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
