BEMA’s Kerwin Brown named to CMA board of advisors

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BEMA’s Kerwin Brown named to CMA board of advisors

25 Jan 2023

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

OVERLAND PARK, KS — Kerwin Brown, president and CEO of BEMA, the association for bakery manufacturers and allieds, was named to the board of advisors for the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM)’s Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA).

As a subset of NAM — the country’s largest manufacturing association composed of manufacturers of all sizes in every industrial sector across all 50 states — CMA was designed to unite NAM’s manufacturing association community and the broader business community. With strategies for increasing manufacturing jobs, investment and innovation, CMA’s mission is focused on bolstering the industry’s nationwide mobilization effort and improving manufacturing competitiveness. Its membership includes roughly 250 trade associations related to manufacturing.

Brown has been an active CMA member for about seven years, and during his involvement, he’s been drawn to the group’s collaborative culture that fosters brainstorming new ideas for innovation in trade groups.

“Shared knowledge, resources, wisdom — these are all elements that make CMA and the board position so valuable,” Brown said.

As the president and CEO of BEMA, Brown sees his affiliation with the CMA board bringing practical applications to the association he leads.

“It’s a place to have deeper conversations and connections with different trade associations, where we can tap into good things that other industries are doing and apply them to the baking industry.” — Kerwin Brown | president and CEO | BEMA

“Everyone at the table is dealing with the same issues that our industry manufacturers are,” he said. “This board is a place where I’ll get to connect and hear about how other groups are solving similar issues that our members face. It’s a place to have deeper conversations and connections with different trade associations, where we can tap into good things that other industries are doing and apply them to the baking industry.”

As an association, BEMA’s culture has long supported participation through idea sharing and collaboration, and Brown’s participation on the CMA board is a way he said he’s living out the values that BEMA instills in its membership.

“Serving on boards gives me perspective on the service of the BEMA board,” he said. “Trade organizations are built on the foundation of our volunteers who ware willing to commit their time, dollars and energy not only to the organization but also to the industry. It’s important that I live that out by giving my time, energy and resources to something that can make BEMA better and also allow me to give back to the industry.”

The full CMA Board of Advisors is as follows:

Melissa Hockstad | board chair | president and CEO | American Cleaning Institute

Jennifer Abril | board vice chair | president and CEO | Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates

Holly Alfano | CEO | Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association

Alison Bodor | president and CEO | American Frozen Food Institute

Heidi Brock |president and CEO | American Forest and Paper Association

Kerwin Brown | president and CEO | BEMA

Steve Caldeira | president and CEO | Household and Commercial Products Association

Eric Fanning | president and CEO | Aerospace Industries Association

Anne Forristall Luke | president and CEO | US Tire Manufacturers Association

Nicole Harris | president and CEO | National Glass Association

Christopher Jahn | president and CEO | American Chemistry Council

Charles Johnson | president and CEO | Aluminum Association

David Loftus | president and CEO | Electronic Components Association

Katherine Lugar | president and CEO | American Beverage Association

Brent McClendon | president and CEO | National Wooden Pallet and Container Association

Brian McGuire | president and CEO | Associated Equipment Distributors

Heather Rhoderick |president | Valve Manufacturers Association of America

Corey Rosenbusch | president and CEO | Fertilizer Institute

Leslie Sarasin | president and CEO |FMI – The Food Industry Association

Gary Shapiro | president and CEO | Consumer Technology Association

Mike Sommers | president and CEO | American Petroleum Institute

Chris Swonger |president and CEO | Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Stephen Ubl | president and CEO | Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Dena Wiggins | president and CEO | Natural Gas Supply Association

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