As 2019 draws to a close, I am looking back on all that UAMMI has accomplished this year. With the help of so many industry partners like you, we have accomplished many great things, some of which include:
- Hosting two CrossTalk conference events which brought together industry experts and attendees for a day of learning. Both events were in partnership with the Utah SAMPE Chapter.
- Co-hosted and helped organize the first ever Utah Advanced Manufacturing Week which consisted of events across the state, including the Composites One “Fly Away with Composites” workshop and training.
- Hosted and executed the first ever RAMP Startup Accelerator which trained and assisted 8 industry startups over the course of several months.
- Launched the CONNEX supply chain database tool which allows interested parties to find, connect with and do business with Utah companies.
- Mentored and assisted 100+ companies within the industry across the state.
Looking back, it’s been a wonderful year and I look forward to what the next one will bring for UAMMI. In fact, some measures are already in the works such as the CrossTalk Conference & Wasatch Front Materials Expo on March 25th as well as our return to the CAMX tradeshow next October.
With many exciting accomplishments and many more to come, I consider myself lucky to be a part of it all. However, as some of you may know, my time as director is actually coming to close. With mixed emotions, I recently announced that I will be stepping down as Executive Director in February 2020 to serve a church mission with my wife in New Zealand. For nearly two years, we will volunteer our time as public relations assistants for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the South Pacific Region. It will be an exciting opportunity but certainly a change from my work at UAMMI.
With this announced change, UAMMI will be immediately seeking a new Executive Director and we welcome anyone with industry experience to apply. The duties of this position will be to manage all aspects of the organization including representing UAMMI with the advanced materials industry in Utah as well as nationally and internationally. The director will manage UAMMI’s membership in industry organizations as well as UAMMI projects such as: coal-to-carbon research, expansion of composites engineering programs into higher education, advancing 3D printing processes using carbon fiber, workforce apprenticeship programs, small business outreach in rural communities, business accelerator mentorship programs and military technology discovery and implementation.
The UAMMI board will be seeking someone that can manage these duties and has experience in the advanced materials manufacturing industry with knowledge of the global leaders and technology trends. Management of non-profit organizations, familiarity with government grants and contracts, financial oversight, strong communications skills and demonstrated team building experience are also characteristics being sought for the position.
The position is currently full-time but could be adapted to part-time for the right individual. Anyone interested in this position should visit the job description page at www.uammi.org/press/UAMMI-director-search and apply by December 31, 2019.
Although this is not my last goodbye yet, it is certainly the beginning of a new chapter for both me and UAMMI. I have worked with many wonderful people over the last 5 years and it has been a very rewarding experience. I am excited to see UAMMI continue and assist in growing this cutting edge industry in Utah and across the country.
Jeff Edwards