On November 28, NIST MEP held the MEP National Network 30th Anniversary Recognition Commemoration at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. The event lauded 30 years of MEP achievements and featured remarks and discussion among leaders from NIST, MEP Centers and their client small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), industry and important stakeholders about the critical role the MEP Program has played in advancing U.S. manufacturing over three decades. Sessions and speakers included the following below.
Welcome remarks from:
- Carroll Thomas, Director, MEP, NIST
- Dr. Phillip Singerman, Associate Director, Innovation & Industry Services, NIST
- Dr. James K. Olthoff, Acting Associate Director, Laboratory Programs, NIST
- A Video from Dr. Walt Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce, Standards and Technology and Director, NIST
- A Letter from Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, Former Senator from South Carolina
Notable public and private partnership stakeholders, including:
- Kevin Carr, Former MEP Director and Chief Executive Officer, FloridaMakes
- Dr. Ron Jarmin, Deputy Director, and Performing the Non-Exclusive Functions and Duties of the Director, U.S. Census Bureau
- David Langdon, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Leo Reddy, Chairman and CEO, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council
- Bill Bonvillian, Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Influential MEP Center and partner representatives, including:
- Joe Houldin, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center Founder and Director, National Manufacturing Initiatives
- Jacques Koppel, Former MEP Director at Minnesota Technology, Inc.and President, The Koppel Group
- Carolyn Lee, Executive Director, The Manufacturing Institute, National Association of Manufacturers
- Tom Mahoney, Former MEP Director at West Virginia MEP and Associate Director, MForesight
- Scott Paul, President, Alliance for American Manufacturing
A manufacturing roundtable featuring:
- Mike Garvey, President and CEO, M-7 Technologies, NIST Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology
- Dr. Jaime Camelio, Chief Technology Officer, Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing
- Christa Glassburn, Chief Operating Officer, The PBE Group
- Wayne Smith, Marketing and Product Development Director, DanChem Technologies, Inc.
The event’s final session included remarks about the next 30 years from Carrie Hines, President and CEO of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition and Foundation for Manufacturing Excellence as well as closing remarks from Carroll Thomas. The event also included three videos featuring MEP Center manufacturing clients, who told their story as part of the Heroes of American Manufacturing video series. Approximately 100 people attended the event, including representatives from numerous MEP Centers, and NIST MEP wishes to thank everyone that participated for making it a success!