The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Steve Milam, a senior director of DENSO Corporation and senior vice president of DENSO’s North American Corporate Functions, has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Milam will join the NAM Board to bolster the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, legal action, workforce solutions, operational excellence and news and insights. He will help the industry advance a manufacturing competitiveness agenda that promotes opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.
Founded in 1895, the NAM, guided by its Board of Directors, is the largest industrial trade association in the United States, with more than 14,000 members. The NAM is the nation’s most influential manufacturing advocate, and its membership includes some of the world’s most iconic brands and many of the small manufacturers that power the U.S. economy. Approximately 90% of the NAM’s members are small and medium-sized businesses. Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM’s efforts.
The NAM is a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of our industry and equipping manufacturers with invaluable resources through our news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the Manufacturing Institute and the Innovation Research Interchange.
The NAM and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate, focusing on solutions to help the industry compete in the global economy and to help the country address challenges ranging from supply disruptions and inflation to the workforce crisis, immigration, permitting, tax policy and energy security.
“I’m honored to represent DENSO, which has been a member of the NAM for almost 10 years, on the NAM Board and join its efforts to help American manufacturing succeed,” said Milam. “DENSO strives to do its part, investing in STEM education, collaborating with government and community partners on workforce development, and providing pathways for career growth. Working with the NAM only bolsters our efforts, creating new opportunities to join like-minded organizations in supporting our communities and helping grow the economy.”
As a member of the NAM, DENSO has been active in the association’s programming, participating in activities related to manufacturing innovation and leadership development. Most recently, Industrial Engineer Hannah Pearl of DENSO’s thermal production facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, earned a Women MAKE Award, given annually to women who demonstrate manufacturing excellence, in the Emerging Leader category from the Manufacturing Institute. Two additional DENSO leaders have won the award in the Honoree category – Denise Carlson in 2021 and Monique Radersma in 2022 – when it was known as the STEP Ahead Awards.
Board members play a key role in the NAM and the MI’s Creators Wanted campaign, a member-driven initiative to inspire, educate and empower more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing—and to shift perceptions about careers in the industry. The campaign, which supports MI programs for students, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities and features a first-of-its-kind mobile experience and tour, seeks to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025 and increase the number of students enrolling in technical schools, vocational schools and apprenticeships by 25%, as well as increase the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing to 50% from 27%.
“Steve is a leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Steve will be a partner in the NAM’s efforts to advance a competitiveness agenda that grows our economy. We will work with policymakers to tackle immigration reform, fix our permitting process, expand trading opportunities, strengthen tax reforms and enhance manufacturers’ ability to invest in America. I look forward to working together as advocates for the men and women of our industry and to advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”
About DENSO
DENSO is a $45.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 198 facilities to produce electrification system, powertrain system, thermal system, mobility electronics, & advanced devices, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company’s 167,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. For more information about global DENSO, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/
