Mission Statement
Honor our obligation to this society by being an economic, educational and social asset to our members.To advance through research and education the arts and sciences relating to the manufacture and utilization of metal castings.We aspire satisfaction from our accomplishments while building permanent friendships and improving the balance between our personal and professional lives.
A Message from your Chairman
It is my pleasure to be the Chairman of the Oregon Chapter of the American Foundry Society for the 2007-2008 year. Joining the AFS and serving on the Board of Directors has introduced me to many new friends and allowed me to meet many other foundry workers. There seems to be a common bond between all the foundry workers no matter what your specific job entails.
I am honored to have such a talented group of board members. Returning members include Lonny Morgan - 1st Vice Chairman, Sheri Bainter - 2nd Vice Chairman, Dave Carney - Secretary, Tony Fork - Treasurer, Bill Lesh - Education Chairman, Adam Leach - Publicity, and Beth Knipple - Past Chairman. I would also like to welcome new board members Jesse Larson - Website/Government affairs, Bill Beebe - Newsletter, and Richard Buckland (Returning Veteran) - Membership/Foundry Person of the Month.
This group is eager to pursue the many goals we have committed to and to continue the achievements of those who have preceded us, their dedication has made the Oregon Chapter the success it is today.
Lonny Morgan, as Program Chairman, has put a lot of thought and effort into planning an exciting program for this year. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone. These meetings allow all of us to get together not as competitors, but fellow colleagues. Please feel free to attend as many meetings as possible and, as always, guests are welcome. In response to your comments, I have changed the meeting times to finish by 8:00 pm. Hopefully, this will make it easier for those who have early work schedules to attend.
This year’s board has several goals for the upcoming year. At the top of our list is continuing our support of several local high schools that have metals programs. Our chapter prides itself on foundry education. Reaching out to local high schools is one way to achieve this goal. Our website is a work-in-progress and keeps getting better with time. This tool is very useful in keeping everyone informed of upcoming events and sharing information from recent events. We will continue to improve our website, so check it out at www.afsoregon.com.
Portland is the host for the 2008 AFS Regional Conference on March 13-15 at the down town Hilton. Please stay tuned for additional information about this event.
I am very excited about the upcoming year and it is my hope that all of you feel you have gained something from being a member of the American Foundry Society, Oregon Chapter. I would also like to thank the vendors, advertisers and foundry managements for their continued support of the Oregon AFS Chapter.
I hope to see all of you at the meetings.
Chapter Chairman
David Havel