Dream It Do It WNY Director Melissa Himes looks in on welding class

The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier has announced the hiring of Melissa Himes as the Director of the Dream It Do It Western New York program.

Himes has 16 years of experience working in manufacturing and 23 years of experience in human resources. She replaces former Director Francine Rondenell.

MAST Executive Director Todd Tranum said Francine took a position with a partner organization, where she will be providing training to help individuals who are entering or re-entering the workforce.

Tranum said in a statement that Melissa Himes had previously been involved with the Dream It Do It program during her time working in manufacturing and has been involved in several other programs including P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) in Dunkirk and the Chautauqua County Education Coalition.
Dream It Do It Western New York, an initiative of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier, has a mission to increase the skilled workforce pipeline entering manufacturing careers.

Himes will oversee implementation of a variety of DIDI programming such as the annual STEM Wars event, technology tours that connect local students to local manufacturing, engagement with teachers and counselors to facilitate an understanding of manufacturing careers, girls in manufacturing programs introducing more young women to manufacturing career opportunities, manufacturing camps and a variety of other initiatives.

DIDI Chautauqua County is seeking volunteers from industry, schools, and the community. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Melissa Himes at mhimes@didiwny.com.

To learn more about Dream It Do It, visit www.didiwny.com.

The free event is being held in collaboration with SUNY Fredonia from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, November 5th. Participants are asked to arrive at 8:30 a.m. for setup at SUNY Fredonia’s Steele Hall.

The DIDI 500 competition brings together teams of students and engineers from local manufacturers, who design, build, test, race, and sell self-powered cars. Teams of four have two and half hours to get their car built and ready to race.

Participating teams will be judged on design, teamwork, performance, and marketing. Awards will be given to the winners of the middle school and high school divisions. Students will receive a DIDI 500 tee shirt, a free lunch, and the winners will receive prizes.

Students must be accompanied by a parent, teacher, or guardian during the event, with no drop-offs.

Register at www.didiwny.com or contact DIDI Director Francine Rondenell at frondenell@didiwny.com with questions.

Dream It Do It coordinates tours of students, teachers and counselors through local manufacturing facilities. A group of students from Randolph with assistance from DIDI toured Stuart Tool & Die in Falconer this past fall.

A local program that works to get more skilled workers into manufacturing is starting strong after the pandemic put the program on pause.

Dream It, Do It Western New York‘s new coordinator, Francine Rondenell, said October is National Manufacturing Month, “What we tend to do during the month of October for Manufacturing month is to really try to get students into area manufacturers to tour, ask questions, see in person what today’s manufacturing looks like.”

Dream It, Do It is an initiative of the Manufacturer’s Association of the Southern Tier. MAST Executive Director Todd Tranum said workforce is the number one challenge faced by manufacturers and has been even before the issues brought on by the Pandemic, “We see Dream It, Do It as an important part of this. I mean, there’s other initiatives in the community that are important. JCC has made a significant investment in their workforce development side and in the Manufacturing Institute. We have the P-TECH program out of Dunkirk which is available to schools throughout the district. We’ve seen our specific schools make additional investments and recognizing the importance of skilled trades and manufacturing.”

Rondenell said the Dream It, Do It 500, which originated in Cattaraugus County, is coming to SUNY Fredonia this November. She said it’s a competition where students build and market rubber band powered cars, “But the task is for them to be on-site and coming up with the design and building it and testing it and then racing it. And we’ll have a panel of judges there who will be judging various criteria. We’re also planning on having some engineers from area manufacturers there who can help them with the design process.”

Rondenell said the competition had been held remotely last year, with over 300 students participating. She said STEM Wars also will be returning this Spring after being on hiatus.

For more information about the Dream It, Do It program, visit didiwny.com

County Executive George Borrello greets the more than 900 local students who were at JCC’s Physical Education Building on March 14 to participate in STEM Wars 2019.

JAMESTOWN – It was a busy day at Jamestown Community College’s Phys Ed building Thursday when over 900 area middle and high school students participated in the 5th annual STEM Wars.

The event is a collaboration between the Chautauqua County chapter of the New York State Technology and Engineering Educators’ Association, Dream It Do It Western New York, JCC, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, and The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier.

Chautauqua County Dream It, Do It coordinator Carly Abbate said it’s held each year to allow students an opportunity to showcase projects they’ve worked on while competing with others from around the region.

“The events incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics,” Abbate explained. “We have a math and science challenge to focus on those two. As far as the Technology component, we have a robotics competition. For Engineering we have a catapult that they have to engineer and create a catapult to launch items into a targeted area. So they’re using their creative juices to come up with these things. It’s awesome.”

In addition to the competition, representatives from several manufacturers and businesses were also on hand to give details about their operation and network with future job candidate.

County executive George Borrello was on hand to welcome the students in the morning. He said afterward that events like STEM Wars are good for engaging teenagers and young adults into thinking about careers after high school.

“Whenever there’s a level of competition like this it ups the game for their creativity and commitment to seeing this through, so I think this is a great opportunity for us to highlight and show these kids this is something incredibly important,” Borrello said. “And it gives them the opportunity to show us what they’re made of and what the future looks like here in Chautauqua County when it comes to the future of manufacturing.”

A total of 23 school districts from around the area competed in this years STEM Wars.

JAMESTOWN – Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant is hosting its second annual Women in Manufacturing Night on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is geared toward young women and parents of young women who have an interest or may be considering a career in manufacturing. Attendees will hear perspectives of women who currently work in manufacturing.

On the Oct. 20 edition of Community Matters, WRFA public affairs director Jason Sample talked with Justin Hanft (Dream It, Do It WNY), Janet Forbes (AAUW), and Lori Jafarjian (Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant) about the  event.

During the interview, Hanft explained that while women represent nearly half (47%) of the total U.S. labor force, they comprise less than a third (27%) of the manufacturing workforce. While women make 79 cents to the dollar as compared to male wages in all fields; that gap is reduced to 92 cents to the dollar in STEM disciplines. With women representing less than a third of the manufacturing workforce, it is clear that manufacturers are missing out on a critical talent pool, which could aid remarkably in closing both the skills and pay gaps.

The Oct. 27 event will include a tour of the Cummins plant. The goals are to engage future generations of women, educate them about manufacturing, outline opportunities, introduce them to role models in the field, and provide a forum to network and talk with local women. The format encourages girls and young women to pursue their dreams and help develop the self-confidence to seek a variety of career options including advanced manufacturing.

Dream It Do It Western New York is helping to coordinate this event.  As a strong advocate for women working in manufacturing careers, DIDIWNY works to educate young people about career paths in manufacturing, the sciences, technology, engineering, and math.  The mission of DIDIWNY is to increase the skilled workforce pipeline in manufacturing careers.

The Women in Manufacturing panel will be moderated by Cindy Aronson, owner of Cindy Aronson Workplace Training, and will include women who work in manufacturing in human resources, industrial engineering, electrical, and materials. 

This event is free to attend, but advanced registration is appreciated. Please note, that no open toed shoes or heels higher than 1-inch will be allowed, since participants will be touring the plant.  For more information, please contact DIDI Coordinator Justin Hanft at (716) 969-6014.

To register, look for the Women in Manufacturing Night event listing on the Dream It, Do It WNY Facebook Page.

Chamber of Commerce President Todd Tranum welcomes students during the 2014 Tech Wars at JCC on May 20.

JAMESTOWN – More than 300 students from across the county were in Jamestown Tuesday to take part in the first ever Chautauqua Tech Wars and Science Olympiad.

The event took place at Jamestown Community College and was organized by Dream It Do It Western New York, the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, the Chautauqua County Education Coalition, Jamestown Community College and local technology teachers.

During the Tech War events students participated in a variety of competitive formats with projects they built.  The Hamilton Collegiate Center housed a Science Olympiad informational sessions with a variety of local non-profits, while the nearby Carnahan Center hosted local manufacturers for a career exploration event with the support Chautauqua Leadership Network.

The purpose of the event was to help encourage students to develop their understanding and their passion for Science, Technology, English and Math Skills – also known as STEM.  Officials say the event allowed students and teachers to see many of the connections that are often not able to be shared with students in a classroom setting.

CANYS Chamber Executive of the Year Todd Tranum (left) shows off the award to 2014 Board Chair Jim Pullan of Jamestown Mattress and Immediate Past Board Chair Ken Shearer of Chautauqua Marina.

JAMESTOWN – Todd Tranum, the President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce has been named the 2013 Chamber Executive of the Year by the Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS).  The award was presented during the CANYS Annual Meeting in Albany in January.  The CANYS Chamber Executive of the Year is chosen in recognition of outstanding work and significant contributions made to the chamber community.

Tranum was nominated by 2013 CANYS President Jean McPheeters, who is also President of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce.  In her nomination letter, McPheeters wrote, “Todd is a creative, tireless and insightful Chamber leader and a role model for Chamber executives.

Since July of 2008, Todd has served the dual role as President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST).  Prior to the two organizations joining forces, Todd was the Executive Director of MAST since 2000.

Under his leadership, MAST entered a partnership with Jamestown Community College to form the Manufacturing Technology Institute (MTI) as a means of increasing the regional pool of individuals trained in advanced manufacturing. Chautauqua County was the first county in New York State to become a part of the national Dream It Do It initiative to promote advanced manufacturing careers.  It has subsequently grown to encompass much of the Western New York region after being awarded a $500,000 multi-year Empire State Development grant. Todd now also serves at the President/CEO of Dream It Do It Western New York.

Todd worked closely in the past year with leaders from business, education and community based organizations to develop an Education Coalition in Chautauqua County. The Coalition is focusing on enhancing Science Technology Engineering and Math educational opportunities in the County.

In a public policy role, Todd advocates for projects in Chautauqua County that will reduce the cost of government and maintain and improve the tax base.

In addition to leading his Chamber, Todd has chaired the Western New York Chamber Alliance and currently serves on the CANYS Board of Directors. For the last several years he has chaired the CANYS Health Insurance Task Force.  In 2011, he wrote: “Business Associations and a Viable Insurance Exchange”; a White Paper on the Role of Associations in Health Care Reform.  Todd successfully represented the interests of all chambers throughout the state who provide their members with access to health insurance by ensuring that Chambers of Commerce could continue to play a role in distributing health insurance to their members.  In Chautauqua County, he spearheaded the Chamber’s successful transition to a private insurance exchange model well in advance of the implementation of the government exchange programs. The Chamber now offers products through both a private insurance exchange and the New York State of Health insurance exchange.

Mark Eagan, President of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce and 2014 CANYS President said, “Todd successfully wears many hats to ensure that his Chamber provides direct member benefits, while as the same time providing business leadership to advance the Chautauqua County economy and improve the quality of life for its citizens.  The Chamber Alliance of New York State is pleased to recognize Todd Tranum for his professionalism, leadership and accomplishment by presenting him with its Chamber Executive of the Year Award.

“It is an honor to receive this award.  I see it as a reflection of the team I have around me. The accomplishments that are being recognized through this award could not have been done without a strong team at the Chamber and Manufacturers Association, a solid board of directors, and a supportive family,” stated Tranum.