The Association for Manufacturing Excellence Hampton Roads 2025 Lean Summit, held May 6–8 in Newport News, Virginia, was a resounding success thanks to your active participation and enthusiasm. Together, we embraced the theme “Ride the wave of change and set the standard for excellence,” immersing ourselves in a comprehensive program designed to achieve the AME’s mission of a manufacturing renaissance driven by people-centric leadership coupled with enterprise excellence.
Our summit featured two impactful keynote presentations from Robert Martichenko, sharing the importance of fostering meaningful work environments, and Xavier Beale, VP of Newport News Shipbuilding, who discussed the foundation for the future and how to inspire the next generation of manufacturing talent using technology to prepare the workforce of today and tomorrow.
Keynote Speaker Xavier Beale
Newport News Mayor Phillips Jones welcomed us to this beautiful waterfront city known for its large military presence, harbor, shipyards, coal piers, miles of beaches and vibrant manufacturing and healthcare industries.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones
Over 100 attendees engaged in hands-on workshops led by world-renowned experts, focusing on practical lean thinking to address complex processing challenges. Topics included innovative problem-solving, leadership and coaching, process mapping, people-centered leadership, Yellow Belt Lean Certification, strategy deployment, and leading with emotional intelligence. Thank you so much to our workshop presenters: Tim Hobbs, Mark Preston, Billy Taylor, Latitia McCane, Lisa Weiss and Peg Pennington.
Jennifer Shambley Stokes, Riverside Health
Summit attendees at Sumitomo
Attendees had the opportunity to visit leading lean organizations in the Hampton Roads area, gaining firsthand insights into best practices and lessons learned from their lean journeys. These tours provided valuable perspectives on implementing lean principles in diverse environments. Thank you so much to the tour sites: Canon Virginia, Inc., HII – Newport News Shipbuilding, HII – Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School, Howmet Hampton IGT, Mary Immaculate Hospital, New Horizons Regional Education Center, Riverside Health, STIHL Inc., Sumitomo Drive Technologies and the Virginia Port Authority.
Attendees were able to tour Newport News Shipbuilding- HII and the Apprentice School.
The Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening set the tone for meaningful networking, allowing participants to connect with peers, speakers and sponsors. Attendees shared experiences and strategies throughout the summit, strengthening their commitment to organizational excellence and bringing people together to share, learn and grow.
AME Hampton Roads 2025 Lean Summit attendees
We extend our sincere gratitude to all who contributed to the success of this event. AME summit chair Cenise Waites, her team of Steve Ebbing, Brian Tapajna, Joe Barto and Bill Iacovelli, and the most fabulous AME Southeastern Regional Board set the bar for future summits. I mean, seriously, what summit have you been to where you could see an aircraft carrier being built, tour a shipping port or observe an incredible hospital simulation lab that wowed everyone?! Your engagement and dedication make AME a vibrant community of continuous improvement professionals, and we thank you so much!
Steve Ebbing, Xaver Beale, Robert Martichenko and Cenise Waites
Summit chair Cenise Waites shared, “The summit was so informative and such a vibe! The networking, tours, workshops and keynotes all built on each other and solidified the theme of setting the standard for manufacturing excellence! I can’t pick a favorite component or moment because everything was amazing. Can’t wait for the AME St. Louis 2025 International Conference to connect again!”
Finally, AME Board chair Billy Taylor keynoted at the New Horizons Good Life Solutions Program Signing Day. Resembling an “athletic signing day,” this Career Selection Day is a high-energy celebratory event that publicly acknowledges students, employers, community members and stakeholders at the culmination of the program. The Good Life Solution Program (GLS) is a collection of partnerships between New Horizons Career & Technical Education Center and local employers looking to improve how they recruit, hire, train and, most importantly, retain their entry-level new hires out of high school.
New Horizons Good Life Solutions Program Signing Day
We look forward to seeing you at future AME events. As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
