Sabrina Fox honored for HVAC career built on resilience and leadership

Sabrina Fox, a Senior Estimator at John Q. Bullard and Associates in Apex, North Carolina, has been recognized as an Influential Woman for 2026 after building a 13-year HVAC career from an entry-level receptionist role. Her path highlights how persistence, mentorship, and leadership can open long-term opportunity in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Why it matters: - Sabrina Fox’s career shows how an entry-level job can become a long-term path into operations, sales, management and estimating in HVAC. - Her recognition highlights the growing visibility of women in a field that has traditionally been male-dominated. - Her leadership approach centers on empathy, trust and development, which can shape team culture as well as business performance.

What happened: - Sabrina Fox was recognized as an Influential Woman for 2026, representing Raleigh, North Carolina. - Fox works at John Q. Bullard and Associates in Apex, North Carolina, where she serves as Inside Sales and Senior Estimator. - Fox has more than 13 years of HVAC experience. - Fox began her HVAC career in 2012 at Faulkner Haynes and Associates as a receptionist hired through a temporary staffing agency. - Fox moved through accounting, sales, service operations, warehouse management, administration and customer relations before shifting fully into parts and service in 2017. - Following a major merger in 2024, Fox became Area Manager of Aftermarket Parts. - In that role, Fox oversaw operations in South Carolina and the Raleigh, North Carolina market.

The details: - Fox said her career growth came from staying open to learning and stepping in wherever help was needed. - Fox said prior management experiences shaped her belief that leaders should listen, show respect and support people’s growth. - Fox said effective leadership depends on listening, trust, integrity, empathy and helping people recognize their potential. - Fox said a leader’s job is not complete if the people she leads are not growing. - Fox credits past challenges, mentorship and her faith with helping guide her career. - Fox said her husband encouraged her to trust her instincts and follow her gut. - Fox encourages young women entering HVAC to take opportunities when they come and commit fully. - Fox said the industry offers career paths in field work, administration, sales support, mechanical drawings, parts operations and leadership. - Fox also described her personal interests as baking sourdough bread, canning, gardening, spending time with animals and traveling with her husband. - Fox said, “Titles don’t matter. We are all human. Treat everyone with respect, don’t worry about what others think, and keep doing what you know you’re supposed to do.”

Between the lines: - Fox’s story reflects a career model that rewards adaptability more than a straight-line path. - Her emphasis on mentorship and respect suggests retention and development can be as important as technical expertise in HVAC organizations. - The recognition also signals that women advancing into operational and estimating roles are becoming more visible in the industry.

What's next: - Fox is likely to continue applying her experience in estimating and inside sales at John Q. Bullard and Associates. - Her message to younger women suggests she will keep advocating for broader participation in HVAC and more confidence from new entrants. - Her recognition by Influential Women gives her a larger platform to share that message through her profile.

The bottom line: - Sabrina Fox built an HVAC career by embracing each opportunity, leading with empathy and turning a temporary receptionist job into a senior leadership path.