Half-way Through!

We have just passed the half-way mark for my term as the 2009 Chair of the Automation Federation. This has been an exciting year! We have celebrated one accomplishment after another for the Federation and for our partner organizations, including ISA.

I wanted to take a minute to tell you about a particular event the Automation Federation will be hosting this year at Automation Week in Houston, TX. The Automation Federation is a member of the Business Leads Committee for the Institute for a Competitive Workforce with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. Chamber has agreed to participate with the Automation Federation in presenting a Business & Academic LEADS Roundtable on 6 October 2009, at the Reliant Center (during ISA EXPO 2009). Principals, Counselors, and School Administrators from the Houston area will be invited to take part in this important presentation, where they will learn about “Business Partnerships Promoting Quality Education.”

Domenic Giandomenico, director - education & workforce program at the Institute for a Competitive Workforce with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will lead a discussion about the unique reasons why the business community & education professionals should be actively engaged to help ensure that students meet their full education potential. The Business LEADS network is a national coalition of business leaders working collaboratively with experts, elected officials, and other stakeholders dedicated to improving education and workforce development in the United States.

I will be leading the discussion about the Automation Federation’s workforce development initiative to build the next generation of automation professionals with the educators that will be present. Bringing our message to these educators in the Houston area is just one more exciting opportunity to reach out to students with the message that a potential career awaits them in automation. Having the U.S. Chamber of Commerce validating our message is an added bonus!

My term as Chair may be in its second half, but our workforce development initiatives are just starting to kick into high gear. I cannot wait to see what the second half of my term holds for the Federation!

See you in Houston and at the Business & Academic LEADS Roundtable,

Kim Miller-Dunn
2009 AF Chair