Recognizing the strong group of manufacturing professionals that make up the SME community is important. SME member, Sheila Sherman, CTE Supervisor, Pontiac High School, recently connected with SME to share her thoughts on how SME membership has impacted her career and the overall value she's obtained from her time in manufacturing. Sheila is an active member of SME Oakland-Macomb Chapter 69. Below, Sheila shares how membership with SME has benefitted her career.

What is the primary reason you joined SME?

The primary reason I joined SME is twofold: First, my district had already been a recipient of SME's generosity and awarded nearly $.5M in tools to support our additive manufacturing, engineering, and industrial maintenance programs which are part of our career pathways programs. Secondly, I want to stay abreast of the current needs of our corporate and community partners. As a former manufacturing supervisor and sales and marketing specialist in two of the former Big Three automotive companies, I have stayed connected to trends in these areas in regard to the production of vehicles. Together, I feel like I can better help support students primarily and our instructional staff by enlightening them on what is developing in the industry. Also, through area meetings, I can understand the needs of the development. 

What has been one of the most important benefits SME provides you?

SME has supported my school district by providing tools that we could not afford and provided a facilitator in areas that lead to the development of our welding program. As a novice, I have relied on our partnership with Dr. Shelley Wooley for guidance. Her expertise has been invaluable as we go through the renovations of our welding and electric vehicle spaces.  

What would you say to encourage someone to join SME?

I love being part of real-time discussions which include DEI discussions for the increased need for gender equity, for example. It is well known that both women and women of color are at a statistical disadvantage in terms of seeing women and minorities in key positions in these engineering and manufacturing disciplines. We have needed more since the late 1980s. We have made improvements, but we still need to gain more traction in STEM fields. According to Dr. Wooley, our programs have done a good job in having better than average rates of females in our programs that are predominately appealing to males. 

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in manufacturing throughout your career?

One of the biggest changes in manufacturing is the change in technology and the way manufacturing occurs. Most of the environments in the plants are now much cleaner, and improvements in OSHA standards have drastically improved with lines drawn on the floors to guide our steps. You no longer must have a wardrobe geared toward dirty floors and machinery. Most robotic-controlled machines require a cleaner work environment.  

How does SME benefit your professional role?

As formerly indicated, I feel like I am staying connected in a way that another career and technical education administrator may not be able to connect. Not all career and technical education programs have an engineering or manufacturing program. I can make sense of a lot of jargon. I continue learning and will attend the RAPID + TCT Conference in Chicago in May for additive manufacturing and 3D technology. Also, my undergraduate degree is from the now Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University where I majored in industrial technology.  

What is your most memorable experience with SME?

I don’t have just one valuable experience. However, I truly value working with Dr. Shelley Wooley. She is always willing to come out to our school whenever needed. She has been a continuous partner and advocate for ensuring we have the resources to prepare students for employment upon graduation and continuing their education and certifications. In addition, the Coffee Chat virtual webinar series provides a more intimate interaction with other industry professionals who are not necessarily residing in my school community. This allows for a more in-depth and broader perspective to ensure that we see a more complete picture of what is needed and what is happening in the field versus in a community or region.