This past Wednesday marked my one-year anniversary as AME’s president and CEO. Since assuming this role, AME has accomplished so much, as have our members and the entire community of lean, continuous improvement practitioners.
I am proud of our community’s collective efforts to pivot and adapt to this past year’s challenges, but I am most gratified that what we have accomplished will continue to be applicable once this adversity is behind us. We have seen how important our continuous improvement knowledge is to our organizations and the world. We have demonstrated the value of agility. We have fortified our processes, improved our standard work, and established new ways to keep employees engaged and safe in our organizations. We have shown courage and resilience.
For AME’s part, we are honored to be a leading source for operational excellence methods, tools and principles since our founding in 1985 and, in particular, during this past year. Under my watch, we will continue to lead with purpose as we help our community share, learn and grow:
- The AME International Conference will endure as the gathering place of the best lean minds.
- AME Lean Sensei® will be the guidepost for assessing and achieving excellence, while the AME Excellence Award will be the calling card of those organizations that have achieved distinction.
- Our joint lean certification with SME and the Shingo Institute will remain the paradigm for lean accreditation.
- AME membership — whether individual, corporate, student, Consortia, Champions Club or Emerging Leaders — will continue to inform practitioners across North America and beyond.
- Our virtual and in-person tours will continue to be the gold standard for experiencing and learning about lean and operational excellence.
As I head into my second year at AME’s helm, I am excited to announce that Barb Clayton, has assumed a new volunteer role as our director of programming on the AME management team. You may know Barb from her time as president of AME’s Western Region. In her new role, she will align our programming so that we continue to provide the best learning opportunities and most valuable experiences for our members. She has begun working closely with our home team to identify industry trends, topics, trainers, speakers and tour sites that will enhance your continuous improvement journey. With Barb’s leadership you can expect AME to deliver intentional offerings that add value whatever your experience level.
In the year ahead, we will also focus on providing more value for your AME membership. We are grateful for those who have joined our association, and we are examining how we can continuously improve our membership offering. Under the guidance of new AME board member Robert Martichenko, we are looking at ways to boost the value your membership provides.
We continue to be driven by our mission and the desire to honor the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future. I look forward to working with you and our community in year two of my tenure. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, humbled by your continued support, and eager to help you continue to share, learn and grow.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
