Speakers to expose students/community to manufacturing world

(Bradenton, FL—October 5, 2016)  October 7 is national Manufacturing Day.  Manatee Technical College will host three guest speakers from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. to expose students and the community to the manufacturing industry, the rewarding high-skilled careers associated with it, and to foster a relationship between local manufacturing professionals, the community and students.

One of the speakers will be Mark Evans, Plant Manager for Air Products, which manufactures LNG (liquid natural gas) Equipment.  Evans is an experienced manufacturing leader with a broad background in piping and pressure vessel fabrication.  He progressed from an apprentice welder to facility manager during a 30-year career holding many positions of increasing responsibility, including design engineer, project engineer, and quality engineer.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as membership in the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Another featured speaker will be Nick Choat, a digital strategy consultant, author, entrepreneur and CEO of both Pine Lake Advisory Service and Sports Clips in Sarasota and Bradenton; Choat was formerly a Vice President for the Walt Disney Company, VERISIGN, and Getty Images.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s in Computer Science, both from the University of Tennessee.

Rachel Forsyth, Manufacturing Services Manager for Pierce Manufacturing, will also speak.  Forsyth has been with Pierce since 2011, where she manages IE/ME, facilities and maintenance for Pierce fire trucks, Medtec Ambulance and OshKosh specialty vehicles.  Prior to joining Pierce, she was Project Manager for PACCAR, Inc., and Manufacturing Engineering Manager for Peterbilt Motors Company.  Forsyth graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Manufacturing Day will be celebrated throughout the U.S. on October 7.  The purpose of Manufacturing Day is to bring attention to and celebrate the significant contribution manufacturing brings to the local, state and national economy.  The Governor of Florida has declared the month of October to be Manufacturing Awareness Month.

Anyone interested in learning more about training for careers in manufacturing or the state of manufacturing in the area is welcome to attend.  MTC’s business and industry services specialist Martha Meyers will take people on tours of the MTC main campus until 3 p.m. that day.  MTC Main Campus is located at 6305 E. State Road 70.  For more information, email meyersm@manateeschools.net.