NEW YORK — The National Cleaners Association (NCA) was recently named a finalist in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, recognized for operational changes built around AI under Executive Director and Chief AI Officer Dawn Hargrove-Avery.
NCA is a finalist in the category of Organization of the Year – Government or Non-Profit – 10 or Less Employees, for its nomination “National Cleaners Association: Transforming Member Value Through AI and Operational Innovation.” The category groups government agencies and non-profits that operate with 10 or fewer employees, a bracket NCA’s three-person staff fits in with room to spare. The association is one of 15 finalists representing six countries in the international competition.
NCA is an 80-year-old trade association serving professional dry cleaners and garment-care businesses, providing technical education, training, certification, compliance information, business resources and direct support to help members solve problems and prepare for the future. For members who rely on that support day to day, the Stevie recognition puts a spotlight on how the association has kept it running while operating leaner than most.
That work is carried out by two full-time staff members and one part-time staff member. “This recognition validates the direction I believed NCA needed to take,” Hargrove-Avery says. “We could not solve the limitations of a small staff simply by working longer and carrying more. We needed to preserve what our organization knows, redesign how work moves and use AI responsibly to extend our ability to serve.”
Hargrove-Avery’s approach has centered on treating technology as a way to build capacity, not replace judgment. That has meant organizing the association’s specialized industry knowledge, strengthening how NCA delivers education to members, improving member communications and creating more consistent systems for supporting professional garment-care businesses day to day.
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business recognize women executives, entrepreneurs, employees and the organizations they lead. Judging for the 2026 program involved more than 190 professionals worldwide across seven specialized juries, and finalists were required to earn an average score of at least 8 out of 10 to advance. Every finalist will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award, with placements announced at the awards ceremony on Nov. 16 at the New York Marriott Marquis.
“Leadership is not about introducing technology for the sake of appearing innovative,” Hargrove-Avery says. “It is about recognizing what the organization and its members will need next, then building the capacity to deliver it. AI was never the goal. Better member outcomes were.”
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