Diné takes her place in male-dominated electrical technician field

Posted by Navajo Times | Jul 9, 2018 | Business |

By Taylor Notah
Special to the Times

TEMPE, Ariz.

The HVAC/R industry may be male-dominated, but one Diné woman is working against the statistics of women in the workforce with her presence, persistence and success.

Rhoanna King

Rhoanna King, 21, is an electro-mechanical technician. She is of the Red Running into the Water clan, born for the Towering House clan. She is the daughter of Roger King and Christine Laughing.

Originally from Fort Defiance, she is among the mere 1.2 percent of women worldwide who are trained in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration trade.

“It feels great to pursue something that not everyone can do and show people not to be afraid to step out of your boundaries,” King said in a phone interview. “It’s very empowering because you go home knowing that in 2018, you’re still carrying on the empowerment for women… you’re showing them that we don’t just fall into certain categories.”

Seeking to become an electrical technician, King enrolled at the Refrigeration School Inc. in Phoenix, the largest HVAC/R school in the country.

According to David Eaker, president of RSI, only 4 percent of the school’s population is female and says despite the low female-to-male ratio, women inspire fellow students and some achieve higher marks than men.

“They come in very focused, very dedicated to learning the craft,” he said. “We’re really trying to focus on the increase of women in the HVAC industry so we can get more technicians out there.”