Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation Board of Directors Announced

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation (WiMEF) is pleased to announce the election of 20 members to its 2021 Board of Directors, whose terms begin on April 1, 2021.

The board is led by Chair Mary Ellen Grom, Executive Director, Customer Experience Solutions, AFL, Duncan, SC; and Vice Chair Steve Speich, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group Factory Manager, John Deere, Fargo, ND.

First-term members of the 2021 WiMEF board are:

• Michel Conklin, Executive Director, BotsIQ, Pittsburgh, PA
• Sascha Harrell, Director of Education and Workforce, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Ivory Harris, VP People Services, BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ
• Danielle Lancianese, Director – Tile & Stone Category, Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Dalton, GA
• Leslie LeMair, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, George Utz, Minneapolis, MN
• Jenn Martin, Engineering Manager, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Georgetown, KY
• JoAnn Mitchell, Partner Marketing Specialist, Sandvik Coromant, Fair Lawn, NJ
• Melissa Rocha, Director of Strategic Sourcing, Wastequip LLC, Charlotte, NC
• Catherine Ross, Director of Education, Smartforce Development, AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology, McLean, VA
• Shauna Smith, Director of Process Improvement, Americas, SPX Flow, Charlotte, NC
• Laura Wilde, Senior Director Quality & Mission Assurance, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Huntsville, AL

“On behalf of the entire WiM organization, I am thrilled to welcome this new group of leaders to the WiMEF Board of Directors,” said WiM President Allison Grealis. “The work of the WiMEF – to provide effective and affordable manufacturing industry skills and leadership programming – is extremely important in furthering the advancement of women in the industry.”

WiMEF funds the Leadership Institute for Women in Manufacturing and STEM, the Leadership Consortium, the Management Development Program, and the Empowering Women in Production Program. In addition, the foundation, with direct support from Arconic Foundation, has delivered more than 40 virtual learning sessions since its inception in 2016. These programs have helped more than 12,000 women and men in the industry grow professionally and personally.

Additional members of the WiMEF board who are continuing their service are:

• Rachel Camarillo, Chief Financial Officer, Erin Air, Seattle, WA
• Alicia Cannon, CEO, Apex Filling Systems, Michigan City, IN
• Cara Herzog, Director of Workforce Development & Diversity and Inclusion, Southwire Company, Carrollton, GA
• Kaitlyn Pogue Kelly, Operational Excellence Coach for Digital and Energy Services, Trane Technologies, Lexington, KY
• Sheila LaMothe, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Goyer Management International, Lakewood Ranch, FL
• Susanne Lauda, Director of Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AGCO Corp., Duluth, GA
• Gretchen Zierick, President, Zierick Manufacturing Corp., Mount Kisco, NY

Grealis also thanked outgoing members of the WiMEF board for their outstanding service: Teresa Beach-Shelow, Superior Joining Technologies, Inc.; Erika Ferrell, Hy Cite; Katie Kelley, BMO Harris Bank N.A.; Bernadette Palumbo, Sonepar; Traci Tapani, Wyoming Machine, Inc.; and Kelli Wells, STEM Leadership Alliance.

The WiM Education Foundation (WiMEF) is the 501(c)(3) arm of Women in Manufacturing® Association, a more than 6,000-member-strong national association dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who have chosen a career in manufacturing. WiMEF provides and supports effective and affordable educational opportunities for women in manufacturing. For more information, visit www.wimef.org and www.womeninmanufacturing.org.