MEP Advisory Board

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 3

MEP Advisory Board Report for 2015

Letter from the MEP Advisory Board

The MEP Advisory Board had a very exciting year in 2015. This year, the Board welcomed back Carroll Thomas to MEP 

as the new Director of the program. The Board had worked very closely with Dr. Phillip Singerman over the last two 

years, while he was the Acting Director and then engaged closely with Ms. Thomas in her new role. The Board was 

excited to hear about the vision for the program – “To Change the Way the World Defines Manufacturing” and looks 

forward to continue providing an external perspective as MEP embarks on this next chapter. 

The Advisory Board met in January, May and September of 2015 and many times in conjunction with other MEP 

Center-related meetings. In addition to the three full Board meetings, two subcommittees were formed in late 2014 

that the Board continued to participate in during 2015. The Board worked closely with NIST MEP staff to help provide 

direction around the areas of Technology Acceleration and Board Governance, two very important topics of interest 

to the program.

Moving into 2016, the Advisory Board is interested in reengaging with MEP senior leadership to help provide 

direction and advice as MEP creates its 2017 – 2022 strategic plan. The Board also hopes to see continued progress 

on the work of the two subcommittees and in particular working closely to continue improving the opportunities to 

better connect research and technologies at NIST and other federal labs with U.S. small and mid-sized manufacturers. 

In addition, the Board continues to promote any and all efforts to permanently readjust the cost share to 1:1 in order 

for MEP Centers to better deliver on mission and reach more small and midsize manufacturers.

The Advisory Board remains committed to the MEP program and the opportunity to assist U.S. manufacturers. 

Vickie Wessel, Chair

President

Spirit Electronics, Inc.

Phoenix, Arizona

Jeffrey Wilcox, Vice Chair

Vice President for Engineering

Lockheed Martin

Bethesda, Maryland
4 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

 

Dr. Carolyn L. Cason

University of Texas – Arlington

Arlington, Texas

Dennis Dotson

Dotson Iron Casting

Mankato, Minnesota

Bernadine Hawes, Research Analyst

Community Marketing Concepts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

William Shorma, President & CEO

Rush-Co.

Springfield, South Dakota

Dr. Roy A. Church, President

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, Ohio

Eileen Guarino, President & CEO

Greno Industries

Scotia, New York

Thomas M. Lee, President & CEO

Vulcan, Inc.

Foley, Alabama

Ed Wolbert, President

Transco Products, Inc.

Chicago, Illinois
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 5

About the Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 created the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program 

(MEP) to improve the competitiveness of U.S.-based manufacturing by making manufacturing technologies, 

processes, and services available. Over the last twenty-seven years, MEP has focused on bridging the manufacturing 

productivity gap, identifying opportunities for growth, and encouraging technology deployment. 

Growing from a pilot project of just three Centers to a national network of affiliated organizations in every state and 

Puerto Rico, MEP provides its manufacturing customers with a wide array of fundamental services in business and 

process improvements. Today, the MEP Centers and their partners, including community colleges, associations, and 

private consultants provide manufacturers with the services needed to reduce bottom-line expenses and grow topline profits, both necessary to thrive in the global marketplace.

About the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

In August 2007, Congress passed the America Competes Act (P.L. 110-69) establishing the Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership Advisory Board. The last Board Charter, which was signed in 2015, states that the Board will meet three 

times per year. The Board meets to provide advice and recommendations on: 

J The programs, plans and policies of MEP; 

J The soundness of MEP’s plans and strategies; and 

J Current performance in relation to MEP program plans. 
6 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

The MEP Advisory Board consists of members broadly representing the interests and needs of the manufacturing 

sector. The MEP Advisory Board met three times in 2015 and performed its chartered functions. In addition, individual 

Board members served on committees, worked directly with the MEP staff, and attended relevant meetings to collect 

information on MEP program status and planning activities. 

This report highlights the Advisory Board observations, findings and recommendations. Detailed meeting minutes are 

available on the MEP website.

Board Members in 2015

The NIST MEP Advisory Board Charter indicates that the Board be comprised of 10 members, broadly representative 

of stakeholders, appointed by the Director of NIST. The requirements indicate that at least 2 members be employed 

by or on an advisory board for the MEP centers, and at least 5 other members be from U.S. small businesses in the 

manufacturing sector. Board terms consist of three years and are limited to two consecutive full terms. A Board 

member is ineligible for appointment during the one-year period following the expiration of the second term.

VICKIE WESSEL,

 Chair

Second Term expires: May 2017

Vickie Wessel is the founder and President of Spirit 

Electronics, LLC. She has more than 36 years of 

business leadership in sales, marketing, procurement, 

operations, contracts, finance, and quality systems 

management. Since its founding in 1979, Spirit has 

grown to support broad line electronic component 

distribution, supply chain solutions, and component 

value-added services. Vickie’s innovative and business 

focused leadership and her continuous pursuit of 

quality and customer satisfaction has resulted in 

Spirit achieving many supplier excellence awards 

from Spirit’s customers, Distributor of the Year by 

Arizona’s Minority Business Development Agency, 

Distributor of the Year by the Grand Canyon Minority 

Supplier Development Council, and Region IX 

Subcontractor of the Year by the United States Small 

Business Administration. She was a recipient of 

AIA’s “Amelia Earhart Award,” recognizing women 

who achieve excellence in the aerospace and 

defense industry. Vickie’s passion for improving the 

contracting environment for the benefit of small 

businesses throughout the nation is evidenced by her 

active affiliation with the National Minority Supplier 

Development Council, the Pacific Southwest Minority 

Supplier Development Council, and the Women’s 

Business Enterprise National Council. She currently 

serves as Vice President of the Foundation Board of 

the Electronic Components Industry Association, the 

Advisory Board of RevAz, and the Advisory Board of 

Enterprise Bank.
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 7

JEFFREY WILCOX, 

Vice Chair

First Term expires: May 2016

Jeffrey J. Wilcox is the Vice President for Engineering 

at the Lockheed Martin Corporation, responsible for 

leading the development and execution of engineering 

strategy for the Lockheed Martin Engineering Enterprise 

and its 60,000 engineers, scientists, and technologists. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Wilcox has led several 

critical initiatives for the Lockheed Martin Corporation, 

including Engineering for Affordability, the Systems 

and Software Initiative, the Advanced Manufacturing 

Initiative, and the Energy Solutions Center launch. Prior 

to joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Wilcox served as Senior 

Vice President at Science Applications International 

Corporation (SAIC) in McLean, Virginia. Mr. Wilcox 

graduated from Drexel University with a master’s 

degree in Electrical Engineering and Case Western 

Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio with a degree 

in Biomedical Engineering. He serves on the Drexel 

University Leadership Council, the Stevens Institute 

of Technology School of Systems and Enterprises 

Advisory Board, the Aerospace Industries Association 

(AIA) Technical Operations Council, the MIT Open 

CourseWare Next Decade Alliance Advisory Council, 

and the US Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative 

(USMCI) Steering Committee. Mr. Wilcox is an American 

Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) 

Associate Fellow and a Senior Member of the Institute 

of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

CAROLYN CASON

First Term expires: May 2017

Carolyn L. Cason, Professor Ermita at The University 

of Texas at Arlington, has had a distinguished career 

as scientist, teacher, academic leader and innovator. 

She began her professional career as a critical care 

nurse and has held university teaching appointments 

for over 35 years. She joined the University of Texas 

at Arlington in 1997 as Professor and Associate Dean 

for Research in the College of Nursing and served 

as the university’s Vice President for Research from 

2010 to June 2015. She envisioned and built the 

nation’s first comprehensive healthcare simulation 

research and development center, the Smart Hospital, 

creating the prototype for the nation. She led the 

efforts that created Smart Care (a living laboratory 

dedicated to developing non-invasive, pervasive 

technology to monitor health changes and support 

independent living) and the Shimadzu Institute for 

Research Technologies (a $25m core facility supporting 

chemistry, biology, nanotechnology, and material 

science research). In 2014 she was named a Charter 

Fellow, National Academy of Inventors and in October 

2015, she was inducted as Fellow, American Academy 

of Nursing. She serves on a number of boards including 

that for Tech Fort Worth, a seed incubator/accelerator 

supporting entrepreneurs commercializing innovative 

technologies. 
8 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

ROY A. CHURCH

First Term expires: May 2016

Dr. Roy A. Church is President of Lorain County 

Community College (Elyria, Ohio). He has served 

thirty-six years as a leader in comprehensive 

community colleges and has led the transformation 

of Lorain County Community College as its president 

since 1987. Dr. Church’s hallmark initiatives during 

his tenure include building collaborative private 

and public partnerships to support education, 

workforce and economic development. Among 

these accomplishments include: establishing a 

renowned University Partnership Program involving 

12 universities delivering over 40 bachelor and 

graduate degrees; the only Edison Technology 

Incubator on a college campus in Ohio; a $14 million 

pre-seed fund for regional technology start-ups; 

a 46,000 square foot commercialization center for 

sensors and microsystems; and a 75,000 square 

foot Advanced Technology Center supporting 

advanced manufacturing containing the National 

Science Foundation Weld-Ed Center and rapid 

prototyping lab. Dr. Church co-chairs the Ohio Board 

of Regents Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council, 

Cooperative Education and Internship Advisory 

Committee and Complete College Ohio Task Force. He 

also served on the State Advisory Committee on Adult 

Career-Technical Programs and the Ohio Board of 

Regents Technology Transfer and Commercialization 

Task Force. Regionally, Dr. Church serves on the 

Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, 

NorTech Board of Directors, Manufacturing Advocacy 

and Growth Network (MAGNET) and Fund for Our 

Economic Future.

DENNIS DOTSON

Second Term expires: May 2016

Dennis Dotson is a third generation foundryman 

serving as Chairman of Dotson Iron Castings in 

Mankato, Minnesota. The company is in the top tier of 

foundry suppliers and has been acknowledged by the 

industry’s society as the “Metalcaster of the Year” out of 

2,000 North American facilities. Denny has been very 

active in the industry serving on various Boards, past 

president of the Ductile Iron Society and is the current 

president of the American Foundry Society. He is also 

chairman of People Driven Performance, a startup 

company focused on internal communications. 

Dennis has a strong commitment to education and 

is a trustee emeritus of the Minnesota State Colleges 

and Universities, the governing Board for the 35 postsecondary state institutions. He is a U.S. Navy veteran 

and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (1967 

BBA) and the University of Chicago (1968 MBA). He 

currently serves on the Board of Enterprise Minnesota 

(a NIST MEP affiliate). The constant in his career has 

been the involvement in many new community, 

educational, and business startups.
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 9

EILEEN GUARINO

Second Term expires: May 2017

Eileen Guarino is currently President and COO of Greno 

Industries located in Scotia, New York. Ms. Guarino 

attended the University of South Carolina. Early in 

her career, Ms. Guarino was a buyer for a clothing 

company which represented apparel in various resort 

locations throughout SC, Florida and Georgia. There she 

developed a women’s clothing line that retailed in nine 

locations. Her responsibilities ranged from coordination 

of the annual buys to importing fabrics to be 

manufactured in the US. In 1988, Ms. Guarino relocated 

to upstate New York, where she lent her talents to her 

new career in the manufacturing parts business as 

what she calls “part of the Greno team.” Greno Industries 

is a family owned business, and is a recognized 

minority women owned business in New York State. 

Ms. Guarino has worked to expand the company’s 

clients to now include successful relationships in new 

markets throughout Europe and Asia, as well as leading 

the company’s strategic planning growth efforts of its 

60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. As a result of her 

“Greno team” approach, she works to enhance the 

personal and professional growth of employees to be 

trained in Six Sigma and Lean Principles. One of her 

successes in her business career, of which she is most 

proud, was creating and implementing an in house 

high school MFG internship training program with 

local high school students. Ms. Guarino was the past 

President of the Tech Valley Global Business Network, 

and current Vice President of the Center of Executives 

Network of Manufacturing. She is also an active civic 

member in her chambers of commerce and the 

Women’s Business Enterprise Network Council.

 

 

BERNADINE HAWES

First Term expires: May 2017

Bernadine Hawes is an executive level nonprofit 

professional and economic development specialist 

working in the areas of project management, strategy 

development, compliance, and evaluation. Her 

most recent achievement has been the authorship 

of a best practices manual for small business and 

economic development which was funded in 

part through a grant from the U.S. Small Business 

Administration to American Cities Foundation. Ms. 

Hawes began her career at the University City Science 

Center (Philadelphia) starting as a senior-level project 

administrator and later Vice President. Currently she 

is a senior research analyst for Community Marketing 

Concepts. Ms. Hawes is Chairwoman of the Delaware 

Valley Industrial Resource Center. She also serves as 

on the Board of the PEC Community Development 

Corporation which focuses on community 

development initiatives in Philadelphia, is Chair of the 

PEC Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Board 

of the Philadelphia Urban League Entrepreneurship 

Center. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Ms. Hawes 

has an MS Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 

She is summa cum laud graduate of Lincoln University 

(Pa). She has been the national co-chair of Penn’s Black 

Alumni Society and former member of Penn’s Brister 

Society for Diversity Inclusion. 
10 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

THOMAS M. LEE

First Term expires: May 2017

Thomas M. (Tommy) Lee has been employed by 

Vulcan, Inc., an aluminum manufacturing company in 

Foley, Alabama, since 1985. He currently is President 

and CEO, and also Secretary/Treasurer of Vulcan 

Scholarships, Inc. Prior to joining Vulcan, Mr. Lee was 

employed by Alabama Power Company for eight years 

as a Commercial Sales Engineer.

Mr. Lee moved with his family from Birmingham to 

Foley in 1968 and has called South Alabama home 

for 45 years. He graduated from Foley High School 

in 1974 and received his B.S. degree in Industrial 

Engineering from Auburn University in 1978. He and 

his wife, Sandra, live in Gulf Shores and together 

they have 3 children: David 30, Anna 27 and Marcus 

22. Mr. Lee has been active in the community since 

graduating from college. He is a former Chairman 

of the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and a 

past winner of the Walton M. Vines Free Enterprise 

Person of the Year. He was a member of Class XVIII of 

Leadership Alabama and has been president of several 

civic, local school and professional organizations. 

Currently he serves as the 2nd Vice Chair of the 

Business Council of Alabama.

 

    

      

WILLIAM SHORMA 

(resigned from Board in August 

2015 due to appointment to state 

legislature)

William Shorma is currently President and CEO of 

Rush-Co. in Springfield, SD, which manufactures 

highly engineered metal and cover systems and 

designs custom fabric solutions for nearly any 

problem or industrial application. Previously he 

served as President of Shur-Co and the Wahpeton 

Canvas Company. Mr. Shorma serves as a member 

of several Boards of Directors, including the South 

Dakota Junior Achievement, the Sioux Corporation, 

MMI in Montgomery AL, and the South Dakota Youth 

Business Adventure Camp. He is also a Board Member 

and Past State Chair of the South Dakota State 

Chamber of Commerce. He was named South Dakota 

Businessman of the Year by the University of South 

Dakota School of Business. Mr. Shorma earned his 

degree at the North Dakota State College of Science.
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 11

ED WOLBERT

Second Term expires: May 2017

Ed Wolbert is the President of Transco Products 

Inc., a leading U.S. medium-sized manufacturer and 

contractor dedicated to nuclear power. Mr. Wolbert 

has been in the nuclear power industry for over 35 

years, has been with Transco for the last 32 years, and 

has served as its president for the last 20 years. Mr. 

Wolbert oversees the daily strategic direction and 

tactical operations of the company, including direct 

guidance of its foreign activities. Mr. Wolbert is a 

member of the American Nuclear Society, and is also 

a member of ASTM (serving on the C16 committee). 

Mr. Wolbert continues to serve on the Department of 

Commerce’s Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee 

(CINTAC), after previously been both the committee’s 

vice-chairman and chairman, and has been a vocal 

advocate and champion for small/medium size 

enterprises in the nuclear power market.
12 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

Advisory Board Activities in 2015

The Advisory Board conducted three meetings in 2015. 

The January 2015 meeting was held on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During the meeting, Board 

members were able to participate in tours of some of the laboratory facilities to obtain a better understanding of 

some of the manufacturing related activities in which NIST is involved. The second meeting was held in May 2015 

in Phoenix, Arizona in conjunction with an MEP System Update Meeting. The final meeting of 2015 was held in 

September in Dallas, Texas. This meeting was also done in conjunction with an MEP System Update Meeting. These 

last two meetings provided an opportunity for the MEP Board members to interact with the local MEP Center 

Directors and their staff. Many Center Directors attended the Advisory Board meetings as well to learn more about 

the priorities and strategies of the Board. 

In 2015, the MEP Advisory Board focused on a number of priority items:

J Providing guidance and recommendations on MEP’s efforts in technology acceleration

J Providing guidance and recommendations on MEP Center Board governance

J Reviewing the progress of the MEP System competition

In 2014, MEP welcomed four new Board members, many of whom also sit on a local MEP Center Board. One of the 

new members, Bill Shorma, President & CEO of Rush-Co had to resign from the Board in late 2015 due to being 

appointed to the state legislature. MEP is in the process of filling that vacancy and two other upcoming vacancies as 

well. 

Strategic Planning Efforts

At the May 2015 meeting, Dr. Singerman provided an overview of several activities that MEP has carried out in support 

of the strategic objectives outlined in MEP’s strategic plan. 

Strategic Goal: Enhance the Economic Competitiveness of U.S. Manufacturers 

(Enhance Competitiveness)

z Strategic Objective: Deliver services that create value for all manufacturers, particularly focusing on small and 

mid-sized enterprises (SMEs)

9 2015 Actions: Increased focus on SMEs is a major goal of the re-competition; permanently adjusting 

the cost share to 1:1 will provide Centers with flexibility to work with SMEs

z Strategic Objective: Enable Centers to make new manufacturing technology, techniques and practices 

usable by U.S. based SMEs

9 2015 Actions: MEP Advisory Board Subcommittee on Technology Acceleration developed a detailed 

action plan reviewed by the Board in May 
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 13

Strategic Goal: Serve as a Voice to and a Voice for Manufacturing 

(Champion Manufacturing)

z Strategic Objective: Champion the importance of SMEs and ensure their inclusion in the economic 

competitiveness policies and programs of the U.S. government

9 2015 Actions: Active participation in White House led initiatives in supply chain, NNMI, and 

workforce

z Strategic Objective: Increase the role of National and Center Boards

9 2015 Actions: MEP Advisory Board Subcommittee on Board Governance developed a detailed 

action plan reviewed by the Board in May

9 2015 Actions: MEP Advisory Board Subcommittee on Technology Acceleration developed a 

detailed action plan reviewed by the Board in May

Strategic Goal: Support National, State and Regional Manufacturing Eco-Systems and

Partnerships (Support Partnerships)

z Strategic Objective: Provide Centers with local flexibility and adaptability to operate based on regional 

priorities and client needs

9 2015 Actions: Re-competition provides Centers with the opportunity to align their strategies 

with their regional partners; permanently adjusting the cost share to 1:1 will provide Centers with 

flexibility to more actively participate in regional initiatives

z Strategic Objective: Support national policy goals

9 2015 Actions: Leveraging on-going work at the Center level in workforce, supply chain, technology 

transfer; identifying national opportunities in defense adjustment, and the “maker movement”

Strategic Goal: Develop MEP’s capabilities as a learning organization and high performance system 

(Develop Capabilities)

z Strategic Objective: Promote system learning

9 2015 Actions: Reinstating the National Summit in 2017

z Strategic Objective: Continue administrative reform

9 2015 Actions: Center reporting burden has been reduced for current Centers and re-competed 

Centers; Increased attention to financial reporting and compliance; Improved timeliness of grant 

processing procedures
14 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

Technology Acceleration

Late in 2014 the Advisory Board formed a subcommittee focused on Technology Acceleration to provide guidance 

in shaping MEP's Technology Acceleration strategy and activities, which was led by Jeff Wilcox, Vice Chair. The 

Technology Acceleration Subcommittee developed a charter, plan for gathering research, and implementation plan. 

The subcommittee briefed the full Board at every meeting on their recommendations and progress against them. At 

the May 2015 meeting, the Advisory Board was unanimous in agreement to move forward with the Implementation 

Plan. Major recommendations that came from the subcommittee are listed below.

Subcommittee Recommendations to MEP Advisory Board

Setting Priorities:

z Adopt a rubric of agreed-upon criteria for evaluating future Technology Acceleration opportunities, setting 

priorities, and investing and allocating resources.

z Give priority to developing and implementing Technology Acceleration opportunities with NIST labs and 

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Institutes over the next year, while also pursuing the 

emerging collaboration with DOE labs.

Barriers and Incentives: Reduce Risk: 

z The MEP system should work diligently to enable permanent change in the cost share requirement to 1:1 to 

reduce Centers’ risk of experimenting with Technology Acceleration services. 

z Provide more competitive/supplemental funding to Centers willing to experiment with Technology 

Acceleration strategies, tool development, and partner development.

Professional Development/System Learning:

z Develop an 18-month plan for system learning across the MEP system that would include education on new 

technologies, their implications, and Technology Acceleration strategies employed by Centers.

z Launch a Technology Acceleration Working Group to encourage peer-to-peer learning and build 

relationships that strengthen the network. 

Performance Measures:

z Review MEP Center performance measures to explore quantitative and qualitative options for capturing 

impacts or other ways for acknowledging Centers’ work as they engage in Technology Acceleration activities.

z Work with Centers to encourage and assist in developing useful metrics for Technology Acceleration 

activities. 

Scale-Up and Sustainability:

z Work with Centers to consider formal options for how to best stay informed about the growing number of 

cross-cutting technologies and emerging opportunities in order to fully engage and leverage the value of 

the MEP Centers. 
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 15

In addition to the Technology Acceleration Subcommittee activities, NIST MEP shared with the Advisory Board other 

examples of ongoing activities resulting from the focus on Technology Acceleration including working with the NNMI 

and better collaboration with the NIST laboratories. At the January 2015 meeting, Dr. Richard Cavanaugh, then Acting 

Associate Director for NIST Laboratory Programs, spoke to the Board about the various laboratories, programs, and 

initiatives that are happening at NIST. As referenced above, the Board was able to tour three NIST facilities including 

the Manufacturing Robotics Testbed, the Center for Automotive Lightweighting, and the Additive Manufacturing 

Facility. All of these present opportunities for the MEP Centers and the program will continue to explore how Centers 

and their manufacturing clients can benefit from these facilities. At the May 2015 meeting, staff from the Digital 

Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) were in attendance and spoke briefly about the opportunities 

that exist between the Institute, MEP Centers and their manufacturing clients. The DMDII is a federally funded 

research and development organization that encourages companies across America to deploy digital manufacturing 

and design technologies so those companies can become more efficient and cost-competitive. 

Board Governance

Also late in 2014, the Advisory Board formed a subcommittee on Board Governance that was led by Vickie Wessel, 

Chair. The subcommittee was tasked with developing opportunities to improve Board governance and identifying 

distinctive practices. The purpose of forming this subcommittee was to help implement the strategic objective of 

increasing roles of the National and Center Boards. The Board Governance Subcommittee examined how to increase 

connectivity between the National Board and Center Boards, ensure that Board members serve as manufacturing 

advocates, and strengthen Board accountability. The team received input from NIST MEP, the Advisory Board, Center 

Boards and Center Directors. 

The goals and objectives of this subcommittee were to:

J Evaluate mechanisms and facilitate linkages to increase communication between the MEP Advisory 

Board and MEP Center Boards 

J Inventory distinctive practices across Center Boards

J Develop and evaluate performance systems for Fiduciary and Advisory Boards

The subcommittee developed an implementation plan to help achieve each of the major goals and objectives. 

Objective #1- Evaluate mechanisms and facilitate linkages to increase communication between the MEP Advisory 

Board and MEP Center Boards. The approach for this objective was to develop a communications plan which lays 

out regular interactions between the Boards. At the March 2016 meeting, Center Boards and the National Board 

members will come together in a joint meeting to discuss opportunities for better engagement. 

Objective #2 - Inventory distinctive practices across Center Boards. In order to achieve this objective, the 

subcommittee decided to establish a tiered framework and Distinctive Practice Program, which included three levels: 

(1) Research Validated Distinctive Practice, (2) Field Tested Distinctive Practice and (3) Promising Practice. Distinctive 

practices would also be looked at across the following categories: Mission, Leadership, Conduct of Operations, 

Financial Health, and Board Organization and Development.
16 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

Objective #3 - Develop and evaluate performance systems for Fiduciary and Advisory Boards. After reviewing 

various systems of Board monitoring, attributes and measures of successful Boards, and a monitoring approach, the 

subcommittee to evaluate Board self-assessment tools and share examples of assessments the system using with the 

MEP Centers.

At the May 2015 meeting, the Advisory Board gave unanimous consent to move forward with the Implementation 

plan of the Board Governance Subcommittee. 

MEP System Competition

In March 2014, the Government Accountability Office recommended that MEP update its distribution of funds, which 

were allocated according to the award each Center received when it was first established – some as much as 20 years 

ago. As a result of this recommendation, MEP developed a strategy for executing four separate state competitions 

over three years beginning in 2014 and concluding in 2017. The process for this competition and the status of each 

round was reviewed with the Advisory Board at each meeting. 

1

2

3&4

Round 1 MEP State Competition

In August 2014, NIST announced the Round 1 Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) competition for 

the Centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, 

Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. These 10 states were the first step in a multi-year effort to update 

MEP’s funding structure to better match resources with needs. The states for this round as well as 

subsequent rounds were chosen based on a combination of factors including the timing of their current award, 

geographic diversity, and the GAO recommendation to realign the distribution of Center funds across the system.

On October 15, 2014, MEP received proposals from the states above, which were reviewed by government 

and independent experts and evaluated against a number of criteria, including demonstration of a thorough 

understanding of market needs and how proposed service offerings would meet those needs. The reviewers also 

looked at the proposed business models, performance measurements and metrics, partnership potential, staff 

qualifications and program management, as well as financial and non-federal cost-share plans.

On February 24, 2015, NIST announced the award of 10 new cooperative agreements totaling $26M per year with a 

5-year period of performance based on availability of funds and continued successful performance. These awards had 

a start date of July 1, 2015.

The Round 1 awardees were:

•	 Colorado: Manufacturer’s Edge (Boulder) - $1,668,359

•	 Connecticut: CONNSTEP, Inc., (Rocky Hill) - $1,476,247

•	 Indiana: Purdue University/Indiana MEP (Indianapolis) - $2,758,688

•	 Michigan: Industrial Technology Institute/Michigan Manufacturing Technology 

Center (Plymouth) - $4,299,175

•	 New Hampshire: New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Concord) - $628,176

•	 North Carolina: North Carolina State University/North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

(Raleigh) - $3,036,183
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 17

•	 Oregon: Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Tigard) - $1,792,029

•	 Tennessee: University of Tennessee, Center for Industrial Services/Tennessee Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (Nashville) - $1,976,348

•	 Texas: The University of Texas at Arlington/Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center 

(Arlington) - $6,700,881

•	 Virginia: A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership/GENEDGE Alliance 

(Martinsville) - $1,722,571

1

2

3&4

Round 2 MEP State Competition

On March 9, 2015, a FFO was issued for MEP Centers in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, 

New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. On June 

1, 2015, MEP received proposals and again they were reviewed by government and independent 

experts and evaluated against a number of criteria.

In September and November 2015, NIST announced the award of 10 new cooperative agreements totaling $25M per 

year with a 5-year period of performance based on availability of funds and continued successful performance. These 

awards had a start date of January 1, 2016.

•	 Alaska: Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (Anchorage) – $269,687

•	 Idaho: Boise State University (Idaho TechHelp, Boise) - $640,236

•	 Illinois: Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (Peoria) - $5,029,910

•	 Minnesota: Enterprise Minnesota, Inc. (Minneapolis) - $2,653,649

•	 New Jersey: New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (Cedar Knolls) - $2,814,432

•	 New York: New York State Department of Economic Development (Albany) - $5,985,194

•	 Oklahoma: Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence, Inc. (Tulsa) - $1,309,080

•	 Washington: Washington Manufacturing Services DBA Impact Washington 

(Mukilteo) - $2,534,872

•	 West Virginia: West Virginia University Research Corporation (Morgantown) - $500,000

•	 Wisconsin: Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity, Inc. (Madison) - $3,250,792 

Awards were not made in the state of Ohio or Utah and these states will be included in the Round 3 competition. 

In order to ensure all potential applicants are aware of these FFOs, the MEP program increased the outreach through 

many of our partner organizations and also conducted Regional Forums in advance of the FFO being published to 

allow potential applicants to gain a better understanding of the program and ask questions.
18 | 2015 Advisory Board Annual Report

1

2

3&4

Round 3 & 4 MEP State Competition

MEP announced the Round 3 competition in January 2016. Applicants awarded under this FFO will 

have a start date of approximately October 2016. States planned for this competition round include 

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Vermont.

The targeted time-frame for the Round 4 FFO is approximately July 2016 and applicants awarded under this FFO will 

have a start date of approximately April 2017. States planned for this competition round include Delaware, Hawaii, 

Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Wyoming.

NIST MEP Budget

Support for the MEP program has been strong throughout the last few years. The FY2016 appropriations received are 

at $130M, which remained the same as FY2015 funding. The President’s FY2017 budget request for MEP was released 

on February 10, 2016 and is for $142M in funding. The majority of MEP’s funding is in direct support of the MEP 

system’s work with manufacturing firms, such as awards to Centers or contracts to train MEP Center staff. 

FY2015 – FY2017

FY2015 Enacted FY2016 Enacted FY2017 Requested

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership

$130M $130M $141M

Any increases in funding would be used to provide direct support to the MEP Centers and their clients. In addition, 

the funding increases would allow MEP to complete the MEP system competition to ensure that all MEP Centers 

receive the appropriate amount of funding proportionate to the number of SMEs in their state. The MEP Advisory 

Board appreciates the continued support of the Administration and Congress to provide funding for the MEP 

program. In addition, the Board recognizes and commends NIST MEP for its diligence in managing its budget. 
2015 Advisory Board Annual Report | 19

Readjusting the Cost Share to 1:1

Over the past four years the cost share issue has been 

exhaustively analyzed by various congressionally 

directed reports and independent studies, including: 

GAO Reports in 2011 and 2014; the National Research 

Council on the National Academies 2013 Report; and 

a NIST Report and NIST MEP Advisory Board Report 

from 2013 on Analysis and Findings of the Cost 

Share Requirements for the Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership Program. The major finding 

of the reports was that the 2:1 requirement impeded 

the ability of the Centers to fulfill their public mission, 

e.g., serve hard to reach rural firms, participate in 

regional economic activities, and support important 

national priorities such as workforce development and 

manufacturing scale up. 

The Advisory Board report concluded that a cost share 

policy supports the mission of the program and its 

statutory goals, but recommended readjusting the 

cost share requirement to 1:1 “in order to optimize 

the federal investment and provide for the long-term 

sustainability of the program.” The Advisory Board 

also observed that the goal should be “maximizing 

program performance through a balanced application 

of evaluation mechanisms that appropriately 

include but are not limited to cost share (e.g., center 

performance metrics)” 

The National Research Council’s report on 21st Century 

Manufacturing found that the “fixed” 2:1 matching 

requirement is “frozen in place,” limits the adaptability 

of the system, impedes NIST’s ability to reward 

performance, amplifies declines in State support, 

drives MEP centers to focus on clients’ ability to pay 

rather than on outreach to small and under-served 

companies, and creates a “fog of in-kind contributions.” 

The NRC recommended changing the matching 

requirement to “one-to-one” which would improve the 

financial stability of MEP centers, encourage long term 

planning and transition to next generation strategies, 

provide more flexibility in managing the program, and 

bring MEP cost share in line with other Commerce 

programs. 

In the Administration’s FY15 budget request, the 

Administration noted that in FY2013 MEP had 

begun a broad based strategic planning process and 

developed an operational reform agenda. In support 

of these reforms, the Administration urged Congress 

to consider the potential benefits of adjusting the cost 

share requirement from the current 2:1 ratio in order 

to provide greater flexibility and incentives to develop 

innovative tools, increase service to rural, young 

and entrepreneurial firms, and support workforce 

development, technology transfer, manufacturing 

scale-up and enhanced domestic supply chain 

competitiveness.

Subsequently, in July 2014 the House passed H.R. 

5035, the “NIST Reauthorization Act of 2014” which 

would, among other reforms, require mandatory 

recompetition of centers after 10 years of continuous 

operation, permanently adjust the cost share to 1:1, 

require the local Center advisory boards to strengthen 

accountability and compliance mechanisms, and 

provided for increased private sector representation 

on the national MEP advisory board. In May 2015 

the House passed H.R. 1806, the “America COMPETES 

Reauthorization Act of 2015” which contained the 

same provisions as in H.R. 5035.

The MEP Advisory Board reiterates its strong interest 

in and support for getting the cost share permanently 

changed to 1:1.
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EMAIL: MFG@NIST.GOV

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Making an Impact on U.S. Manufacturing