Detroit Women’s Impact Tour: Lessons in Courage for Today’s Security Leaders

Recently, ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA) hosted the third annual Security LeadHER conference aimed at advancing, connecting and empowering women in the security profession.

The third installment of this event commenced in Detroit, Michigan, with guided tours (led by Detroit History Tours) highlighting prominent sports and entertainment facilities, alongside a historical tour celebrating the influential women who shaped the city’s development and legacy.

Detroit has always been a city that builds the future, and its boldest architects weren’t always wearing hard hats – sometimes they wore lab coats or business suits or simply carried unstoppable determination.

Detroit’s city seal captures the city’s most defining characteristic: resilience through devastation and renewal. The female figures on the seal represent the grief of destruction and the hope of rebuilding – a powerful reminder that security professionals understand both loss and recovery. These women embody Detroit’s ability to rise from ashes, much like today’s security leaders who must navigate crisis and emerge stronger.

The women sailors of the Detroit Yacht Club during WWII exemplified this spirit of adaptation and critical support. When the war effort demanded unprecedented pharmaceutical production for troops overseas, these skilled women stepped into vital roles maintaining operations at Parke Davis, one of Detroit’s major pharmaceutical companies. But their contribution went far beyond simply filling vacant positions. These women brought their maritime expertise – navigation skills, mechanical knowledge, and crisis management abilities honed on the Great Lakes – directly into wartime manufacturing and logistics. Their experience reading weather patterns and managing maritime emergencies proved invaluable in coordinating complex supply chains. Their work ensured that life-saving medical supplies reached battlefields without interruption, demonstrating that security isn’t just about defense – it’s about ensuring continuity when everything else falls apart.

In Detroit’s cigar factories, women workers didn’t just roll tobacco – they developed the precision and quality control standards that would later influence automotive assembly lines. Their attention to detail and commitment to excellence became foundational principles that secured Detroit’s position as the Motor City.

Dr. Fannie Richards broke educational barriers as Detroit’s first African American public school teacher in 1865, fighting not just for her own right to teach but for integrated education throughout the city. She established Detroit’s first kindergarten program and spent four decades proving that quality education was the cornerstone of community security. Richards understood that protecting the future meant investing in minds, not just infrastructure – a principle that resonates with security professionals who know that human capital is the greatest asset of all.

These inspiring women of Detroit share something crucial with today’s security professionals: they saw challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities to innovate, protect, and lead. They understood that true security comes from building something stronger, not just defending what already exists.

As you advance in your security career, consider that many of Detroit’s most significant contributions – with global impact – originated from women who challenged conventional boundaries. Rather than simply adapting to existing conditions, they fundamentally transformed their environments. For professionals in a field dedicated to mitigating risks, these pioneering women offer compelling examples of how visionary leadership can reshape entire industries and communities.

The security profession needs that same wild determination today.

Andy Cutler is the vice president of communications for ASIS International.