Greetings from my desk to yours as we welcome seasonal change here in Central Minnesota.

It’s said that change can be a good thing and that certainly holds true here. We’re long committed to being brokers of connectivity and change! You can see the positive evidence we’ve induced in our activities, tools, and outcomes.

It’s my honor to update you on some of the initiatives, both new and ongoing, as we continue to forward our mission of contributing to the growth and success of manufacturers.

Let’s start with some gratitude to our support organization, Midwest Manufacturers’ Association. Together, we’re happy to introduce and welcome Lynda E. Bailey as the new Executive Director. Lynda joins us following her tenure as Executive Director of the Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation in Riverside, California. With over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, she also brings extensive expertise in marketing. Lynda holds a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing from Purdue University. Recently relocating to be nearer to family, Lynda now resides in Nashwauk, Minnesota. We’re excited for new vision, guidance, initiatives, and success to come with Lynda at the helm!

On the topic of change, I’m happy to report our annual Tour of Manufacturing yielded positive outcomes and pushed further to open the doors to new understanding and appreciation for the work we do. We’ve again cast a bright light on the fact that long gone is dark, dirty, and dangerous and here to stay is technology, automation, and innovation. Our event showcased jobs that are safe, clean, and rewarding with many points of entry and advancement. We displayed our products, our know how, and our pride. Sincere thanks to all involved including our business partners, schools, vendors and volunteers. Something so momentous cannot be achieved by any one individual. That’s what makes CMMA and your investment, involvement and support, so critical and meaningful. Well done team!

Register now for our fifth annual CTE Jamboree on November 21 at Sartell High School! The CTE (Career and Technical Education) Jamboree is intended to close the gap between education and industry.  The event features an experienced lineup of speakers active in CTE in Minnesota.  The CTE Jamboree will focus on creating viable partnerships between education and manufacturing.  More school-centric than most CMMA meetings, attendees will learn about best practices in promoting manufacturing careers in a K12 setting, learn how best to forge relationships between industry and education, learn about grant funded opportunities, and more. School board members, superintendents, principals, counselors and CTE teachers are invited to attend.  Manufacturers are encouraged to attend.  

Are you looking for employees and feasible effective solutions? We have resources to address and improve your labor goals here at CMMA. We offer you upstream ideas and useable tools including our K12 Navigator, a free tool to connect educators and businesses for high school student career exploration. Also, our Youth Apprenticeship Toolkit can enable you to employ students in a structured, supported, and legal way and put them and your company on track for success.

We continue to actively support and invest in our future by leveraging our assets through K-12 grants and scholarships. K-12 schools in the CMMA region are eligible to apply for grant funding once per calendar year. The grants are awarded for projects or activities that are related to manufacturing and/or STEM.  Examples include FIRST robotics, VEX robotics, classroom supplies and equipment, manufacturing field trips, and more. To date, we’ve seeded approximately $190,000 into our fertile soil of youth education and development and together we’ve yielded some fantastic outcomes for our members, schools, and communities. Another fine example of “We’re in this together!”

Thanks for being a part and doing your part, that’s what makes us strong and the work fun!

See you at the CTE Jamboree!

Les Engel, CMMA President