SME Education Foundation Welcomes Four New Members to its Board of Directors

DEARBORN, Mich. - Oct. 22, 2013 - PRLog -- The SME Education Foundation (SME-EF) today announced the election of four new members to its Board of Directors.

Joining the Board are Gwen Malone, Jennifer McNelly, Karla Middlebrooks and Roy Sweatman.
“I am excited to welcome our new Board members to the SME Education Foundation (http://www.smeef.org/),” said Chief Executive Officer Bart A. Aslin. “They bring us a wealth of expertise in workforce development and leadership training, both in business and government. Their experience will be critical as we increase our efforts to attract women and minorities to pursue careers in the high-tech manufacturing sector.”

Gwen Malone is currently a GM Technical Fellow and Senior Manager of Ergonomics in the GM Global Manufacturing Engineering Division. She brings nearly 30 years’ experience in various plant and divisional positions within General Motors, and has received several awards for her innovative research and leadership. Gwen has worked to increase the leadership role of women and minorities through her participation in various diversity initiatives and fundraising drives. She is also a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Michigan as well as various inner-city schools and programs.

Jennifer McNelly brings extensive experience in workforce development, employer engagement and business. She currently serves as the President of The Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit organization that researches and supports manufacturing excellence, innovation, and talent to deliver solutions to keep U.S. manufacturers globally competitive. Jennifer has held senior positions with the U.S. Department of Labor and has served on several leading industry boards. She was recently named one of the 100 Women Leaders of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Also joining the Board is Karla Middlebrooks, a Contributing Partner at Excellence In Action (EIA) a minority-owned consulting firm that specializes in providing leadership-training skills to both individuals and organizations. Before joining EIA, Karla held increasing levels of responsibility and leadership over the course of a 24-year career with Chrysler. As Vice President of Operations Finance, she led 150 employees with a departmental budget of approximately $10 million. Karla has served on several nonprofit boards and been the recipient of numerous accolades including the 2004 Career Achievement Award from the National Women of Color in Technology and a 2000 Eagle Award from the National Eagle Leadership Institute.

Roy Sweatman is the owner of Southern Manufacturing Technologies (SMT), a Tampa-based manufacturer that provides high precision components and assemblies for the aircraft, aerospace and defense industries. SMT has been listed in the INC 500 and won several awards for business excellence. Roy is a member of several boards including the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the Career Technical Education Foundation Board. He was recently reappointed to serve a second two-year term with the Secretary of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council.

About the SME Education Foundation
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting, and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists. Created by SME in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $33 million in grants, scholarships, and awards since 1980 through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations and individual donors. To learn more, visit the SME Education Foundation at http://www.smeef.org/.

Media Contact
Jennifer Richmond, Senior Marketing Specialist, SME Education Foundation, (313) 425-3306, jrichmond@sme.org