Vickie Wessel, founder & president of Spirit Electronics, Inc., is the newest addition to the Arizona Manufacturing Partnership’s (Arizona MEP) Board of Directors. Wessel has more than 30 years of experience in the electronics industry, & more specifically, has worked in sales, marketing, procurements, operations, contracts, & financial & quality systems management. She founded Spirit in 1979, a company that specializes in supplying products & services to the military & aerospace industries.
“Vickie is very driven, & is committed to continually improving operations at Spirit. She has participated in a number of Lean manufacturing & process improvement activities, & she knows first-hand how the Arizona MEP can help manufacturers in the state,” said Gene Lussier, chairman of the Arizona MEP Board of Directors. “We know what an advocate she will be for the Arizona MEP, as well as an asset to our board.”
Wessel is also a member of the Aerospace Industries Association’s (AIA) Supplier Management Council (SMC), actively serving on the SMC Executive Committee. In 2005, she received the AIA’s Amelia Earhart Award, recognizing women who achieve excellence in the aerospace & defense industry. Wessel also represented suppliers on the association’s Board of Governors for 2 years & has worked as an advocate to Congress and the administration for small, disadvantaged & woman-owned businesses.
The Arizona MEP is an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The national MEP is a network of manufacturing extension centers that provide business & technical assistance to smaller manufacturers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia & Puerto Rico. Through MEP, manufacturers have access to more than 2,000 manufacturing & business “coaches” whose job is to help firms make changes that lead to greater productivity, increased profits, & enhanced global competitiveness. For more information on the Arizona MEP program call (480) 874-9100.