Winter Seminar - Lunch & Learn Series

The Southern Textile Association is pleased to announce its plans for the Winter Seminar "Lunch and Learn Series" being held virtually Monday, January 25 - Friday, January 29 from Noon - 1:00 PM each day.   The cost is $25 per person for the entire week.  I hope you will plan to participate. 
 
Moderator: 

Cameron Hamrick, President 
Hamrick Mills
STA First Vice President

Presentations:

Monday, January 25

 MTIN, a Unique Partnership Designed to Drive
Economic Development in the U.S.
Sam Buff, Vice President and General Manager
Manufacturing and Textile Innovation Network

The Manufacturing and Textile Innovation Network (MTIN) is a partnership between the Manufacturing Solutions Center at Catawba Valley Community College and the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College.  Our vision is to create an end-to-end resource for textile testing, prototyping, applied research and development, business incubation, sourcing and training.  Prior to joining the Manufacturing and Textile Innovation Network, Sam spent eighteen years at the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College, three years at Alcatel Telecommunications in operations management, five years at Spectrum Dyed Yarns in Quality Control and six years in the United States Air Force Reserves in Air Transportation.

Sam holds an Associate of Science in Engineering from Catawba Valley Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Textile Chemistry from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from Pfieffer University.

 Tuesday, January 26

What Can We Expect from the 2021  
Coronavirus Economy?
Bruce Yandle, PhD, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow
George Mason University's Mercatus Center

Bruce Yandle writes and speaks on the economy and economic
issues.  Dean Emeritus of Clemson University's College of Business & Behavioral Science where he taught economics for 31 years.  While serving as Alumni Distinguished Professor of Economics at Clemson, he taught in graduate programs in France, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic.  He is author/editor of 17 books, including Bootleggers and Baptists: How Economic Forces and Moral Persuasion Interact to Shape Regulatory Politics, is a contributor to The Hill, USA Today, Investors' Business Daily, the Washington Examiner and author of The Economic Situation, a quarterly newsletter distributed by George Mason University.  He has been recognized for his leadership in promoting the free market system by Washington's Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Association of Private Enterprise Education.

Dr. Yandle served in Washington on two occasions, first as a senior economist on the White House staff during the Ford and Carter Administrations and later as Executive Director of the Federal Trade Commission in the Reagan Administration.  Prior to entering a career in university teaching, he was in the industrial machinery business for 15 years.  Bruce and his wife, Dot, live in Clemson, just across from the train station.

Wednesday, January 27

People, Politics and the Pandemic
Vance Tiller, Executive Vice President
Impact Workforce Solutions

There is a commercial on TV where the actor says "We know a thing or two 'cause we've seen a thing or two!"  Vance says that describes his career perfectly.  Having started a staffing career in 1986, somewhat by accident, he made $7 an hour answering the phone in a branch office of an international staffing company.  Staffing is a great industry If helping solve problems is in your DNA!

Over his career, Vance has led Sales and Business Development teams, been the Managing Partner in a Real Estate Development firm, led due diligence teams in Mergers and Acquistions for a global software firm, has owned his own buisness and served on non-profit and trade association Boards of Directors. 

A native Texan, Vance is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas (Axe 'Em Jacks!)  He holds an active Real Estate Broker license in North Carolina, and is a Certified Staffing Professional (CPC) and Certified Search Consultant (CSC) as disignated by the American Staffing Association, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Southern Textile Association.

Vance and his wife Vicki live in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they enjoy time with their new Granddaughter and three dogs.

Thursday, January 28

Overview of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Gary M. Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer
National Cotton Council of America

Gary Adams assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cotton Council in February 2015.  He plays a key role in guiding the industry's seven segments to reach consensus on critical policies affecting U.S. Cotton, with the mission of helping all U.S. cotton industry segments compete effectively and profitably in global markets.  Prior to that, Gary served the Council for 13 years as the Vice President of Economic and Policy Analysis.

Gary also represents the U.S. cotton industry as a member of USDA's Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee.

Gary has B.S. and M.A. degrees in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri.  Gary and his wife, Carol, have four children.

Friday, January 29

Fiber Update
Laura Murphy, Research Director, Fibres
Wood Mackenzie Chemicals

Laura joined PCI Wood Mackenzie in 2017 after more than 25 years in the nylon and polyester industrial fiber business.   Laura's roles have spanned many areas of business including process engineering, strategic planning, technical sales & Marketing and customer account management. 

Prior to joining PCI Wood Mackenzie, now known oas Wood Mackenzie Chemicals, she worked for DuPont, Kordsa, Hailide America, and most recently Nexis Fibers where she was the market manager for The Americas and South Africa.

Laura grew up in Rhode Island and received a chemical engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  In her spare time, she is an avid underwater photographer and is currently trying to improve her golf handicap.  She enjoys the occasional glass of pinot noir in her suburban Philadelphia home.