The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) has announced it has formed a board of directors comprised of seven industry and business professionals. Each member brings significant expertise and valuable perspectives to the organization from operational and business acumen to senior level technical knowledge of the metrology marketplace. The board of directors will provide oversight and management of the Society, formulate organizational policies and chart a sustainability strategy for the future direction of the organization. In its 36th year, the Coordinate Metrology Society serves and supports expert and novice users of portable and traditional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) through education, certification, and connects CMS conference delegates to leading OEMs, software developers and service providers. In addition to electing its current seven-member Executive Committee, the CMS membership voted to establish a formal board of directors at the 35th Coordinate Metrology Society Conference in Orlando, FL in July 2019. 

The CMS board of directors include Joe Sabol, board chair, Newport News Shipbuilding; Ron Hicks, board vice chair, vice president, Automated Precision (API); Michael Raphael, president, Direct Dimensions; Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, former NASA astronaut and TEES distinguished research professor, Texas A&M University; Alan Metzel, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Patrick Welch, New River Kinematics (NRK); Ron Rode, Planet Tool and Engineering. Many of the directors have served as CMSC Conference Chairs and elected members to the CMSC Executive Committee that supports and executes the annual educational conference. This charter group of individuals possesses a deep understanding of the metrology discipline and its challenges, as well as its huge potential for enabling smart manufacturing initiatives.

"I am honored to serve as the first board chair for the newly formed CMS board of rirectors," Sabol said. "This diverse group of seasoned experts will provide the leadership counsel needed to move the organization toward short-term and long-term sustainability goals. The Coordinate Metrology Society will play a critical role in supporting the educational needs of metrologists as companies continue to implement and reap the benefits of smart manufacturing initiatives and technologies. The field of metrology provides a life-long career path for those willing to learn and expand their knowledge and skill sets. We plan to be here for the long haul and are well positioned for the future."