MAKING AN IMPACT ON U.S. 

MANUFACTURING

www.nist.gov/mep

MEP Advisory Board

2014 ANNUAL REPORT
2 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

LETTER FROM ADVISORY BOARD

The MEP Advisory Board had yet another productive year in 2014. While the Board had to say goodbye to 

a number of long-term members they were also able to welcome four new members that are very active in 

their communities and many also serve as board members for their local MEP center.

The MEP Advisory Board Charter was modified in October 2013 to expand the Board’s role in strategy 

assessment and evaluation, encourage the use of subcommittees and increase the number of annual 

meetings to three per year. 2014 was the first full year that the Board Charter was in effect and such, the 

Advisory Board met in January, May and September of 2014. 

In addition to the three full Board meetings, a subcommittee was also formed to work with NIST MEP staff 

on the development of a 5 year strategic plan. At the end of 2014, the Board also created two additional 

subcommittees focused on topics of importance including Technology Acceleration and Board Governance. 

The subcommittees are in the early stages of analysis and recommendations but will continue to share 

findings with the full board during the 2015 meetings.

Moving into 2015, the Advisory Board is excited 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 looks forward to providing advice and guidance on best practices in board governance 

and better connecting with the local MEP Center boards.

The Advisory Board remains committed to working with the MEP program to identify opportunities to 

improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

The Advisory Board remains committed to working with the MEP program to 

identify opportunities to improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |3

Vickie Wessel, Chair

President

Spirit Electronics, Inc

Phoenix, Arizona

Dr. Roy, A. Church, 

President

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, Ohio

Thomas M. Lee, 

President

Vulcan, Inc

Foley, Alabama

William Shorma,

President

Rush-Co.

Springfield, South Dakota

Dennis Dotson, 

President

Dotson Iron Castings

Mankato, Minnesota

Eileen Guarino, 

President & CEO

Greno Industries

Scotia, New York

Bernadine Hawes, 

Research Analyst

Community Marketing Concepts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dr. Carolyn Cason, 

Associate Dean for Research, College of Nursing

University of Texas Arlington, 

Arlington, Texas

Ed Wolbert, 

President 

Transco Products, Inc.

Chicago, Illinois

Jeffrey Wilcox, Vice Chair

VP for Engineering

Lockheed Martin Corporation, 

Bethesda, Maryland
4 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT US

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. During the past two decades, 

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 60 affiliated organizations, 

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 top-line profits, 

both necessary to thrive in the global marketplace.

Support for the MEP program has remained strong throughout the last few years. In January 2014, the 

Congress approved FY2014 appropriations for the Federal government, including $128 million for the MEP 

program. This was a 6.6% increase over FY2013 funding. Funding for the MEP program increased to $130 

million in FY2015 and $141 million is requested in FY2016.

FY 2014 - FY 2016

The increases in funding are being used to provide direct support to the MEP centers and their clients. In 

addition, the funding increases 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.

NIST MEP BUDGET

FY2014 

Enacted

FY2015 

Enacted

FY2016 

Requested

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership $128 Million $130 Million $141 Million
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |5

NATIONAL NETWORK

MEP is built on a nationwide system of centers located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Each 

center is a partnership between the federal government and a variety of public or private entities, including 

state, university, and nonprofit organizations.

(formerly CAMT)

+ Helping nearly

National Network 559 Field Locations 1,200+ MEP Experts 3,200+ Service Providers 300,000 Manufacturers
6 | MEP • 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 Board Charter was modified in October 2013, which increased 

the number of times the Board will meet to three per year. The Board meets to provide advice and recommendations on: 

• The programs, plans and policies of MEP; 

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

• Current performance in relation to MEP program plans. 

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 2014 and performed its chartered functions. 

In addition, individual Board members 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.

VICKIE WESSEL

BOARD MEMBERS OF 2014

JEFFREY WILCOX

Vickie Wessel is the founder and 

President of Spirit Electronics, Inc. She 

has more than 30 years of experience in 

the electronics industry, including 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. Her commitment to 

continuous improvement is evidenced by Spirit’s ISO9002 

and AS9000 certifications and her on-going participation 

in lean manufacturing and process improvement 

activities. Vickie’s passion for improving the contracting 

environment for the benefit of small businesses 

throughout the nation has led to her active affiliation with 

the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the 

Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Council, the 

Aerospace Industries Association Supplier Management 

Council (SMC), the Arizona Minority Business Enterprise 

Center, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National 

Council. In 2005, she received AIA’s “Amelia Earhart 

Award”, recognizing women who achieve excellence in the 

aerospace and defense industry.

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).

Chair Vice Chair
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |7

CAROLYN CASON

ROY A. CHURCH

Carolyn L. Cason, PhD, RN, joined The University of Texas at Arlington in January, 1997 as Professor and 

Associate Dean for Research, College of Nursing. She has over 35 years of teaching experience in schools 

of nursing and has taught in undergraduate and graduate programs. Throughout her career she has 

worked to increase diversity in the healthcare workforce. She is co-founder of the Smart HospitalTM, a 

physical virtual hospital, which serves as a teaching and research and development facility. She created 

the Genomics Translational Research Laboratory within the College of Nursing and in collaboration with colleagues in 

the College of Engineering, developed Smart Care (a center dedicated to developing technology to enhance independent 

living).

Dr. Cason earned her BSN in nursing from UT Medical Branch in 1967, her MSN in Nursing from UT System School of 

Nursing in 1972, and her PhD in Educational Psychology in 1972. In November, 2011 she became Interim Vice President 

for Research at UT Arlington and in November 2012, she became Vice President for Research at UT Arlington. She 

has been inducted into the UT Arlington Academy of Distinguished Teachers and has received numerous awards and 

recognition for her research.

DENNIS DOTSON 

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 post-secondary 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.

Dr. Roy A. Church is President of Lorain County Community College (Elyria, Ohio). He has served thirtysix 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 startups; 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.
8 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

BERNADINE HAWES

THOMAS M. LEE

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. 

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.

EILEEN GUARINO

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 woman’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. 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. 
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |9

WILLIAM SHORMA 

ED WOLBERT

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.

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 30 

years, has been with Transco for the last 28 years, and has served as its president for the last 16 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 in his service on the governing board 

of the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center, the Illinois affiliate of the NIST MEP Program. 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.
10 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

Providing recommendations 

on MEP’s efforts in technology 

acceleration.

Providing guidance on the 

development of a new 

MEP Strategic Plan.

Reviewing the process 

to be used for the MEP 

System competition.

ACTIVITIES IN 2014

The Advisory Board conducted three meetings in 2014. 

The January 2014 meeting was held in Charlotte, NC in conjunction with a system-wide MEP Update Meeting. 

The second meeting was held in May 2014 at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. This meeting was also done in 

conjunction with an MEP Update Meeting. These 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 obtain a better understanding of the priorities and strategies of 

the Board. The final meeting of 2014 was held in September at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. The September 

meeting also included a chance for the Board to visit the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee 

members and present the Advisory Board’s 2013 Annual Report.

In 2014, the MEP Advisory Board focused on a number of priority items:

In 2014, MEP said goodbye to two long-time board members and former Board Chairs, Mark Rice and 

Edward (Ned) Hill, both of whom had terms that were expiring. But with the turnover in Board members, 

MEP was able to bring on some new and very active members with a wealth of manufacturing experience. 

At the May 2014 meeting we welcomed the following new members:

• Bernadine Hawes, a Senior Research Analyst at Community Marketing Concepts, Inc. and also Chair of 

the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) Board

• Dr. Carolyn Cason, Vice President for Research at the University of Texas-Arlington

• Tommy Lee, President & CEO of Vulcan Inc.

• William Shorma, President & CEO of Rush-Co

Another membership change that took place in 2014 is the appointment of a new Chair and Vice Chair to 

the Advisory Board. Denny Dotson had been serving as the Chair since 2012 and was coming to the end 

of his term limit. Effective, October 2014 the Acting NIST Director appointed Vickie Wessel, to serve as the 

Chair and Jeffrey Wilcox to serve as the Vice Chair. Both of these terms will expire September 30, 2016.

1 2 3
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |11

STRATEGIC PLANNING

In 2014, NIST MEP undertook a strategic planning effort focused on identifying programmatic strengths and 

outlining major strategic goals needed to support the program’s mission and increase the competitiveness 

of U.S. manufacturers. The strategic planning process provided NIST MEP a mechanism for deeper 

engagement with external stakeholders. 

Based on input from the Advisory Board subcommittee, NIST MEP used a number of mechanisms to gather 

input for the initial development stage of the strategic plan. Those mechanisms, including input sessions 

with stakeholders included:

• Center Advisory Group meetings

• MEP Advisory Board subcommittee

• National Governor’s Association (NGA) meeting

• Association and Federal Agency meetings

• Center Board Chairs

• Environmental Scanning

The Board was engaged in numerous discussions about key stakeholders, measures of success, SWOT 

analysis, and timeframe. At the May 2014 meeting, the MEP Strategic Plan was presented based on all of the 

input and recommendations received. An overview of the Strategic Plan is included below:

During the May meeting, the MEP Strategic Plan was presented and unanimously approved. At the May 

and September meeting the implementation of the plan was discussed and a timeline of next steps was 

provided. The work on the implementation plan will be continued now that a permanent director of the MEP 

program has been selected.

MISSION PROGRAMMATIC STRENGTHS

ROLE

SUMMARY OF STRATEGIC GOALS

To enhance the productivity and technological 

performance of U.S. Manufacturing.

• National Program with at least one center in every state

• Federal/State, public-private partnership with local 

flexibility

• Cost share policy that matches federal investment with 

state and private sector investments

• Market Driven program that responds to the needs of 

private sector manufacture

• Leverage partnering expertise as strategic advantage

• Local knowledge of, focus on, and access to 

manufacturers

MEP’s state and regional centers facilitate and accelerate 

the transfer of manufacturing technology in partnership 

with industry, universities and educational institutions, 

state government, and NIST and other federal research 

laboratories and agencies.

ENHANCE COMPETITIVENESS

Enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. 

manufacturers, with particular focus on small and 

medium-sized companies.

CHAMPION MANUFACTURING 

Serve as a voice to and a voice for 

manufacturing and manufacturers in engaging 

policy makers, stakeholders, and clients.

SUPPORT PARTNERSHIPS

Support national, state, and regional 

manufacturing, eco-systems and partnerships.

DEVELOP CAPABILITIES

Develop MEP’s capabilities as a learning 

organization and high performance system.

1

3

2

4
12 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

SYSTEM COMPETITION

In response to Administration direction, Congressional guidance, and recommendations from the 

Government Accountability Office (GAO), in 2014 NIST MEP initiated a systematic, multi-year, carefully 

planned re-competition of the national system of MEP Centers. “The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2015” 

(February 2014) provided the following direction:

Also in 2014, the House and Senate prepared legislation that would reform MEP operational and 

administrative activities. H.R. 5035, which passed the House by unanimous consent in July 2014, required:

In March 2014 the GAO issued a report on MEP program administrative efficiency, “Most Federal Spending Directly 

Supports Work with Manufacturers but Distribution Could be Improved.” GAO found that:

GAO recommended that:

In FY 2013, MEP began a broad based strategic planning process and developed an 

operational reform agenda intended to optimize program effectiveness, enhance 

administrative efficiency, and provide greater financial accountability. In FY2014, NIST 

management directed MEP to initiate a carefully planned, systematic, multi-year recompetition of the national system of Centers.

RECOMPETITION – If a recipient of a Center award has received financial assistance for 10 

consecutive years, the Director shall conduct a new competition to select an operator for 

the Center consistent with the plan required in this Act. Incumbent Center operators in 

good standing shall be eligible to compete for the new award. 

NIST spending on cooperative agreement awards is based on the historical amount awarded 

to each Center when it was established...However, because NIST made the awards on an 

incremental basis to individual Centers serving different areas over a period of more than 

15 years, NIST’s awards did not take into account variations in service areas in the demand 

for program services – a function of the number and characteristics of target firms – or 

variations across service areas in the cost of providing services.

Commerce spending on cooperative awards be revised to account for variations across 

service areas in demand for providing services and in center costs of providing services.
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |13

In 2014, NIST MEP began a multi-year process of full and open competition of the national system of 

state based Centers, with the primary objective of optimizing the impact of the Federal investment on 

U.S. manufacturers. Objectives of the re-competition included: aligning Center activities to the NIST MEP 

strategic plan that was developed in accordance with the MEP Advisory Board; aligning Center activities 

with state and local strategies; providing opportunities for new partnering arrangements; restructuring 

and reinvigorating local Center Boards; revising Center funding levels to more closely reflect the 

national distribution of manufacturing activity; and doing so without disrupting on-going local service to 

manufacturing firms or degrading the performance of the national MEP program. 

On August 1, 2014 NIST MEP officially released the first Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) for a 10 state 

competition. This was open to the public for 75 days in which to respond with proposals. 

At the September 2014 MEP Advisory Board meeting the Board was briefed on activities to date including 

the development of two working groups focused on (1) the creation of the FFO and Standard Operating 

Procedures and (2) Re-alignment of internal MEP processes. The board was also presented information 

about the changes in the FFO to better align with the MEP strategic plan including:

• Manufacturers / Workforce

• Top-line / bottom-line growth

• Board Governance

• Metrics

• Engagement with system & Sharing best practices

In an effort to ensure complete transparency of the competition process, MEP put into place a process for 

the review of proposals including the use of five teams that will review 2 states and be comprised of a one 

member of the senior leadership team, a mix of other MEP staff members and one external evaluator.

The awardees of the first competition will have a start date of July 1, 2015. Future rounds of the competition 

will continue until December of 2016. 
14 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION

Technology Scouting

Supplier Scouting

1

2

At all of the meetings in 2014 The MEP Advisory Board was presented with information about NIST and 

MEP’s technology acceleration activities. At the January meeting the Chief Manufacturing Officer for NIST, 

Roger Kilmer presented an overview of NIST, the activities happening in the laboratories and a broad 

discussion of some of the other manufacturing activities occurring at NIST. A number of NIST programs that 

support manufacturing were covered including: Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortium (AMTech), 

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), and Manufacturing Technology Acceleration Centers 

(M-TACs). The Board agreed that we need to better connect industry needs to the capabilities of the labs 

and appreciated the opportunity to hear about activities happening across NIST and to engage in those 

activities. 

During the September meeting, the Board heard from a number of NIST MEP staff on the activities that 

NIST MEP is undertaking related to technology acceleration and asked for their opinion on developing a 

framework. The goal is to accelerate technology development and commercialization by connecting U.S. 

manufacturers’ capabilities and needs with technology sources. The MEP program is developing tools 

and mechanisms to assist manufacturers in finding these opportunities. MEP’s services and initiatives in 

technology acceleration include:

One of the recommendations that came out of 

this meeting was that MEP needed to fine tune the 

definitions of technology acceleration, technology 

transfer and technology transition. The board 

decided to form committees focused on technology 

acceleration that would report out on activities in 

2015.

Business-to-Business (B2B) Network Pilots

Lean Product Development

Technology Driven Market Intelligence

Small Business Innovation Research Assistance

Access to Capital

3

4

5

6

7

Review of Past 

Board Recommendations
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |15

BOARD COMMENTS 

The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69), which formally established the Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership Advisory Board, also charges the MEP Board to “transmit an annual report to the Secretary of 

Commerce for transmittal to Congress within 30 days after the submission to Congress of the President’s 

annual budget request each year. Such report shall address the status of the program established pursuant 

to this section and comment on the relevant sections of the programmatic planning documents and updates 

thereto transmitted to Congress by the Director under subsections (c) and (d) of section 23.”

The NIST Three-Year Programmatic Plan, FY2016 – FY2018 states as the organization’s mission: “To promote 

U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and 

technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life.”

One of NIST’s goals is to “Fortify U.S. advanced manufacturing capabilities. The Nation’s long-term 

competitiveness relies on its global leadership in advanced manufacturing capabilities. NIST will develop 

and deploy unique tools to support U.S. advanced manufacturing through programs including the Hollings 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia Program, and the 

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. “

Another goal of NIST is to “Maximize NIST’s impact through effective collaboration and coordination. 

NIST’s research and development activities have the greatest impact when the knowledge and technology 

generated is transferred to industry, universities, standards organizations, and other government agencies. 

NIST will continue to pursue partnership opportunities to better deliver measurement solutions and best 

leadership and management practices to industry and other government agencies, provide access to unique 

measurement capabilities through its user facilities, participate in standards-setting organizations, convene 

consortia, license intellectual property, and attract and train high-quality research associates.

NIST Three-Year Programmatic Plan, FY16 – FY18

TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION COLLABORATION

During 2014, the MEP Advisory Board met with NIST 

Acting Director, Dr. Willie May to better understand 

his charge for the board. Dr. May has expressed 

his interest in better engagement between the 

NIST laboratories and small and medium sized 

manufacturers. This discussion with Dr. May led to 

the development of the Technology Acceleration 

subcommittee and to new partnerships that are 

forming between MEP centers and some of the NIST 

laboratories. 

The MEP Advisory Board is thrilled with NIST’s focus 

on manufacturing and encourages the opportunity 

to better engage MEP clients with technologies 

within the NIST laboratories.

During 2014, the MEP Advisory Board began 

strengthening ties with the NIST Visiting Committee 

for Advanced Technology (VCAT). The June 2014 

VCAT Meeting provided an opportunity for an 

overview presentation of the MEP program as well 

as a discussion from a number of MEP Advisory 

Board members. During this meeting, the Advisory 

Board members present also had an opportunity 

to engage with the Secretary of Commerce to share 

their perspectives on the program. 

The MEP Advisory Board encourages continued 

collaboration between the two boards
16 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

RECOMMENDATION REVIEW

1. Recommendation that NIST MEP initiate a personnel exchange program with the MEP Centers so that 

Federal Staff and MEP Center staff can deepen their understanding of their respective roles in this public 

private partnership and provide more effective services to U.S. manufacturers

2. Recommendation that MEP create a Center Advisory Group to provide advice on reducing center 

burden, increasing center flexibility, better articulate program impacts, outputs and outcomes, better inform 

national policy dialogue, maintain program integrity and credibility and gather center input as part of the 

decision making process.

3. Recommendation that MEP codify, align and integrate program evaluation with contract management.

4. Recommendation that MEP re-adjust the current cost share structure in order to optimize the federal 

investment and provide for the long-term sustainability of the program.

EMPLOYEE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

This program was run as a pilot in 2014 with one 

NIST MEP staff member. In addition, a number of 

centers have already been identified for future rounds. 

The intent of these exchanges is to foster better 

collaboration between NIST MEP and centers and 

focused on a specific topical area.

Benefits of NIST staff visiting centers include:

• Educating newer NIST MEP staff members

• The NIST MEP employee may visit a set of centers

• There will be a topical focus to the visits

• The employee will share informed learned with 

other NIST MEP staff members

• The program will give NIST MEP a greater idea of what drives daily center activities

Benefits of MEP Center staff visiting NIST MEP include:

• The program may involve multiple visits to NIST

• The program may use Emerging Leaders as candidates and tie this into the Emerging Leaders’ criteria

• There will be a topical focus and may help develop national working groups.

• The program will offer an in-depth understanding of NIST processes and organization.

To date, one NIST MEP staff member has participated in this program, visiting California Manufacturing 

Technology Consulting (CMTC) and working with their staff on impact data and evaluation. NIST MEP has 

identified center staff that is interested in participating and will ensure participation in 2015.

Past recommendations were initially addressed at the September 2013 Board meeting, and since that time 

additional progress has been made. The specific recommendations that the Advisory Board asked for 

an update on were about the employee exchange program, the center advisory group, and the program 

evaluation and management process.

1
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |17

CENTER ADVISORY GROUP

PROGRAM EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT

The Center Advisory Group was developed as a way 

to get center input as part of MEP’s overall decisionmaking process. When selecting members for the 

center advisory group, NIST MEP ensured diversity in 

geography, business model, size, performance, funding 

and experience. The group is made up of 2 Center 

Directors from each of the six MEP regions.

The Center Advisory Group focused on:

• Help with short-term improvements, as well as 

new approaches to reporting and evaluations

• Expanding the definition of manufacturing

• Changes to MEP’s evaluation system - CORE

• Input into project coding

• Reduction of the reporting burden

• Data sharing between centers within MEP’s information system

• Input into how and when to measure innovation projects

The group has continued to be used to better inform NIST MEP on decisions affecting the MEP centers.

The purpose of this activity was to ensure that MEP 

had the necessary processes and procedures in place 

when making decisions about contract management. 

This process helped to integrate the contract 

management and program evaluation elements. 

When programmatically looking at either existing or 

future investments at the highest level, NIST MEP 

needed to be cognizant of a few factors outlined 

below:

• Foundational Review Factors

• Fit

• Value Proposition

• Complexity

• Extension of existing work

• Take into account historical experience with contractor

• Assess the proposed period of performance

• Budget

• Transition Strategy and / or Glide Path to transition the investment to system sustainability

NIST MEP reviewed all existing contracts and developed processes for approving contracts as well as 

integrated a performance evaluation mechanism into the system.

2

3
18 | MEP • MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

COST SHARE

On October 18, 2013 the MEP Advisory Board 

transmitted to the NIST Director their official 

recommendations regarding the cost share structure. 

The Board specifically recommended:

• Readjusting the cost share requirement to 1:1

• Demonstrating an appropriate and balanced 

industry investment.

• Allowing local flexibility in providing in-kind cost 

share (not to exceed one-half of the Recipient’s 

annual cost share) with:

• Clearly defined, well understood, and 

achievable criteria.

• Direct and measurable impacts consistent with program performance and evaluation.

• 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.)

• Implementing the cost share recommendations in conjunction with an inclusive strategic planning 

process and a comprehensive review of system and center performance.

During 2014, MEP received strong support from both the House and Senate with legislation that included 

language about the permanent readjustment of cost share to a 1:1 ratio. On July 22, 2014 the House of 

Representatives passed H.R. 5035 - NIST Reauthorization Act of 2014 and on July 31, 2014 the Senate 

introduced S. 2757 – America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2014 both of these included, among 

other items the permanent readjustment of MEP cost share to 1:1. While these bills were not enacted, 

the program continues to receive strong support from Congress and we are hopeful that legislation will be 

passed that adjusts the cost share ratio.

4
2014 ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT |19
MAKING AN IMPACT ON 

U.S. MANUFACTURING

100 BUREAU DRIVE M/S 4800

GAITHERSBURG, MD 20899

PHONE: (800) 975-5020 

EMAIL: MFG@NIST.GOV

WEB: WWW.NIST.GOV/MEP