CHATSWORTH, CA, July 9, 2015 – The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) announced new appointments of directors and officers. The expansion of the leadership team is in response to the year-over-year growth in the group’s annual conference and the projected growth for coming years.
(Top from left) Gary Rabinovitz, Derek Ellis, (Bottom from left) Paul Bates, Mark Abshire.
Mark Barfoot, AMUG president, said, “We are coming off of a very successful AMUG Conference, thanks in part to the tireless efforts of the board and officers. To grow AMUG while maintaining the characteristics that makes it unique, namely being an educational and informative association that emphasizes collaboration and networking, the users group’s leadership needs more additive manufacturing professionals that are passionate about the its success.”
Gary Rabinovitz, manager of the Additive Manufacturing Lab at Reebok International Ltd. and a past president of AMUG, has been appointed as the chairman of the board. Rabinovitz was selected for the position based on his past leadership and contributions that have made AMUG successful. Rabinovitz oversaw the development of the 2015 conference agenda, which had nearly 200 presentations, and led the users group during its transition from a technology focus to an industry-wide organization. Mark Barfoot, president and former chairman, will retain a director position on the board.
The AMUG Board also created four deputy vice president positions, which will be filled by appointment. Paul Bates, lead additive manufacturing development engineer at UL, and Derek Ellis, senior applications engineer for Computer Aided Technology, Inc., have been appointed to fill two of the deputy vice president positions. Both men will assist the elected vice presidents, Steve Deak and Dana Foster, in developing sponsorships, promoting the user group and overseeing the AMUGexpo.
Paul Bates has volunteered his services, in many capacities, to assist AMUG over the past five years. With the support of UL, Bates offered to become more involved in the organization as one of its officers. Derek Ellis, a past AMUG vice president and advisor, will focus his efforts on new AMUG members and first-time conference attendees.
The AMUG Board also reappointed Mark Abshire, an application engineer at Computer Aided Technology, Inc., as an advisor to the organization. Abshire, a past AMUG vice president, has served as an advisor for the past two years, and his primary responsibility will continue to be overseeing registration for the annual AMUG Conference.
Barfoot stated, “With the men and women that we now have as directors and officers, AMUG has a leadership team that I look forward to leading; a team that will ensure continued growth and success.”
About Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG)
AMUG is an organization that educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies. AMUG members include those with any commercial additive manufacturing/3D printing technologies from companies such as Stratasys, Somos, Concept Laser, SLM Solutions, EOS, ExOne, Renishaw, HP and Prodways. AMUG meets annually to provide education and training through technical presentations on processes and new technologies. This information addresses operation of additive manufacturing equipment and the applications that use the parts they make.
Visit online at www.am-ug.com.