AME Blog

AME Blog
Many AME members live in Canada or the United States, so for most of you, this week is a celebration of Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day. These two celebrations remind me of the importance of honoring and remembering our successes. Hundreds of years ago, the United States declared independence and... More
AME Blog
This week, I am honored to share the highlights of our AME Southeast Region Lean Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. First, I want to congratulate the summit team for organizing a week of learning and networking that netted the largest attendance in AME SE Region Summit history! Congratulations to Summit... More
AME Blog
Did you know Flag Day in the USA was last Friday, June 14? It commemorates the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The flag, known as the "Stars and Stripes," has 13 alternating red and white stripes and a blue field with 13 white... More
AME Blog
Happy Father’s Day to all our AME Fathers and father figures. Father’s Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions and sacrifices of fathers, recognizing their vital role in the family and society. It is always fun to research fun facts for my weekly letter. Did you... More
AME Blog
AME Consortia membership is one of the most valuable parts of AME. An AME Consortium is a group of local companies that collaborate to develop broad, deep and accelerated lean-CI progress better, faster and easier than they can do alone. These dynamic practitioner-to-practitioner networks are designed... More
AME Blog
There is a national day dedicated to celebrating just about everything. I recently wrote about National Scrabble Day, and many of you shared your love of the game. Some actually challenged me to a game. Pretty brave!  Did you know there is a National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day? On the fourth... More
AME Blog
Of all the federal holidays we celebrate, Memorial Day is both cheerful and somber. It is a day of observance focused on remembering and thanking the countless Americans in uniform who have given their lives for this country. Memorial Day is truly about acknowledging those heroic individuals and the... More
AME Blog
As you know, it is always my honor to share a weekly letter with our membership. It is even more fun when we have guest columnists. This week, AME Champions Club member and columnist David A. Behling shares an interview with volunteer extraordinaire Tracy ORourke. If Tracy’s name sounds familiar,... More
AME Blog
In a previous Mother’s Day letter, I shared that if there were a job description for the role of mother, “multitasker” would be the first bullet point. I would also add “SMART goal-setter” to the job description. I was fortunate to grow up with a mother who was a skilled multitasker and goal-setter.... More
AME Blog
I recently read an article in Forbes by a successful entrepreneur and coach who encouraged readers to reframe how we think about retirement. She proposed that “retirement” can become a “rewirement” of our approach to developing fully integrated lifestyles. When making that daunting transition... More
AME Blog
This week, I would like to share an interview with our long-time AME Home Team member, Sara O’Hara. Sara has been with AME for 20 years and has seen many changes and innovations in her career. Sara is by far the kindest, most selfless person I have ever had the honor of working with — she always... More
AME Blog
It seems that every day of the year is dedicated to a fun, if not slightly arbitrary, celebration of some sort. For example, did you know January 31st is National Scotch Tape Day? Many of these more out-there holidays pass unnoticed as normal days of the year. But some of us also keep track of a few... More
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
AME Blog
It is my honor to welcome Jessi Elder, the newest member of the AME Home Team. AME is thrilled to have Jessi join as the senior marketing specialist. We found a wonderful addition to the team – she not only possesses diverse marketing experience and superb writing skills, but she’s also a degreed... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
I hope everyone had a lovely St Patrick’s Day last weekend. It is always fun to celebrate, connect with friends and enjoy a little fun-hearted spirit. Connection is essential in our business lives and our personal lives. Connections allow us to foster constructive collaboration, innovation and growth.... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
It is always my honor to share a weekly letter with our membership. It is even more fun when we have guest columnists. This week, AME Champions Club member and columnist David A. Behling shares an interview with Billy Ray Taylor, AME’s Board chair-elect. Billy Ray Taylor is a keynote speaker at the... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
In my January 31st letter, I shared how one of our AME founders, Robert “Doc” Hall, has been the heartbeat of AME for forty years and how incredibly important he is to AME and me personally. Long-time AME members shared in this letter how much Doc has meant to them over the past four decades. It... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
This week is our exciting U.S. football finale! While my team is not in Super Bowl LVIII, I do have a favorite, as I am sure you do. As Superbowl Sunday approaches, I cannot help but think about how important continuous improvement in manufacturing is to the success of the most important United States... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
This month marks my fourth anniversary as AME president and CEO! It's hard to believe how quickly these four years have flown by and all we've overcome in this timeframe. I assumed this position shortly before the pandemic irreversibly changed our personal and professional lives. It has been quite a... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
2024 is commencing with great energy! It is exciting to see members collaborate and innovate as we design new training and workshop opportunities for members. This year, AME will host the annual virtual Back to Basics Lean Summit and offer in-person events again, including the AME Nashville 2024 Lean... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
The end of a year and the pending new year are always exciting and hopeful times. These are also times of supreme gratitude. We are thankful for all the good things that transpired and the relationships we made or nurtured during the year. This year has been personally rewarding, and while challenging,... More
AME Blog
‘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
AME Blog
Get to know the AME team! I’ll be sharing a series of fun Q&As of AME staff and board officers in future CEO letters. This week, enjoy an interview of yours truly. Kim Humphrey, AME president and CEO 1. How does your childhood dream career align with what you do now? When I was a child, all I... More
AME Blog
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
AME Blog
Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you brave the airports on the busiest travel day of the year, host your extended family or spend time with friends for Friendsgiving, I hope you enjoy a lovely holiday full of delicious food, gratitude and love. We usually think of Thanksgiving as “turkey day,” accompanied... More

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