Committees

Chair: Mike Conlon, Toray Composite Materials America
Vice Chair: Colin McCall, ALL4
Staff Liaison: Roy McAuley

The Environmental Committee provides technical expertise and news updates to industrial environmental professionals. Regulatory compliance, enforcement trends, and future rules and regulations, along with best practices sharing, are the committee’s primary focuses. The committee also maintains a close working relationship with ADEM and other governmental regulatory agencies and staffs. This committee meets quarterly and issues air, land, water and energy reports.

Chair: Carl Gunter, International Paper
Staff Liaison: Amanda Salazar

The Fall Meeting Planning Committee helps plan and prepare for the Annual Fall Meeting. Duties include developing speaker and activity recommendations, reviewing post-conference evaluations and preparing for the upcoming Fall Meeting. Additionally, committee members serve as the official Fall Meeting hosts by greeting the members and their guests and volunteering their services during the activity schedules. This committee meets biannually.

Chair: Randy McRae, International Paper
Vice Chair: Bobby Tom Crowe, R.T. Crowe & Associates
Staff Liaison: George Clark & Jon Barganier

The Federal Affairs Committee tracks federal issues of importance to Alabama manufacturers and develops policy papers for the Annual Washington Fly-In. The committee recommends policy and federal legislative positions to the Board of Directors and coordinates any federal lobbying efforts on behalf of the membership. This committee meets on an ad-hoc basis.

Chair: Randy McRae, International Paper
Vice Chair: Wesley Helton, Specification Rubber Products
Staff Liaison: Jon Barganier

The Governmental Affairs Committee reviews all legislation and monitors all legislative activity at the State House. Committee members serve as an advisory network on any and all legislative concerns (including but not limited to bills, regulations, executive matters, etc.). Each of the committee members assists the association’s lobbying strategy. The committee meets weekly during legislative sessions and on an ad-hoc basis throughout the remainder of the year.

Chair: Jeff Wargo, Resolute Forest Products
Vice Chair: Richard Lehr, Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson PC
Staff Liaison: Robin Ricks

The Human Resources & Workforce Development Committee focuses on the complex legal and policy-based aspects of human resources that are unique to manufacturing. It also focuses on workforce development challenges, which affect all sectors of industry and manufacturing. The committee includes a best practices sharing component for compliance and policy issues and for training and recruitment efforts. This committee meets quarterly.

Chair: David Carroll, Hunt Refining Company
Vice Chair: Scott Smith, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP
Staff Liaison: George Clark

The Legal Committee evaluates legal policy to determine its potential impact on the legal obligations of manufacturers. When necessary, the committee recommends pursuit of objectives through legal action, primarily through the filing of amicus briefs. The Legal Committee also serves as a resource to the Governmental Affairs Committee on bill review and analysis. This committee meets on an ad-hoc basis.

Chair: Michael 'Gene' Rader, Mitsubishi Polysilicon
Vice Chair: James Allen, Sullivan Contracting
Staff Liaison: Robin Ricks

The Safety & Security Committee provides news on safety and security enforcement trends, reviews upcoming rule promulgation's and changes, and discusses compliance best practices. It also interfaces with the appropriate state and federal agency staffs. The committee also administers the Governor-awarded Safety Achievement Program, which is administered through Manufacture Alabama. The committee meets at least quarterly and, when appropriate, hosts training programs for the benefits of the membership.

Chair: Jim Key, Warren Averett
Staff Liaison: George Clark

The Tax Committee reviews and analyzes tax legislation and Department of Revenue (DOR) regulations. It helps develop policy positions on such proposals that may affect tax liability and compliance for Alabama manufacturers, and it assists in determining the scope of impact certain proposals may have on member companies. Ensuring that tax issues do not create a competitive disadvantage for manufacturers at the state or local levels is a primary focus of the committee. This is committee meets on an ad-hoc basis.