE HAVE A NUMBER
OF INITIATIVES AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST TALK THEY CONTRIBUTE TO INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY PARTICULARLY FOR
WOMEN. >>: YOU ANNOUNCED NOT LONG AGO A HUGE INITIATIVE CUMMINS POWERS WOMEN, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON WOMEN
AND GIRLS AND I BELIEVE IT IS THE LARGEST COMMUNITY EFFORT THEY'VE EVER UNDERTAKEN. >>: IT'S EXCITING AND IT'S
GLOBAL AS A GLOBAL COMPANY WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS OUT OVER THE WORLD $11 MILLION
INVESTED IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE EVIDENCE-BASED TO HELP WOMEN ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS.
ALSO ADVOCATE FOR LEGISLATION AND GOVERNMENT CHANGES, POLICY CHANGES THAT HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
IT'S SOMETHING EXCITING AND OUR CEO IS COMMITTED AND THE HEAD OF OUR FOUNDATION IS WORKING HARD ON IT AND IT'S ACHIEVING GREAT
RESULTS IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. >>: YOU HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD AND
CERTAINLY NOW IN THE MALE DOMINATED WORLD OF MANUFACTURING. TALK ABOUT THAT JOURNEY AND THE
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER YOUR CAREER. >>: OVER TIME I JUST HIT THE
BIG 50 THIS SUMMER SO I HAVE SEEN THINGS PROGRESS OVER THE YEARS IN TERMS OF HOW WOMEN ARE DOING AND WE'VE SEEN POSITIVES
BUT THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO. IT WAS NOT THAT LONG AGO I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME WHAT ARE YOU GOING
TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS. PROBABLY MOST MEN DON'T GET THAT QUESTION. BUT I MET A PLACE LIKE CUMMINS
WHERE OF HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND CONTRIBUTE AND LEAD SO I'VE SEEN POSITIVE PROGRESS, BUT MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY THERE IS
STILL OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT. >>: WHAT IN YOUR VIEW TO CONTINUE THAT IMPROVEMENT OR GET
WHERE THINGS NEED TO BE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN? ARE THE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE. YOU MET IN THE INITIATIVES AND
CAN OTHER COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS DO THINGS TO HELP THE PROCESS? >>: AWARENESS SO THINGS LIKE
THE INDIANA CONFERENCE OF WOMEN BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE TABLE AND TALKING HOW WE CAN PROMOTE AND WORK TOGETHER WITH WOMEN AND
BEING ABLE TO SEE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES IS IMPORTANT SO COMPANIES LIKE CUMMINS WHO HAVE A LOT OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
ROLES AND OTHER COMPANIES DO THAT AS WELL IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WOMEN HAVE A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE.
MORE THAN 51 PERCENT OF SOCIETY AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. >>: A LOT IN MANUFACTURING AND
OTHER NONTRADITIONAL FIELDS, IF YOU WILL, STEM SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH.
SO IMPORTANT. EFFORTS TO GET MORE WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS ENGAGED AT A YOUNG AGE IN STEM RELATED FIELDS.
>>: THAT'S PART OF THE FOCUS OF THE INITIATIVES AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS WE ARE DOING AS A COMPANY.
>>: YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER 4P TEAM IS WOMEN. ONE IN THREE EMPLOYEES WOMEN. IS A BIG PART OF IT DOING NOT
JUST SAYING BUT DOING IT EXECUTING ON SOME OF THESE INITIATIVES TO GET WOMEN TO SEE I CAN DO THAT AND BE PART OF
THAT? >>: NO QUESTION. IT'S EASY TO SAY THE WORDS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION BUT YOU
HAVE TO FOLLOW IT UP WITH ACTION AND EVEN AT CUMMINS WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO. BUT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AND
THAT IS IMPORTANT SO IT IS NOT