Milling Journal - Q2 2008 - (Page 8) Don’t Forget the Basics Royal Denning plans to bring IAOM back to its roots in his term as president. Royal Denning officially pounded the gavel as the president of the International Association of Operative Millers at the association’s banquet in Orlando, FL, May 15. Prior to the banquet, Denning shared his vision for IAOM with Milling Journal. Denning Bio Royal Denning has served in a number of roles since joining Cereal Food Processors, Inc. in 1975 as head miller in the company’s Cleveland, OH flour mill. Over the last 32 years, Denning has held the positions of plant manager (Cleveland); corporate safety director (Ogden, UT); and assistant director of operations, his current occupation at the company’s headquarters in Mission Woods, KS. Prior to employment with Cereal Food Processors, Denning worked for ADM Milling Co., Minneapolis, MN, and International Multifoods, Buffalo, NY, following his graduation from Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, in 1995 with a degree in milling technology. He enjoys singing in several choirs and restoring and showing antique farm tractors and equipment. Leading IAOM Let me start off by saying that we have energetic, innovative milling professionals all over the world. I am pleased to be counted among them and profoundly honored to be elected president. The theme for my administration is “Don’t Forget the Basics.” I plan to focus on the core competencies required of operative millers. I also plan to look at what I believe the true focus of IAOM should be. Education. With the IAOM goals of Proficiency, Fellowship, and Cooperation in mind, I want to emphasize proficiency. The best way for an operative miller to maintain his or her proficiency is through the educational opportunities made available by the association, in conjunction with Kansas State University. International districts. Millers all over the world are facing the same kinds of issues. A U.S. miller should never pass up the opportunity to interface with those from other parts of the world. International millers have developed solutions to our common problems, and their solutions are just as good as ours. I’m sure they would love to have a group of Americans attending their district meetings on a regular basis. vided me formal and informal access to information that just can’t be acquired anywhere else in the world. Milling Technology Although the industry has always emphasized quality, wholesomeness (sanitation), and optimum performance (yields), we now have modern electronic tools that enable us to instantly perceive when unwanted variation occurs so that we can address the problem faster than ever. Almost everything we do can now be identified and quantified. That’s never been possible. to attract young talent to the industry. However, I know that we need to show them that although this is a very mature industry, it is an exciting and extremely rewarding industry. Just think, every miller can make a huge impact upon the consumer and society in general. Birth of a Career After one year of college, I was broke and disillusioned. An oppoturnity in flour milling came my way. I fell in love with the mechanization, the intricate systems, and the elegance of the process. In a short time, I became awestruck by the quality people I met in the industry. I couldn’t think of doing anything else. Mentors. I believe there are countless people who deserve admiration, but I keep homing in on those who quietly do their jobs, raise a family, teach or nurture others, serve their community, and end up contributing much more to society than they take from it. One of those who impacted my life is the late Professor Arlin Ward. He was my faculty advisor at KSU. Wheat Prices Fortunately, our market system permits hedging, which is a critical tool that helps processors through times like these. I don’t think it’s harder to justify expenditures for improvements, even when wheat is at record price levels. Worthwhile innovations and improvements can generate a better return on investment now than ever before. IAOM Experiences My goodness, it would be difficult for me to imagine what my career would have been like without IAOM. I have learned so much about my chosen profession through my activities in IAOM. My experiences at IAOM have included attending seminars, district and North American technical conferences, being a district officer, and serving on a standing committee. These have all pro- Attracting New Talent I don’t claim to have the answer to how 8 Second Quarter 2008 MILLING JOURNAL
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