SPE Injection Molding Division
August 5, 2026, 8:02 PM ET
SPE Injection Molding Division — Board of Directors Meeting (Virtual)
Meeting Summary
Quorum: Met — 19 of 23 Board Members present (Bylaws require at least 50% attendance).
Summary of the meeting for anyone who did not attend:
• Davide Masato opened his first meeting as Chair with introductions, welcoming new Board members Paige O’Meara, Harshal Bhogesra, Eric Anderson, Julie Stenger, Jono Newlin, and Devin McCarty.
• The Treasurer’s proposed 2026–2027 budget was discussed at length, amended twice on the floor, and
approved 16–3.
• The Board discussed engaging Angela Cengarle (LadderUp Marketing, Communications Chair) to facilitate the September strategy session; her financial/dual-role conflict of interest was disclosed and openly
discussed with Angela temporarily excused from the meeting.
• Richard Voyles volunteered to source an alternative facilitation quote for due-diligence purposes ahead of a final decision.
• The Chair reviewed lessons from the 2023 strategy session and floated a discussion-only idea to
consolidate the Division’s 9 committees into fewer, team-based groups; feedback was mixed and the topic was deferred to the September strategy session for a decision.
• Susan Montgomery gave an October Cleveland conference update (strong registration/sponsorship trend) and clarified a $2,397.50 receivable owed to IMD from a shared venue deposit.
• The Chair-Elect and Secretary vacancies for next year were discussed but not decided; the decision was tabled to the September strategy session.
• Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng gave a Fellow/HSM nomination update, naming one academic candidate and
requesting industry nominee suggestions.
• The Chair raised the question of ANTEC/NPE co-location and future Board meeting locations for the group to consider ahead of September.
Attendees and Roles
Present (19):
• Davide Masato — Chair
• Tom Giovannetti — Past Chair (also holding Chad Ulven’s proxy)
• Laura Kender — Secretary
• Jeremy Dworshak — Treasurer
• Richard Voyles — Technical Programs Chair (TPC)
• Angela Cengarle — Communications Chair (Principal, LadderUp Marketing); recused during conflict-of-interest discussion
• Hoa P. — Nominations Chair
• Chirag Thummar — Membership Chair
• Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng — Board Member; Fellow/HSM Nominations lead; former Chair (2008)
• David Kusuma — Board Member; former Chair
• Susan Montgomery — Board Member; Past Chair (two terms); October Conference Co-Chair
• Bradley Johnson — Board Member; hosts the non-NPE-year in-person conference at Penn State Erie
• David Okonski — Board Member and IMD Councilor
• Eric Anderson — Board Member
• Julie Stenger — Board Member (new)
• Jono Newlin — Board Member (new)
• Devin McCarty — Board Member (new)
• Harshal Bhogesra — Board Member (new)
• Paige O’Meara — Board Member (new; one-year Chair appointment)
Absent (Excused):
• Chad Ulven — proxy given to Tom Giovannetti
• Joseph Lawrence
Absent (Unexcused):
• Srikanth Pilla
• Sriraj Patel
Proxies: Chad Ulven → Tom Giovannetti
Motions and Votes
Motion:
Approve the 2026–2027 IMD budget as amended: advertising revenue increased from $0 to $5,000 (friendly amendment, D. Kusuma); anticipated conference loss reduced from $3,000 to $1,000 (friendly amendment, S. Montgomery). Net projected budget loss: $3,500.
Moved By / Seconded By Moved: J. DworshakSeconded: R. Voyles
Vote (Yes-No-Abstain): 16 – 3 – 0
Result: Passed
No other formal motions were put to a vote during this meeting.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why does the proposed budget show a $10,500 loss?
A: IMD’s only guaranteed income is a ~$3,500 SPE rebate. The projected loss reflects an intentional investment of existing cash reserves into board activity and the strategy session, not overspending against income.
Speaker: J. Dworshak; D. Masato; J. Newlin
Q: Can the anticipated conference loss be reduced given registration and sponsorship trends?
A: Yes — reduced from $3,000 to $1,000. Roughly $23,000 in revenue is already booked against a ~$25,000 break-even, with another $5,000–$6,000 expected.
Speaker: S. Montgomery
Q: Shouldn’t the budget reflect anticipated income (e.g., conference receipts, sponsorship) rather than only net figures?
A: Valid governance point. Addressed by adding a $5,000 advertising-revenue line via friendly amendment, rather than the $10,000 sponsorship target first proposed.
Speaker: D. Okonski; D. Kusuma; J. Dworshak
Q: Is IMD paying Angela Cengarle / LadderUp for the strategy session, and is that a conflict of interest?
A: Yes — $3,900 of the $4,500 session budget line is for LadderUp’s facilitation. The conflict was formally
acknowledged; Angela was temporarily excused from the meeting during that portion of the discussion.
Speaker: D. Masato; J. Dworshak; D. Kusuma
Q: Has due diligence been done on alternatives to LadderUp?
A: Not yet formally. Richard Voyles will contact a university-affiliated group (“Strategic Doing”) for a comparison proposal, copying Davide, ahead of September.
Speaker: Hoa P.; R. Voyles
Q: Would grouping committees into smaller teams actually change how work gets done, or just relabel the same people?
A: Not yet decided — this is precisely the question the September strategy session is meant to answer. No operational model has been defined.
Speaker: Hoa P.; D. Masatos
Action Items
Action Item: Reach out to “Strategic Doing” (university-affiliated group) for an alternative strategy-session facilitation quote, copying the Chair
Assigned To: Richard Voyles
Expected Completion: Before September strategy session
Action Item: Evaluate any alternative facilitation proposal Richard brings back
Assigned To: Officers
Expected Completion: Before September strategy session
Action Item: Solicit and bring forward an industry Fellow nominee (alongside academic candidate Prof. Andrew Hrymak) for a September vote
Assigned To: Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng
Expected Completion: Before September meeting
Action Item: Gather board input on ANTEC/NPE co-location participation approach
Assigned To: All Board Members
Expected Completion: Before September meeting
Action Item: Gather board input/pre-work on committee structure and priorities ahead of the strategy session
Assigned To: All Board Members
Expected Completion: Before September 24
Action Item: Finalize board meeting calendar/location (Cleveland, NPE, or elsewhere) based on member input
Assigned To: Davide Masato
Expected Completion: Ongoing
Action Item: Distribute meeting minutes
Assigned To: Laura Kender (Secretary)
Expected Completion: Shortly after meeting
Officer and Committee Reports
Treasurer (Jeremy Dworshak):
• Presented the FY2026–2027 budget proposal; motion to approve was amended twice on the floor and passed 16–3 with a net projected loss of $3,500.
Technical Programs Chair (Richard Voyles):
• Proposed exploring a joint IMD / Additive Manufacturing session at ANTEC 2027.
• Volunteered to source an alternative strategy-session facilitation quote for due-diligence purposes.
Communications Chair (Angela Cengarle):
• Proposed as facilitator for the September strategy session; disclosed the financial/dual-role conflict of interest and stepped out of the meeting while the Board discussed it.
Nominations Chair (Hoa P.):
• Raised governance concerns on both the budget’s income assumptions and the proposed committee restructuring; requested the Board diagnose root causes (accountability, goal-setting) before restructuring.
Fellow / HSM Nominations (Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng):
• Identified one academic Fellow candidate (Prof. Andrew Heimark, Canada Western University); requested industry nominee suggestions ahead of a September vote.
October Conference Co-Chair (Susan Montgomery):
• Reported strong registration and sponsorship trends for the October Cleveland conference (~$23,000 revenue booked against a ~$25,000 break-even).
• Clarified that the Cleveland Section owes IMD $2,397.50 from a shared venue deposit, split 50/50.
Membership Chair (Chirag Thummar):
• Introduced self as new Membership Chair (succeeding Eric Foltz); no formal report given this meeting.
Detailed Meeting Minutes
Executive Summary
This was Davide Masato’s first meeting as Chair of the SPE Injection Molding Division Board of Directors. With quorum met (19 of 23), the Board approved the 2026–2027 budget after substantive floor discussion and two friendly amendments, reducing the projected net loss from $10,500 to $3,500. The Board also worked through a disclosed conflict of interest regarding the proposed facilitator for the September strategy session, agreeing to pursue a comparison quote before finalizing that decision. Two significant items — the Chair-Elect vacancy and a proposed committee restructuring — were discussed but intentionally left undecided, both deferred to the September 24–25 strategy session at 3M. The meeting also surfaced that the Secretary role has no identified successor for next year, alongside the existing Chair-Elect gap.
Meeting Overview
• Title: SPE IMD Board Meeting (Virtual) — Board Meeting #1
• Date / Time: August 5, 2026, 8:02 PM ET
• Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes 18 seconds
• Participants: 19 present (see Attendees and Roles); 4 absent
• Objectives: approve the 2026–2027 budget; plan the September strategy session; update on the October Cleveland event; open the Chair-Elect conversation; address open miscellaneous items
Discussion Highlights
Roll Call and Quorum:
• Laura Kender conducted her first roll call as Secretary. 19 of 23 Board Members present; quorum confirmed. Chad Ulven’s absence was excused with proxy to Tom Giovannetti.
2026–2027 Budget:
• Jeremy Dworshak presented a budget proposing an intentional $10,500 net loss, funded from IMD’s cash reserves, to invest in Board activity, the strategy session, and communications.
• Hoa P. and others raised concern about approving a loss budget from a governance standpoint.
• Susan Montgomery reported the October conference is tracking well financially and proposed reducing the anticipated conference loss line from $3,000 to $1,000 (accepted as a friendly amendment).
• Jono Newlin reframed the discussion, noting the “loss” is better understood as a planned investment from cash reserves rather than an operating shortfall.
• David Kusuma proposed adding a $10,000 sponsorship-income target to offset the shortfall; after
discussion of feasibility, this was scaled back and adopted as a $5,000 advertising-revenue line (friendly amendment).
• David Okonski pressed for the budget to show anticipated income/revenue by category rather than only net figures — a point acknowledged as valid for future budgets.
• With both friendly amendments accepted, the motion to approve passed 16–3 (net projected loss: $3,500).
September Strategy Session Planning:
• The Chair proposed engaging Angela Cengarle / LadderUp Marketing ($3,900 of a $4,500 line item) to
facilitate the session, given her decade on the Board and industry expertise.
• The dual-role conflict of interest (Board member and paid vendor) was explicitly acknowledged; Angela voluntarily left the meeting so the Board could discuss freely.
• In her absence, the Board discussed alternatives; no one had another facilitator readily available. Richard Voyles offered to contact a university-affiliated group (“Strategic Doing”) for a comparison quote, to be copied to the Chair.
• The Board agreed this constitutes reasonable due diligence given the timeline (the session is about one month out).
• Angela rejoined the meeting after the discussion concluded.
2023 Strategy Session Retrospective:
• The Chair reviewed notes from the Division’s last strategy session (3M, 2023; facilitated pro bono by then-SPE-CEO Pat Ferry), noting that three priorities were identified at the time but only loosely pursued, with no clear accountability mechanism.
Committee Structure Discussion:
• The Chair presented — explicitly as a discussion-provoking idea, not a formal proposal — the possibility of consolidating the Division’s 9 standing committees into fewer, team-based groups, citing single-person committees and low overall Board productivity as the core problems.
• Richard Voyles cautioned that consolidation should be driven by what best gets work done, not headcount for its own sake, and noted that adding coordination overhead can sometimes reduce effectiveness.
• Harshal Bhogesra, Jeremy Dworshak, Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng, and Paige O’Meara spoke in favor of smaller working teams, citing accountability, engagement, knowledge transfer, and — per Jeremy — a more enjoyable volunteer experience.
• Hoa P. raised repeated concerns: that regrouping people without changing what they do may not solve anything, that added coordination could create new scheduling burdens, and that the Board should first diagnose why current committees aren’t functioning (goals, accountability) before restructuring around them.
• No decision was made. The Chair confirmed the number and structure of committees will be decided at the September strategy session, and asked Board members to think it over beforehand.
October Event (Cleveland):
• Susan Montgomery reported strong registration and sponsorship momentum, and later clarified that the shared venue deposit with the Cleveland Section ($4,795 total, split 50/50) leaves $2,397.50 owed to IMD.
Chair-Elect and Secretary Vacancies:
• The Chair presented three options for filling the Chair-Elect vacancy (left open when Saeed resigned): (1) any Past Chair stands for election as Chair-Elect for 2026–27, with a standard election for 2027–28; (2) Davide serves two terms as Chair, with a volunteer needed for Chair-Elect (requires 2/3 Board vote); (3) extend current roles, with Davide as Chair-Elect and Tom G. continuing as Chair (requires 2/3 Board vote).
• Richard Voyles conditionally volunteered for Chair-Elect if the role carries no active duties this year.
• Tom Turng and David Kusuma both spoke in favor of Davide serving a second term as Chair.
• The Chair also flagged that the Secretary role has no identified successor for next year — a second officer gap alongside Chair-Elect.
• No vote was taken; the decision was explicitly tabled to the September strategy session.
ANTEC / NPE Co-location and Board Meeting Location:
• The Chair noted that ANTEC and NPE are now co-located and that SPE headquarters is soliciting full proposals rather than abstracts, which he flagged as a change worth the Board’s attention.
• He asked Board members to think ahead of September about how IMD wants to participate (own sessions, networking, etc.), and separately requested input on where to hold the next Board meeting (Cleveland, NPE, or elsewhere).
Fellow / HSM Nomination Update:
• Lih-Sheng “Tom” Turng, who leads the Fellow and Honored Service Member nomination process, identified one academic candidate (Prof. Andrew Hrymak) and asked the Board for industry nominee suggestions, with discussion and a vote planned for September.
Action Items
See the Action Items table in Section 5 above.
Timelines
• September 24–25, 2026 — Strategy session at 3M (Jeremy Dworshak hosting); evening of 9/24 includes an informal group activity.
• Before the September meeting — Richard’s facilitator due-diligence outreach; Tom Turng’s Fellow/HSM industry nominee search; Board input requested on ANTEC/NPE participation, board-meeting location, and committee structure.
• October 2026 — In-person conference in Cleveland, OH (Susan Montgomery, Co-Chair).
• Fiscal year: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (per Bylaws).
Follow-Up Requirements
• Secretary to distribute these minutes to the full Board.
• Chair to finalize the Board meeting calendar/location based on member feedback.
• Chair-Elect and Secretary succession to be resolved at or before the September strategy session.
• Officers to evaluate the alternative strategy-session facilitation proposal once Richard Voyles returns information.
Supporting Details
• Approved FY2026–2027 budget: net projected loss reduced from $10,500 to $3,500 via two friendly
amendments (16–3 vote).
• Strategy session facilitation budget line: $4,500 total ($3,900 to LadderUp).
• October conference financial split: 35% IMD / 40% Cleveland Section / 25% Molding Technologies Division (per Susan Montgomery); shared venue deposit $4,795, of which $2,397.50 is owed to IMD.
• 2023 strategy session (3M, hosted by Jeremy Dworshak) was facilitated pro bono by then-SPE-CEO Pat Ferry.
• Fellow nomination candidate: Prof. Andrew Hrymak, Canada Western University; Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering and Chemical Institute of Canada.
• IMD Bylaws cited during the meeting: Robert’s Rules of Order (motions/seconds), Board composition and quorum requirements.
