TCI News - NTMA
Motto of the Month
President's Corner
The Reluctant "Politician"
Back in 1994 when I was serving as the president of the LA Chapter of NTMA, I met a fairly new member during a chapter meeting/tour of the C-17 facility in Long Beach. It was pretty clear from the outset that he was a person that I wanted to get to know better. He was pretty excited that he was sitting at my table. After all, I was this guy who was pretty heavy into leadership in the NTMA. Probably even more excited, I saw immediately that I had met someone who represented the prototypical NTMA member by size, demographic, etc. who could engage at a high level.
Over time, we got to know each other very well. We even created our own strategic alliance of sorts, adding value to both of our companies. To this day, we have (almost) monthly meetings in which Bob Mosey of Moseys' Production Machinists in Anaheim, CA and I share our company issues of the day and help each other through them.
In the mid-90s, I asked him if he’d be willing to serve on the NTMA chapter board. He said he’d have to think about it as he had no "political ambitions". Well, he was nominated and he did graciously accept.
Some years later, I asked him if he’d be willing to serve the chapter board on its Executive Team and go through the chairs. Well, he said he’d have to think about it as he had no "political ambitions". Of course, he was nominated and he did accept. He served the LA Chapter as president in 2004.
In 2007, while serving as chairman of the LA/NTMA Training Centers Trust, I asked him if he would be willing to serve a 3-year term as a trustee on the 3-person Trust – as worthy an endeavor as there may be in our industry, especially in Los Angeles. You probably can figure out by now what he said. Today he’s serving out the second of two 3-year terms and the Training Centers are successful in every category.
Now, I had no part in asking him if he would be willing to serve the Association at the national level by serving on its Executive Team with the goal of eventually becoming its chairman. But I can imagine quite well what his response was to the Nominating Team. The rest, as they say, is history.
At the 2013 NTMA Annual Conference, this year in Hawaii from March 5-8, Bob will be installed as the Chairman of the Board of the National Tooling & Machining Association. There are few higher honors in our industry and none higher in our Association of over 1,300 members. At TCI, we’re very proud of Bob’s service to the industry in so many ways.
And if he attempts to blame me for all his problems, well, I’m OK with that.
Congratulations, Bob, and safe travels on behalf of TCI and the NTMA!
Until next month...
-John Belzer
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This Month's Featured Process - Turning
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