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President's Message  A Note from the Executive Director
Haley J. Brust - Executive Director (Talley Management Group) As you all may know the 2009 membership year is coming to a close. Despite the uncertainty of the economy, AWMI had a wonderful year. There is still the month of September for a few more dues renewals to trickle in, but it looks like we will end the year with 1000 members - yea! we broke that 1000 mark. Of course the focus has been centered mostly on membership, but now it is time to turn our focus to San Diego and the 2009 Annual Conference. It looks like a beautiful venue and the program is terrific. There is always something fun to do in San Diego and I hope everyone has the opportunity to attend our conference. If you have been procrastinating about sending in your registration form for the conference, or have been on the fence about renewing your membership to AWMI, perhaps as a result of company budgetary restraints, I would like to encourage you to register for the conference and to budget for your dues for 2010. Registration fees have not gone up in over four years and your dues are a real value at $175. If you know of anyone who is thinking of joining AWMI, perhaps this is the time to get them to join and come on down to San Diego and see what AWMI is all about. Also, if you have them join now, they can register for the conference at the member rate, plus as an added bonus, they will receive the remainder of the 2009 membership year free! I look forward to seeing everyone in San Diego!  AWMI Annual Conference
Catherine Crews - International Programs Chair (Chicago Chapter) The lineup speaks for itself, but I cannot stress how important information is in a tough economy. AWMI's Annual Conference is one of the year’s best buys. and we have additional value – a guided, bus tour of General Dynamics NASSCO. This tour is limited to 30 participants, so email Amanda Jordan (ajordan@talley.com) to reserve your spot. You will hear from many top executives in the metal industry as well as renowned economists providing information on our markets and how they relate to the American and Global economy. Get a glimpse into 2010 and help your company create a strong hold in the metal industries. The last 18 months have been quite a rollercoaster ride in the metal industries, and the AWMI cornerstones of education, network, mentor and grow have never been more relevant. Please join us for our Annual Conference and use all the resources that AWMI has to offer. Our website contains the conference schedule as well as full biographies of our speakers. Just click on the ad below for details. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and are an excellent way to target a captive and specific audience.   AWMI Website Tip: Call for Photographs!
Sian Marcone - International Vice President/Website Committee Chair (Baltimore Chapter) Perhaps you’ve noticed under the "Quick Links" section of the AWMI home page a link to a Photo Gallery. Until now, this hasn’t been an active section of the website, but we’d like to change that with your help. This is the ideal place to post photos of AWMI events at the Chapter, Regional and International levels. Maybe someone got a great group shot at a mill tour, a superb speaker photo, or captured the fun at the 19th hole at one of our golf outings. There’s a lot going on in the world of AWMI, and we should showcase that. So start looking through your collections or start snapping! Email your pictures (JPG format, 6Kb max.) to me at sian.marcone@severstalna.com. Please include a one-line description of the photo and identify those in the photo by name and chapter, if possible. We’ll post them to the Photo Gallery and rotate the pictures each month.   AWMI Member BenefitLoretta Wysocki - International Mentoring Chair (Philadelphia Chapter) As AWMI’s International Mentoring Chair, I am pleased to announce our latest member benefit. On October 2, 2009 we will launch our Mentor of the Month Program where you, as AWMI members, can email one of six women who are also AWMI members with your business related questions (only business related questions...AWMI questions should be directed to the appropriate AWMI leader). These women are presidents or vice presidents of their companies and come to the table with both experience and title and have offered our members a priceless "give back" to both our members and our industries. Here is how the program will work: On the first Friday of each month (and ONLY on this day) one of these ladies will be available on a rotating basis to take emailed questions through our AWMI website. On the AWMI home page, you will see Mentoring Corner located in the "Quick Links" box. This is available to members only, and you will need to log on in order to access this page. Once you are logged on, you can click on this and you will be taken to a page indicating who the current Mentor of the Month will be. You can click on her name and an email addressed to the Mentor will pop up where you can ask your question(s), which will be sent directly to the Mentor. If you wish to read her bio, click on the bio and it will come up. The bio is currently available at any time and will remain on the website; however, the email link will be only available on the date indicated. These women will answer you within two weeks by email. We are offering this service just one day a month at the present time, so please do not email them after the first Friday of the month . . . wait until the next month and ask. If the Mentor cannot answer your question, she will email you back indicating that it is outside her area of expertise or notify me and I will contact you. Your questions and answers are confidential between you and the Mentor of the Month, and are strictly the opinion of the Mentor. If you are attending the Leadership Conference in San Diego, please stop by the registration desk or the hospitality suite and introduce yourself to them. There should be one or more of the Mentors there to meet and greet you. Forty five years ago when I started in the metals industry, this type of thing did not exist. In looking back on those years, there were many times when a strong and influential mentor would have been invaluable. These women have embraced our mentoring concept with enthusiasm. Ask your questions, share your knowledge and experiences with them as they will with you, and take advantage of yet another AWMI member benefit.  What AWMI Meansto Me Barbara Tucholke Wisconsin Newsletter Chair (Ideas By Design, LLC) The events of that Fall day in 1996 are forever burned on my brain. I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I was seated in a dimly-lit conference room with three other women, a pot of hot coffee and a box of fresh donuts - you know, the kind that beckon you softly, ‘go ahead and take a bite’. Valorie, another unsuspecting woman, and I were seated opposite of Lisa and Jayne. You could tell that Lisa and Jayne were well-seasoned veterans, both with welcoming smiles, yet with just a hint of slyness that piqued one’s curiosity. We began with cursory introductions. Gulp of coffee, bite of donut, wipe of powdered sugar. And then the questions came. Relentless, almost endless, they came one after another. "How long have you been in the industry?" "What sort of activities interest you?" "Would you like a refill on your coffee?" My mind was reeling as beads of sweat began to form on my brow. ‘How did I get here’, I thought to myself. And then I saw it sitting right in front of Jayne. |
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| A piece of paper bearing my name, in my own handwriting, and a checkmark next to "I am interested in learning more about serving on the Wisconsin Chapter board."
"I enjoy creating things," I answered nervously. "In fact, much of my time at my current job is spent developing the design and layout of technical reports we send to clients as a result of the testing we perform." I caught my breath while I waited for a response. Was my lack of confidence apparent? Ah, this could be my chance of escape! Maybe they’d decide I’m not useful for their cause and let me go. I stealthily reached for my purse under the table in anticipation of their permission to leave. No such luck. "Sounds like you’d be great in helping me with Programs," Lisa replied. "We’ve got an event coming up, and we need to meet again within a week or so to get the notice out to our members." That was it. The next thing I knew, Lisa and I were back at that conference room folding and stuffing over 600 announcements for the upcoming meeting. It wasn’t long after when I started handling the design and layout of the announcements, and with Lisa’s guidance, I began planning monthly events, contacting speakers, and selecting menus. I admit that I was "green" at the whole board experience. But times of anxiety and apprehension were replaced with a sense of calm self confidence. I would have never suspected, however, where this board experience would lead me just a few short years later. It was about 1999 when I was approached by a coworker who was presiding over the local chapter of an organization similar to AWMI. They were losing their supplier of printing and mailing services, and knowing my background with AWMI, he asked if I would be interested in providing that same type of service for them - but for pay. I wondered if I should accept the offer. Would I be able to pull it off? After grappling with self doubt awhile, I finally figured it was worth the risk. Besides, I could use the extra cash. The next thing I knew, one client turned into two, and two turned into three, and so on. After seven years, Ideas By Design had become established, and I felt it was time to leave my career of 14 years to operate my business - yes, my business - full time. Today, Ideas By Design assists over 23 commercial, industrial and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada, supplying a variety of services from design of newsletters, brochures, and other print media to website design and electronic communication support. So, what does the future hold for me and Ideas By Design? God only knows. But what I do know is that I am a business owner who was given the opportunity of putting my talents to good use with an organization that was willing to allow me to serve. After that day in 1996, I was Programs Co-Chair for several years, eventually moving on to Vice President, and finally to Chapter President in 2002. With each position, I learned new skills like planning and running a board meeting, addressing an audience of up to 200, directing and leading a team, and even running a small business. After my presidency, I left the board for a short while, but am now back as Newsletter Chair. Admittedly, I’m still learning new things about leadership, working with others, growing in confidence, and still soaking up as much as AWMI has to offer. But I think I’ve come full circle ... wouldn’t you agree?  
Rare Earth Metals 101Wendy Austin - Seattle Chapter President (Alaskan Copper & Brass) Since it’s "back to school" time, how about a crash course on rare earth metals? Rare earth metals are actually the 15 elements on the periodic table from 57 – 71. The elements are called "rare earths" because of the uncommon oxide-type minerals (earths) when first discovered in Ytterby, Sweden in 1787. It was not until the late 1950s to early 1960s and the development of advanced separation techniques that all the rare earths were finally identified. Many of the rare earths are named for the discovering scientists, the geographical location of discovery or for Greek, Latin or mythical references.
Some of the larger uses coming down the pike will be the permanent magnets used in clean energy technology, like wind turbines and hybrid vehicles. Some wind turbine applications require as much as two tons of rare earth magnets in the permanent magnet generator. The #1 use currently for the rare earths is hard disc drives. But this should be easily overtaken by the hybrids in the not too distant future. Although there is some ore mined in the U.S. that is processed into oxides, the only country in the world today that is converting those oxides to metal is China. In the past ten years the market for rare earths has gone from 40,000 to 125,000 tons per year. Predictions say this should be over 200,000 tons by 2014. Experts are not nearly as concerned with China’s production capability as they are with their consumption capability. So with the push to hybrids the question to ponder is: Will we be trading our foreign oil dependence for a dependence on China’s rare earth metals? (But that would be another class!)  AWMI: Exposure to Opportunities for Growth Belinda Coker - Carolinas Chapter President (Nucor Steel - Berkeley) Over the last year and a half several people have asked, "so, what does it mean to become a member of AWMI"? My response to that question is very simple: Exposure to opportunities for growth. The meetings offer a wide range of topics, speakers, attendees with various backgrounds and networking. This platform allows one to observe, listen, engage and learn. The Carolinas Chapter had a meeting last July that featured Rachael Maw, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Nurse. She presented information about how one can recognize signs of stress and what we can do to alter the body’s reaction in stressful situations. It was surprising to find out that 75% - 90% of all doctor visits are due to stress-related ailments and disorders! Overall the meeting was wonderful and Rachael was an excellent speaker. By attending the meetings and being involved in AWMI it can help one align personal and/or professional goals with personal development. The networking is fantastic, but most of all, the meetings are informative and fun! Texas Chapter Recap Maureen Horn - Texas Chapter Membership Chair (TMK - Ipsco) The Texas Chapter is off to a busy 2009. Our April and July events were both successful industry dinners! In April, the Chapter was honored to have Vicki Avril, President and Chief Executive Officer of TMK IPSCO, share an overview of the company and share her unique insight in surviving and differentiating yourself in a difficult economic market. With 32 years in the commodity industries, she has a wealth of experience on ups and downs in the market! Our July industry dinner stayed with a similar theme, setting yourself and your company apart from the competition. Ron Dechiro, Supply Chain Commodity Manager with Anadarko Petroleum, joined us to discuss Supplier Relationship Management and the benefits Anadarko has seen from their focus on performance management and relationship development with suppliers and customers. Thankfully our next gathering will be our Second Annual Golf Outing Thursday, October 15th where we can enjoy the beautiful Houston Fall weather after a long hot summer. Topping our last two speakers would be impossible! "Hi Y'all" from the Southern Region Christine Colburn - Southern Region Director (Nucor Steel - Tuscaloosa) With summer behind us and the fall season fast approaching, we are looking forward to several great events in the Region, besides college football! In August, we all went to beautiful Charleston, South Carolina for the executive committee meeting, and one evening we even had time to have dinner with two ladies from the Carolinas chapter, which was wonderful. The Tennessee Chapter is having a Cruise on the Mississippi River on September 16th, with Ladd Hall from Nucor as the speaker. I went last year, and it was great! Go to Memphis, have some ribs at Rendezvous, then spend the evening with the Tennessee Chapter. The Texas Chapter is having its golf tournament on October 15th in Katy, Texas. It should be a good time, and hopefully a great fundraiser! The Carolina’s Chapter is also having its golf tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina on September 17th, with the golf pro speaking the evening before. The Birmingham Chapter will be having a golf tournament and dinner with the MSCI on September 21st at Pine Tree Country Club. Come over and join us if you have a chance. The speaker will be discussing the economy, our favorite subject, that evening. (Note: The photo show is from Birmingham Chapter's ride on the "Bama Belle" on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.) All of the chapters are conducting fund raisers so that we can all attend the conference in San Diego. We are so excited about it. Please make an effort to attend in November so that you can meet some new people, and learn new things! |
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Letter from the Editor
AWMI Annual Conferences: