SAMPE Journal - May/June 2016 - 42

North America Report

Dr. Nick Gianaris

Vice President, Business Development, General Manager,
Materials Technology Division Thermacore
n.j.gianaris@thermacore.com

Dear Fellow SAMPE Members, Customers, and Colleagues,

It was hard to believe when I learned this was my last column as your president, and yet I still have much to tell you. The
theme of my columns has focused on the SAMPE Strategic Roadmap established this year by the North America Board of
Directors, and this alone is something by which we should be proud as our ongoing accomplishment. Last month I discussed
one of our task forces, SAMPE's relevance to corporations and government, So in this column let me briefly discuss the
other two task forces.
Redefining the Scope of Technology: Expanding Beyond Composites. Does this mean we do not feel strongly about
composites? Absolutely not! As one of the world's pre-eminent technical materials and process societies since the 1940's,
we always will continue to deliver not only current and vetted technical and industry information, but we always seek
to seek out, explore, and deliver relevant areas of materials and processes technology. I think you will agree that many
successes in materials and processes can be traced back to key papers presented at a SAMPE conference, and whether this
continues to be in composites or other relevant advancement of material technologies, SAMPE will always strive to provide
the forum for us to learn and understand about our field.
Information and Expertise: In SAMPE, we seek not just information, but well-vetted and reliable data that can be analyzed
infomatically. SAMPE has decades of data in the form of proceedings, books, and papers that we must always find a way
for it to be used pertinently. Just having it available privately on our website to our members is not good enough. With
today's tools available at scholarly libraries, and those available to the public such as Google Scholar, we must make sure
the extremely valuable data stored away on books, CDs, and websites is better used and referenced. SAMPE is respected
for the expertise we bring to materials and processes. Let's find a way to make sure it gets used to all of our benefit.

Let us also salute why we are where we are. Over the last few years we have taken actions in the areas of membership
engagement, technical excellence, government affairs, and our conferences and exhibitions with successful CAMX 2014 and
2015. We are now a region that is almost 3 years young. This has made SAMPE good -- very good. We are now becoming great.
What is ahead in the future of SAMPE? CAMX 2016 in Anaheim and SAMPE Seattle 2017 promise to be fantastic. Our
collaboration with ACMA has proven to be successful, and do not be surprised to see more successes not just in our
region, but globally as well. Our government affairs employee, Tobin McGregor, is excellent in representing our interests
in Washington, DC concerning government employee travel to our conferences, and also making us aware of opportunities
in materials and processes. I foresee the SAMPE Strategic Roadmap process becoming a cornerstone of our society. And
certainly we have a great group of leaders for our society at all levels, especially our executive cabinet.
I have had the pleasure of serving on the executive cabinet since attending my first meeting when Bob Griffiths was the
Immediate Past President. I hope to fill this role with the same acumen, perspicuity, and knowledge I have witnessed from
our previous SAMPE presidents. I know that Rick Willardson will be an excellent SAMPE President when he takes over this
role, and I will be there to support his successes.
I also look forward to the continued opportunity to serve SAMPE on the Global Board. We are not just SAMPE Good, but
we are SAMPE Great!
Thank you for the privilege to serve as your President.

SAMPE Journal, Volume 52, No. 3, May/June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - May/June 2016