WMIA elects SCM’s John Park as president

John Park of SCM Group North America was elected president of the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association at the group's annual meeting during the 2013 Woodworking Industry Conference.

Park assumes the presidency after many years of service to the WMIA in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as vice president for the past two years.

"I believe in WMIA, its members and our industry, and I look forward to the opportunity of serving as WMIA's president," Park said in a statement.

Park’s goals for his presidency include:

• Expand the services and programs offered to members.

• Continue to strengthen the WMIA's leadership.

• Develop programs to attract young people to the woodworking industry.

• Provide a forum to discuss key issues and identify strategies to address them.

• Increase communication to WMIA members.

• Continue to enhance the Woodworking Industry Conference.

Other newly elected officers include vice president Scott Mueller of Edward B. Mueller Co. and secretary/treasurer Dave Rakauskas of Colonial Saw Co. John B. Henderson of John Henderson & Co. will continue on the board as immediate past president.

The WMIA also elected four new members to its board of directors: Stan Paszkowski of First Choice Industrial, Jason Neafus of Hoosier Woodworking Machinery, Andreas Muehlbauer of Stiles Machinery and Pascal Doucet of Doucet Machineries. They join current directors Jim Besonen of Wood Machinery Systems, Madison Burt of WEIMA America, Roberto Ghizzoni of OMGA Inc. and Robert Heskett of West Coast Machinery.

The WMIA is an association of companies whose primary business is providing the North American market with the latest woodworking technology, equipment, computer software and distribution service channels available globally. For information, visit www.wmia.org.