Georgia Association of Manufacturers Announces 2021 Board

Atlanta, GA, April 29, 2021-The members of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM) and The Manufacturers Education Foundation (MEF) each elected officers and board members at the 121st Annual Meeting of GAM and the 78th Annual Meeting of MEF, held via virtual videoconference on April 29.

Rick Hooper, vice president, chief legal and advocacy officer for Shaw Industries was re-elected to a second year-long term as chairman of GAM and MEF. Pate Huguley, president and CEO of West Point Industries, was elected vice chairman of GAM and MEF. Greg King, president and CEO of Avis Industrial Corporation, was elected treasurer of GAM and MEF.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption caused to Association activities and the operations of the GAM membership, the Association decided to maintain as much continuity as possible by extending, where possible, the existing board member terms for another year. To that end, six industry executives whose terms were set to expire in 2023 were elected by the association’s membership to serve an additional year on their terms (expiring in 2024) on GAM’s board of directors and further elected to serve identical terms on the MEF board of directors: Dee Barnes, president & CEO, Evans Tool & Die, Conyers; Kathleen Edge, executive vice president for operations, Southwire; Josh Hall, vice president of manufacturing, Engineered Floors; Jay Neely, vice president, law & public affairs, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation; Brian Sage, executive vice president, manufacturing, Great Dane; and Brian Solheim, plant manager, Irving Consumer Products.

Five industry executives whose terms were set to expire in 2022 were elected by the Association’s membership to serve an additional year on their terms (expiring in 2023) on GAM’s, and further elected to serve identical terms on the MEF board of directors: Gerald Bruch, vice president, Honda Precision Parts of Georgia; Michael Edwards, senior vice president, Operations, Mannington; John Fluker, president and CEO, Grenzebach; Mike Gorey, president and CEO, Propex Operating Company; and Bruce Hagenau, president, Metcam.

One industry executive was elected by the association’s membership to serve a two-year term (expiring in 2023) on GAM’s board of directors, and further elected to serve an identical term on the MEF board of directors: Michael Lonergan, Chairman, Seminole Marine Group.

Three industry executives were elected by the Association’s membership to fill vacancies by serving one-year terms (expiring in 2022) on GAM’s board of directors, and further elected to serve an identical term on the MEF board of directors: Phillip Bridges, senior vice president, operations, Milliken & Company; Jim Kelleher, general manager, manufacturing & repair – Savannah Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Pooler; and Todd Shail, senior vice president of operations, Mohawk Industries.

Three industry executives whose terms were set to expire in 2021 were elected by the association’s membership to serve an additional year on their terms (expiring in 2022) on GAM’s board of directors, and further elected to serve identical terms on the MEF board of directors: Ben McElrath, president, Marglen Industries; Tony Rollin, factory manager, John Deere Commercial Products; and Terry Wilson, director, sales and marketing, Textile Rubber & Chemical Company.

GAM and MEF each re-elected Roy Bowen as chief executive officer and Mike Coan as president. GAM and MEF also each re-elected Cindy Thomas as corporate secretary for GAM and MEF and GAM re-elected Clay Jones as vice president and general counsel.

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