HIGHL IGHTS
BOARD NOMINATIONS
A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H
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MD CORNER
Message to our Membership
From time to time, through both direct letters and regu-
lar updates in
AM&P,
I will regularly inform the ASMmember-
ship on overall developments as well as discrete milestones
and outcomes, as the organization
presses forward to execute the ASM
Renewal. I am pleased to initially
report that the 2017 ASM Oper-
ating Plan, which includes views
of both 2018 and 2019 and which
operationalizes the 2016 Strategic
Plan, was unanimously approved
by the ASM Board and its Finance
Committee in January. A link to a
summary document is on the ASM
website at
www.asminternational.org/about/strategicplan.One of the earliest and most important deliverables
in 2017 is our Digital Transformation Program—including
a complete replacement of our membership management
system along with an upgrade of our website to a commer-
cial-grade transaction portal. The existing membership
management system, although a market leader at the time
of its installation over a decade ago, was poorly maintained.
Similarly, our web toolset was poorly implemented. These
conditions have directly contributed to the frustration
expressed by many of you for several years at not only the
inability to execute straightforward transactions, but also
the loss of records, receipt of duplicate magazines, and
many other member satisfaction issues.
By Q2 2017, our web toolset will be upgraded to a full
commercial platform. While not changing the look and feel
of our website, this milestone should provide members with
improvedtransactioncapabilityandreliabilityand improved
tablet and mobile device compatibility. This upgrade will be
followed by a replacement of the membershipmanagement
system with a full Salesforce CRM/association management
suite, which will roll out in stages concluding in Q3 2017. By
then, members should be experiencing improved service
levels and support capabilities.
If you would like more information about this import-
ant ASM Renewal project, please contact me. Thank you for
your consideration and best regards.
William T. Mahoney, ASM Managing Director
bill.mahoney@asminternational.orgMD CORNER
EPC CORNER
Emerging Professionals Committee
Spotlight
The Emerging Professionals Committee (EPC) partici-
pates in a variety of ASM activities. One of the most visible
is the Emerging Professionals Symposium held each year
at MS&T. Other, more behind-the-scenes initiatives include
supporting local chapters and new member conversion/
retention. But what is the EPC and why does it exist? The
EPC is a volunteer group of young professionals commit-
ted to the materials community. Their purpose includes
developing a new generation of ASM volunteers and help-
ing ASM transition from one generation of volunteers to
the next. This means engaging with young professionals in
the materials community, getting them involved in materi-
als education and volunteering, and cultivating the sense
of camaraderie, fellowship, and professionalism present
within ASM that leads to lifelong membership and active
participation. Like any other organization, ASM does not
exist without its people.
The EPC is divided into three subcommittees, each
focused on a different aspect of engaging young profession-
als in the materials community: event programming/con-
tent, local chapter support, and new member/conversion.
The main task of the Event Programming/Content Subcom-
mittee is coordinating the annual EPC Symposium at MS&T.
Organizing speakers, panelists, and presenters is no small
task. Other functions include writing EPC Corner articles for
AM&P
and developing and maintaining a Facebook page for
sharing ASM and EPC events and news.
The Local Chapter Support Subcommittee focuses on
EPC’s relationship with ASM chapters across the country.
Committee members work to match new graduates with
chapters in their area and provide ideas, strategies, and
best practices for engaging young professional members.
The Local Chapter Support Subcommittee also organizes
related ASM awards such as the Bronze Award. Finally, the
New Member/Conversion Subcommittee works on recruit-
ing young professionals into ASM, converting Material
Advantage members into ASM members, and managing
marketing campaigns aimed to recruit new EPC members.
The EPC is always looking for more ways to engage the
young professional community, so please let us know
how we can serve you better! For more information, email
drew.fleming@asminternational.org.
Mahoney