Director of Maryland World Class Consortia to speak at conference
Elaine Blaisdell
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Mon Nov 14, 2011, 09:02 AM EST
MCHENRY — Jeff Fuchs, director of the Maryland World Class Consortia, will be the keynote speaker at the Western Maryland Lean Conference on Tuesday at Garrett College.
Garrett College is holding the conference in cooperation with the Garrett-Allegany Lean Forum and the Maryland World Class Consortia. The conference is being held because the forum, which has been in existence for a while, wanted to explain what “lean” is, according to Julie Yoder, dean of education and continuing workforce development.
“The overall goal of ‘lean’ is to be more efficient and to improve process,” said Yoder.
During the conference, Fuchs will define what “lean” is and share ways that it can be implemented in any organization. Topics include key aspects of continuous improvement; Lean in Action: a Hands-on Example; what it takes, at the leadership level, to support a continuous improvement culture; steps for developing a “lean” transformation plan; and keys to success.
Participants in the conference will first get the big picture on what “lean” is and then will learn how local businesses have implemented “lean” practices, said Yoder.
Thus far, more than 60 people have registered for the conference. Local businesses involved include ATK, First United Bank & Trust, Garrett County Health Department, Total Biz Fulfillment of Grantsville and the Western Maryland Health System.
“I think the amount of people registered shows a pretty good effort for the first conference,” said Yoder. “Businesses should attend this conference because with economic times as they are, any business can do more to become more efficient and save resources. I think it’s a goal for everyone right now.”
Participants in the conference will be surveyed on their interest in “lean” and depending on the response, a course at Garrett College may ensue, according to Yoder.
The Maryland World Class Consortia is a nonprofit organization that increases the competitive capacity of Maryland organizations through “lean” principles and methods.
Since 2006, Fuchs, of the Baltimore area, has been a key contributor to the development and deployment of the country’s first nationally recognized “lean” certification, sponsored jointly by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence and the American Society for Quality.
Numerous county government and community committee members have been appointed to the Garrett County Commissioners Lean Committee and were invited to attend the conference, which begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m.
County government committee members include Mike Bittinger, Garrett County Sheriff’s Department; Brian King, Garrett County Department of Public Utilities; Theresa Miller, Garrett County Roads Department; Nathaniel Watkins, Garrett County Department of Informational Technology; and Scott Weeks, Garrett County Department of Financial Services.
Community committee members include Steve Lantz, a retired banking executive; Gary Ruddell, Total Biz Fulfillment; Rebecca Sines, First United Bank & Trust; Joe Thomas, Phenix Technologies; and Bill Welch, Simon Pearce.
For more information on the conference, call 301-387-3069.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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