ERIE – The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) recently announced its 2023-2024 Board of Governors.
Chairman Kyle Blakeslee is general manager of Urick Ductile Solutions, a ductile iron foundry located in Erie. Urick is part of the Emerson Electric Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Blakeslee oversees all aspects of the business including manufacturing, sales, finance, engineering and human resources. He started his career as a manufacturing engineer and has served in various management roles including engineering, operations and sales. He previously held positions at Snap-tite, Bush Industries and Composiflex.
A Union City native, Blakeslee is a graduate of Penn State University where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He most recently was named as 2022 Citizen of the Year by the Union City Lions Club.
Blakeslee is joined on the MBA Board of Governors Executive Committee by Vice Chairman Bob Frost, vice president, Engineered Systems Procurement for Wabtec Corporation; Treasurer Matt Clark, vice president and general manager of Humes Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram; Secretary Tammy Lamary-Toman, vice president and employment attorney, Manufacturer & Business Association; and, Immediate Past Chairman Jana Goodrich, president and chief executive officer of Seaway Manufacturing.
New Board members appointed to three-year terms include:
Jennifer Nelson, senior vice president of Supply Chain for AirBorn in Lake City, Pennsylvania. AirBorn Interconnect, Inc is a 100-percent employee-owned company headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. The company’s core business is engineering and manufacturing specialized connectors and electronic components for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide.
Nelson previously served as vice president of Operations & Supply Chain from 2019-2023. A 24-year veteran of AirBorn, Nelson has held leadership roles in finance, operations and supply chain management. She is a graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. degree in accounting and business administration.
Nelson has been active in the community, supporting and volunteering in various capacities at St. Jude (formerly Our Lady’s Christian School) and Villa Maria Academy.
Tom Tredway is president at Erie Molded Packaging in Fairview Township, Pennsylvania, which specializes in the manufacturing of stock and custom solutions for the rigid packaging industry. Tredway joined Erie Molded in 2006, acting as its vice president of Sales until 2020. Previously he worked as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services in Annapolis, Maryland.
Since moving back to Erie, Tredway has served on numerous local boards including Young Erie Professionals, Erie Regional Chamber of Commerce & Growth Partnership, Montessori Regional Charter School, and Stairways Behavioral Health. Nationally, he has served on the board of the Manufacturer’s Association for Plastics Processing. Tredway earned his B.S. degrees in finance and management from Lehigh University.
Additional members of the MBA Board of Governors include Chad Betts, president and chief executive officer of Betts Industries, Inc.; Scott Bonnell, owner of Bonnell’s Truck and RV Collision; Jon DeArment, president and chief operating officer of Channellock, Inc; Gary Clark, chief executive officer of Reed Manufacturing Co.; and, Jeff Plyler, president and chief executive officer of Plyler Enterprises, Inc
