For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010
Four New Directors Elected to the NACFAM Board
Washington, DC. NACFAM Chairman & CEO “Rusty” Patterson announced today that four new directors – two from industry and two from higher education -- were elected to its Board of Directors at the May 28, 2010 Board meeting:
- Dr. David Dornfeld, Acting Department Chair of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, is professor of Manufacturing Engineering in the Mechanical Engineering Department and holds the position of Special Division Deputy, Engineering Division, at the Ernst Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
- Brig. Gen. (ret.) Robert E. Mansfield, Jr., Aerospace Expert in Residence at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, entered private consulting in May of 2009 after being the Director, National Center for Aerospace Leadership and Principle Investigator, National Aerospace Leadership Initiative at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology.
- Dr. John Sutherland, Chaired Professor of Manufacturing Engineering and Head of the Division of Environmental & Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, is a regional editor of the International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing, Operations Divisions chair of the ASME Manufacturing Technology Group, and chair of the Collaborative Working Group on Energy and Resource Efficiency and Effectiveness of the International Academy for Production Engineering.
- Douglas Woods, president and former Chair of AMT-The Association for Manufacturing Technology, has successfully headed an international machining tool company and a tool & die company (both multi-million dollar businesses), held several key management positions at Alliance and its parent company Cross & Trecker, including a two-year assignment in Germany as Director of European Operations.
In commenting on the addition of these four new Board members, Patterson observed, “Each of them brings a unique understanding that supports NACFAM’s primary objectives and keeps NACFAM focused on helping to build a stronger and more competitive U.S. manufacturing sector. And in doing so, they broaden the perspective of our Board.”
He added, “They will bring new ideas to the table while we develop cost-effective solutions to critical manufacturer needs in NACFAM’s four areas of interest -- process technology, sustainable manufacturing, workforce development and supply chain relationships.”
Patterson added, “The insight and wisdom of the new members will enable us to develop policy and program ideas that should help U.S. manufacturing be more innovative, better tuned to the their customers’ expectations, and be more competitive in the global market place.”
For more information about NACFAM’s new Board members, contact Fred Wentzel at 202-367-1247 or wenzelf@nacfam.org.
You can also go to the NACFAM web site at www.nacfam.org for more information about NACFAM and its efforts to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing sector.
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2010
Rusty Patterson Elected as NACFAM’s New CEO
Washington, DC. NACFAM is pleased to announce that the NACFAM Board of Directors has elected its Board Chairman Rusty Patterson as its new CEO, effective June 1, 2010. Patterson replaces Eric Mittelstadt who is retiring after serving as NACFAM CEO for more than five years and previously also as NACFAM’s chairman.
Eric Mittelstadt, also Chairman Emeritus of FANUC Robotics America, observed at the NACFAM Board meeting last week that “Rusty assumes the CEO position fully aware of the challenges NACFAM and its members face in building broad-based support for strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector and helping it compete more successfully in the global market place.”
He added, “Rusty’s long experience as an executive at the Raytheon Company, and earlier as the leader of the Agility Forum, gives him a unique perspective on what must be done by industry and government leaders to create policies and incentives that will enhance the productivity, competitiveness and profitability of the nation’s manufacturers.”
Patterson thanked outgoing CEO Mittelstadt for articulating the “manufacturing viewpoint” to the Obama Administration and members of Congress late last year when he urged these policy makers “to develop a comprehensive, coherent, overarching national manufacturing policy that is rigorous, objective and cost-conscious.”
Patterson added that “we must never forget that manufacturing historically has been the principal wealth creating engine of the U.S. economy, and in fact it has been leading our country out of the current recession. If this is to continue, our manufacturers – large, medium and small – must be world class companies, able to compete successfully in any global market.”
Both Patterson and Mittelstadt agreed that “manufacturing enterprises are the greatest providers of quality jobs in America. Only by addressing the investment and infrastructure concerns of all U.S. manufacturers can the nation remain a major manufacturing player in the 21st century economy.” Despite the leadership change, both agreed also that NACFAM’s priorities will be unchanged including its focus on the manufacturing issues of process technology and innovation, workforce development, supply chain relationships, and sustainable manufacturing.
In addition to electing Patterson as its new CEO, the NACFAM Board invited Mittelstadt and retiring Board Secretary and long-time member Bud Hyduk to become emeritus Board members.
The Board also elected nine-year NACFAM executive Fred Wentzel to be NACFAM’s new Executive Vice President and Board Secretary.
If you have any questions about NACFAM, call Fred Wentzel at 202-367-1247 or wenzelf@nacfam.org.
Please also visit the NACFAM web site at www.nacfam.org for more information on NACFAM.