AME Blog

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day titled “How Gen Z is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation.” The article shared that Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are rapidly ditching college and traditional schools and choosing skilled trades instead. Rising pay and new technologies... More

I had the opportunity last week to hear AME volunteer Robert B. Hafey (Bob) share his expertise in “Lean Safety: Workforce engagement and culture change.” Ryan Zeng, AME Seattle Consortium facilitator, sponsored this training, which resonated so deeply. Hafey shared how lean and continuous improvement... More

April is right around the corner, promising warmer weather, lighter evenings, and an enriching AME event season. AME has some incredible learning opportunities in April. Join us in person on April 10 for the Blue Q: Benchmarking Plant Tour, where we will expand the future through lean innovation and... More

I recently attended a "Milk and Cookies" open house event at the Peake Childhood Center in Hampton, Virginia. While there were a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs" about the incredible work they are doing with pre-kindergarten children, it was even more fascinating to learn about the impact early childhood education... More

Valentine’s Day, with its trademark heart-shaped chocolates and flowers, is traditionally reserved for romance. Last year, I shared that I would like to reframe the narrative and challenge us to take the time to show a little extra love to those other people in our lives—our coworkers, suppliers,... More

Last week, I talked about celebrating my four years as CEO of AME and how wonderful this experience has been. I am forever grateful to the AME trailblazers for this dream. In my January fifth letter, I talked about AME’s history and the pioneers who founded this incredible organization four decades... More

This past week, I read some intriguing articles about how we can enhance our value at work. My greatest takeaways boiled down to these simple ideas: Do work on what truly matters. Busy work is not a value-add and distracts us from our mission. Be humble about what you know, and always share credit. Build... More

2023 was an action-packed and wonderful year for AME. Through all the challenges, successes and celebrations, I am humbled you have graced me with the honor to continue to lead this forward-thinking, innovative organization and work with such outstanding members, volunteers and boards, as well as a fantastic... More

‘Tis the season where we gather to reflect on the current year as it winds down while getting excited about the upcoming year. During the holiday season, we traditionally have fun, reminisce and exchange gratitude for all of life’s joys with families and friends. Isn’t it just as important to get... More

Continuing in the spirit of gratitude this week, I would like to thank Mike Kijak and the entire Legrand (formerly Wiremold) family for hosting the AME best practice workshop and tour last month. It was an action-packed day of tours, learning and new experiences. And a special thank you to AME Northeast... More

I am still celebrating the success of the AME Cleveland International Conference. The people and the learning environment were so energizing. As lean leaders, we know that an important and worthy piece of the continuous improvement journey is the celebration. In today’s fast-paced world, we sometimes... More

Another amazing AME International Conference has come and gone. It feels surreal that we all gathered just a few days ago to share, learn and grow as we ReImagined Excellence. What a fun time in Cleveland, and how impressive was it that the honorable Cleveland mayor, Justin Bibb, kicked off the week... More

First, let me share that I am ecstatic that next week, we will gather in the beautiful city of Cleveland, Ohio to celebrate our 39th AME International Conference! We will host attendees from all over the United States, Canada and 19 other countries. I cannot wait to see you all in person. Zoom calls... More

Every day at AME, I am reminded that it truly takes a village. Collaboration and support in our community are crucial for change and innovation. We know we cannot do it alone, and this reflects AME's values – we share, learn and grow. Our network provides opportunities every day, and I am so grateful... More

Dear Present, Past and Future AME Members: I am thrilled to announce an exciting update to this week’s letter. We are honored to have a special guest writer, Jenny Snow-Boscolo, AME’s outgoing 2022-2023 Board chair. I am so personally grateful for Snow-Boscolo’s leadership these past few years.... More