2019 First Friday Breakfast-October 4th

Approximately 2.9M Baby Boomers will become retirement age over the next decade creating a tremendous loss of institutional knowledge. Simultaneously, companies struggle to find technical talent that can operate the increasingly digital machinery entering their facilities. Our First Friday Breakfast will feature an all female panel of manufacturing industry leaders discussing these obstacles as well as the critical need for companies to engage in building their talent pipeline for the 21st Century.

Panelists will include representatives from a variety of manufacturers here in Fort Smith bringing perspectives from a diverse cross section of the regions manufacturing output.

Panelists: 
Tracy Long
Vice President- Communications at ABB
Kendy Brown
Human Resources Professional at Owens-Corning
Tracey Geren
President/CEO at Weldon, Williams & Lick
Moderator: Dr. Ginni McDonald, Fort Smith Public Schools

*Bios & Headshots are being added below.

Tracy Long, Vice President-Marketing at ABB
Vice President-Marketing
Tracy Long is the Vice President of Communications for ABB?s North American Motion business.  She has worked for ABB, and its predecessor Baldor Electric Company, since 1988.  During her career she has held a variety of financial, marketing and communications positions.  
 
Tracy has a degree in marketing from Pittsburg State University and a degree in accounting from the University of the Ozarks.  She has been active in the Fort Smith community through her work with Project Linus, Altrusa International of Fort Smith, Fort Smith Public Library, United Way of Fort Smith area, and St. Luke Lutheran Church.   

Kendy Brown, Human Resources Professional at Owens-Corning
Kendy Brown is a Human Resources Professional at Owens Corning in Fort Smith.  She holds an associate degree from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, a bachelor’s degree in professional studies-public relations from Arkansas Tech University and is a senior certified professional through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).  She has a diverse career background in human resources and communication. 
Kendy is a native of Fort Smith where she resides with her husband, two sons, and three dogs.  She enjoys volunteering with the Fort Smith Public Schools, United Way and Habitat for Humanity.


Tracey Geren, President/CEO at Weldon, Williams & Lick. 
Tracey serves as the Director, Arvest Bank Local Board and as the Director, Employers Advanced Cooperative on Healthcare. She has previously served on a number of non-profit local boards, including: United Way Board President, President of the United Way Endowment Committee, and Treasurer for several boards such as the Arkansas Tech University Foundation Board, Trinity Foundation Board, Lincoln Childcare Center, and Girls Inc.



Moderator: Dr. Ginni McDonald, Fort Smith Public Schools
Ginni McDonald has worked in education for 23 years building her skill and gaining experience in accountability, campus leadership, career and technical education, classroom instruction, curriculum, district leadership, and special education.  Dr. McDonald was honored as one of the top 50 outstanding Secondary Principals in America 2016-2017 as the 2016 Arkansas Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.  In her current role as the Director of Secondary Education for Fort Smith Public Schools, Dr. McDonald focuses determined energy toward creating systems of support for student learning with an emphasis on educational environments, high expectations, student outcomes, and passionate instruction as well as creating opportunities for students to explore, develop skills, plan, prepare, and engage in their future beyond high school. 

This First Friday Breakfast will cap off the Chamber's week-long series of events celebrating Manufacturing Week. If you are interested in attending more events throughout Manufacturing Week, a full schedule can be found on the MFG Week Event Page:

http://public.fortsmithchamber.com/events/details/2019-manufacturing-week-8578