New TMA Board Chairman to encourage members’ “entrepeneurial spirit”

PHOTO: TMA’s 2024-2025 Executive Board (Left to right) TMA President Patrick Osborne, Immediate TMA Board Past Chairman Nicole Wolter, 2024-2025 TMA Board Chairman Craig Zoberis, Vice Chairman Robert Clifford, Treasurer Shiv Sivakumar  

Comments to Technology & Manufacturing Association members from TMA’s 2024-2025 Board Chairman Craig Zoberis as shared at TMA’s 2024 Annual Meeting, March 9th: 

Thank you all for attending this 98th Annual Meeting of the Technology & Manufacturing Association.

I stand before you today both humbled and excited by the opportunity to serve this year as board chairman.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my predecessor, Nicole Wolter, for her outstanding leadership and dedication to TMA.

Under her stewardship, our organization has not only flourished, but has stood firm in the face of many challenges.

It is also with deep gratitude that I acknowledge the collective efforts of everyone in this room.

Your unwavering commitment to TMA has been the cornerstone of our collective success.

And it is my intention, as chairman, to help ensure that this success continues.

And to assist our outstanding professional staff in meeting TMA’s mission to partner with small and midsize manufacturers to help them protect, promote, and grow their businesses.

Zoberis’ vision while TMA Board Chairman

I also intend to be a public advocate for you – the people who make things in America: the dreamers, the doers, the creators.

The ones who don’t just talk … but do.
The manufacturers that make this country great.

It is indisputable that our industry is absolutely essential for good, middle-class jobs, for broadly shared prosperity, for long-term economic growth, and for national security.

Our industry represents the entrepreneurial spirit that makes this country great.

It represents the mindset that embraces innovation, risk-taking, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of growth.

The outlook that sees opportunities where others see obstacles, that pushes boundaries and isn’t afraid to fail.

The spirit that drives us to challenge the status quo, create value, and transform ideas into reality.

These values and this spirit resonate in TMA and drives our vision for the future.

So, over the next twelve months, I intend to be a champion for the entrepreneurial spirit that lies at the heart of each TMA member.

Exciting new TMA projects leading to upcoming 100th Anniversary

As we prepare to celebrate our 100th Anniversary next year, we find ourselves on the brink of transformative change.

The world around us is evolving at an unprecedented pace, presenting both challenges and opportunities.

TMA’s vision for the future is not just to navigate these changes but to lead them.

Accordingly, in the coming months, we hope to significantly expand the availability of our industry-leading training and to broaden our footprint and impact beyond traditional boundaries.

In addi9on, we plan to enrich our apprentice training and offer additional lines and levels of instruction by augmenting our hands-on training center with additional equipment.

For example, I’m happy to announce that TMA will soon be putting in two new EDM machines in partnership with Mitsubishi.

I’m also happy to announce that TMA has just secured a contract with the U.S. Navy to help train and place into industry the individuals required to help modernize our sub force by building a new generation of submarines – which hasn’t been done since the end of the Cold War.

And speaking of next generation and workforce development, the TMA Education Foundation has embarked on an aggressive effort to rebuild, and significantly expand, the corpus of the Foundation.

We’ve done that in order to continue the legacy of the Foundation’s founders, and to expand our collective ability to:

  1. Promote and increase awareness of our industry among students, parents, educators and policy makers,

  2. To provide grants and materials for high school manufacturing programs,

  3. To assist women in manufacturing to advance in their careers,

  4. And to recruit and direct individuals of all ages and all walks of life into posi9ons in our businesses.

Along with that, you may have noticed the work we’ve been doing in Springfield with the first- ever Legislative Caucus for manufacturing – specifically focused on small and midsize manufacturers.

Expect to hear and see more of TMA’s Advocacy on your behalf as we head toward the Primary and General Elections this year.

Of course, another way we’re helping members navigate change is with our programming and information – designed to keep you forewarned and therefore forearmed.

To provide you advanced awareness of issues impacting our industry so that you can be prepared to deal with it.

I hope to be a part of some of this year’s programming – especially as it pertains to encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit I spoke about earlier.

Of course, the many services of TMA also help us meet the future.

TMA’s future

From our manufacturing-focused health insurance through TMA Benefit Services, Inc.; our risk- management support through Daniel & Henry, our TMA Retirement Trust, Grainger discount program, jobs board through Chatfield Global, and soon-to-be-announced partnership with Estes that will be replacing our agreement with YRC.

Finally, when it comes to helping us navigate and lead change, perhaps the most valuable asset TMA has is its professional staff.

As chairman, I intend to support and encourage their exciting plans and efforts. And I want to thank them today for all they do.

Thank you.

In closing, I want to also thank each one of you. And call on each of you to join me with renewed zeal and shared purpose for this great Association.

Let’s harness that entrepreneurial spirit and our collective strengths to meet the future, challenge the status quo, and make a lasting impact.

Thank you, once again, for this incredible opportunity and for your trust in me.

More about TMA’s 2024-2025 Annual Meeting HERE. 

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