After 13 years at the helm of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Tom Dobbins will leave his role as president on March 14, 2020. Under his leadership, ACMA has expanded its capacity to serve the composites manufacturing industry. “On behalf of ACMA’s leadership, I want to thank Tom for his 13 years of service. Our association has grown and prospered under Tom’s leadership. We have embarked upon a number of innovative growth initiatives that will add value to current and future members. Most importantly, our current and future customers will recognize us as innovative partners in their business,” says ACMA Chairman of the Board Scott Balogh. During Dobbins’ tenure with ACMA, the association expanded its market growth initiatives with the establishment of the Composites Growth Initiative and launched a composites industry tradeshow, CAMX, in partnership with the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE). Additionally, ACMA achieved a number of legislative successes for the increased use of composites in various applications and markets, including defense, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure. The association deepened ties with OEMs within automotive and aerospace with the introduction of the ACMA Composites Technology Days, opening doors for ACMA’s member companies to engage and educate engineers and designers within major OEMs.
In a letter to ACMA’s membership, Dobbins says, “This is a great organization, a growing organization, and it will continue with my successor. ACMA members are truly the backbone of this organization and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work alongside so many of you for so long. There is no limit to what this association can accomplish, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.” Dobbins will join the Aluminum Association as president and CEO. Balogh adds, “ACMA will appoint a search committee to recruit a replacement who is aligned with our culture, mission, and values.”