Are We There Yet?

RAPID CHANGES ARE afoot. Among the many is the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs not only in government, but also in all areas within its reach. Several major corporations have also followed suit.

Amidst this, Signs of the Times and our Women in Signs Awards sponsors, the International Sign Association (ISA) and SA International (SAi) — thank you! — are continuing our program that celebrates outstanding women leaders in the industry, now in its fifth year. A big “cheers!” to ST Assistant Editor Mildred Nguyen for expertly handling the nomination process and penning the insightful profiles (see page here).

ST’s position is that the sign community improves as the share of women working for, managing and owning shops increases toward parity. The simple reason is that diversity introduces more original ideas, energies and results. Our five 2025 Women in Signs Award winners bear this out.

For the past four years, ST’s annual Big Survey has found that women represent only 20% of the industry. While the dial hasn’t moved much of late, a recent Brain Squad survey has suggested improvements over 10- and 20-year timeframes.

We hope the long-term trend toward greater — yes — diversity, equity and inclusion in the sign industry continues, and not in such a slow march.

Join us for a cocktail celebration of the 2025 Women in Signs Awards winners at the ISA Expo on April 24 at 4 p.m. in ST’s booth (#3548), sponsored by ISA and SAi.