The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Mary Beth Heydrick, vice president of operations for Dow’s performance materials and coatings business segment and operations in North America and a member of Dow’s operations leadership team, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization dedicated to driving transformational growth for manufacturing companies along their digital journey to Manufacturing 4.0.

In addition to Heydrick’s appointment, MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell was officially appointed to the MLC Board of Governors as the MLC’s direct representative. The Board of Governors also reelected John Fleming, former executive vice president of global manufacturing and labor affairs at Ford, and Mike Packer, director of production strategy at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, as MLC Board chair and vice chair, respectively, for another year.

The MLC Board of Governors approved Heydrick’s nomination in a unanimous vote. With this appointment, the MLC Board consists of 19 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry, which includes large global enterprises, small and medium-sized manufacturers, leading academic institutions and influential industry analysts.

As an advisory body, the MLC Board of Governors provides guidance to the MLC on its “critical issues” agenda, research studies and programs and services for the MLC membership. Dow has been a committed and highly engaged MLC member for many years.

“I am delighted to welcome Mary Beth to the Board,” said Fleming. “We look forward to working with her and benefiting from her extensive manufacturing industry experience and insights.”

“The role manufacturing plays in driving both economic and social prosperity is a true passion of mine,” stated Heydrick. “The MLC provides a critical voice as companies navigate the ever-changing landscape facing all manufacturers. I look forward to being part of the MLC Board of Governors and providing my insight and expertise now and in the future.”

Heydrick first joined Dow in 1989 and has held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility in both the U.S. and Europe. As vice president of operations for one of Dow’s business segments and geographic regional areas, she is accountable for operations at many of Dow’s locations across the globe. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Heydrick serves as the Asian Diversity Network North America sponsor, is a strong supporter of Dow’s Women’s Innovation Network, is a council member for Dow’s Global African American Network and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She holds a degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and is a recipient of The Manufacturing Institute’s STEP Ahead Award, which recognizes women in science, technology, engineering and production careers who exemplify leadership within their companies.

Heydrick replaces former Dow MLC board member David Mongrue, who served on the MLC Board since 2017 and is now retired.

For more information, visit www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com.