A M a t e r i a l s T e c h n o l o g y I n s t i t u t e P u b l i c a t i o n

COMMUNICATIONS “Maximizing resources through a global network of materials specialists” | FALL 2015

Technology Taking Plant

Inspection to New Heights

UAVs and Robots Detecting Hidden Corrosion

ProblemsPage 6

2. MTI Fellow

3. Western Canada Roundtable

4. Scott Dufault New AmeriTAC Rep

5. Fall AsiaTAC Preview

Inside this Issue

9. EuroTAC Preview

11. Debby Ehret Retiring

12. Byron Keelin Named Director of Operations

http:/ /www.mti-global.org

10. MTI Scholarship Applications Due in January

At AmeriTAC 117, MTI Chair Paul Whitcraft (right) presented Associate Director Emory Ford (left) with MTI’s prestigious Fellow award. Ford is MTI’s 14th Fellow.

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About this Publication:MTI Communications is published by the Materials Technology Institute, Inc. (MTI). MTI is a unique, cooperative research and development organization representing private industry. Its objective is to conduct generic, non-proprietary studies of a practical nature on the selection, design, fabrication, testing, inspection, and performance of materials and equipment used in the process industries.

Copyright © 2015 Materials TechnologyInstitute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact:Submit all correspondence regardingMTI Communications to:Materials Technology Institute, Inc.1215 Fern Ridge Parkway, Suite 206St. Louis, MO 63141-44081-314-576-7712 (telephone)1-314-576-6078 (fax)mtiadmin@mti-global.org

MTI Communications Editorial Board:Michael Anderson, SyncrudeMichael Blakely, NobelCladEileen Chant, Becht EngineeringByron Keelin, MTIGene Liening, The Dow Chemical CompanyJohn Aller, MTIHeather Stine, MTIKelly Wyrough, Roben Manufacturing, Co.

Editor: Kirk Richardson, MTI

Subscriptions:For a free subscription, write to MTI orcontact mtiadmin@mti-global.org

Calendar:EuroTAC Fall Meeting November 4 – 6, 2015 Ludwigshafen, Germany

AsiaTAC Fall Meeting December 2 – 4, 2015 Shanghai, China

AmeriTAC 119 February 22 – 25, 2016 Tampa, Florida

Please contact us at 314-576-7712 or mtiadmin@mti-global.org for more information or to find out how your company can become a member.

Web Site:http://www.mti-global.org

Emory Ford has been named MTI’s 14th Fellow. MTI Board Chair Paul Whitcraft

and Executive Director John Aller presented Ford with the honor during a special ceremony held June 24th at AmeriTAC 117 in Calgary. Ford, an Associate Director at MTI since 2001, began his long association with the organization as Equistar/Lyondell’s TAC Repre-sentative in the 1990s. It has been a rewarding journey, one that has kept him energized into his 70s. “Working at MTI provides access to outstanding colleagues, staff and members,” he emphasizes. “It provides opportunities to work with people all over the country and the world.” A former laboratory manager who has always embraced continu-ous learning, Ford notes that the chance to connect with materials science thought leaders has been particularly satisfying. “Unexpect-edly, working at MTI has provided opportunities to work with academic institutions involving

students and opportunities to publish scientific work,” he says. Although Ford has worked with many project teams during the last 14 years, his most recent accomplishments collaborating with members have been some his most memorable experiences. “This past year has been very excit-ing and busy, working the Stress Corrosion Cracking book, Acetic Acid, Permeability in Polymers, revising a chapter in Perry’s Engineering Handbook, and the Design of Laboratory Corrosion Experiments,” he reports, crediting the teams he has worked with for their considerable efforts. Ford was clearly touched during his AmeriTAC 117 award ceremony. “It is both a great plea-sure to become an MTI Fellow, and I am humbled,” he shares. “Being elected Fellow is a peer process, and recognition for contributions by peer consensus is always an honor. The Fellows that have come before me were giants in the field, and it gives me pause for thought about belonging in that group.” n

Associate Director Emory Ford Named MTI Fellow

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Western Canada Roundtable Generates Three Potential Projects

MTI member company representatives and guests from processing

industry companies packed a tour bus, then a hotel conference room as MTI held a second materials engineering-oriented roundtable in conjunction with its Summer 2015 AmeriTAC Meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At the Western Canada Processing Industries Roundtable, members and guests were treated to a special tour of the Rosen Company’s new polyurethane lined pipe manufacturing facility, which serves the needs of the oil

and gas industry in Western Canada. “Rosen’s new facility in Calgary will produce urethane lined pipe for use in a number of different industries, but most specifically for oilsand tailings lines for wear/corrosion protection,” reports AmeriTAC Chair Michael Anderson of Syncrude Canada, who helped organize the tour. “MTI members could make use of the technology in their plants as well as for other erosive or corrosive applications. It is our mission to make sure that members are aware of new technologies so that they can make their own decisions as to how best to use it in their plants.”

In the busy afternoon session, Associate Director and MTI Fellow Emory Ford reviewed funded MTI projects and the MTI fund-ing process, followed by Executive Director John Aller’s presentation on The Value of Membership. Representatives from several member companies participating in the roundtable, including Anderson, added their own examples of value derived from MTI projects and other activities. Warmed up and ready to contrib-ute their own ideas, participants pushed for fast-track materials engi-neering projects with the potential

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Left: Participants in the Western Canada Process Industries Roundtable toured the Rosen polyurethane pipe plant in Calgary. Top Right: Roundtable Chair Brian Tkachyk of Suncor led a brainstorming session that generated many ideas and three potential projects for MTI’s PDCs to investigate. Bottom Right: Roundtable participants contributed 29 ideas for industry projects.

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to resolve pressing plant problems or improve operations. Anderson was impressed with “the incredible number of project ideas generated in a short time span by the entire audience, not just the oilsand operators or even just the Western Canadian guests.” Out of the 29 potential projects suggested during the concentrated one-day session, participants identified these top three candidates for the PDCs to consider:• GuidanceforSafeUseLimits

of Stainless Steels and Duplex in Chlorides

• Atlas:Crevicevs.Pitting Corrosion of Alloys

• BetterErosion/Corrosion Data for Alloys

“I think the informal time to in-teract/network prior to the ‘formal’ brainstorming session allowed folks extra time to think and talk about potential issues,” observes Round-table Chair Brian Tkachyk of Suncor. “These ideas could lead to projects very quickly with the right mix of dedicated people working on them,” adds Anderson. The well rounded meeting con-cluded with informative technical presentations and Q&A sessions covering Stress Corrosion Cracking in Pipe Lines; Abrasion and Cor-rosion Applications of Polymeric

Materials in the Oil Sands Sector; MTI Projects useful to Oil Sands Operators; Material Selection in Engineering Design; and Brittle Fracture of Non-impact Tested Pipe and Fittings. MTI is building on these interactive, niche-focused forums, with plans in the works for additional roundtable ses-sions on bioprocessing and other industry hot topics slated for future AmeriTAC meetings. Watch for further announcements at mti-global.org and find technical presentations and other valuable meeting information under TACs/AmeriTAC. n

Scott Dufault, LyondelBasell’s AmeriTAC Representative, is interested in HTHA, CUI,and other industry issues

Western Canada Roundtable Generates Three Potential Projects> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

New AmeriTAC Representative Looks Forward to Working with Others in the Processing Industries

When one joins an organization, it sometimes takes them

a long time to want to get involved. Not so with Scott Dufault, Principal Materials Engineer, for LyondellBasell. He has been involved in materials engineering for the Processing Industries for more than 35 years and has been part of the MTI network of experts since 2014. A graduate of Cal Poly State University at San Luis Obispo with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Dufault brings a broad brush of experience to share with his MTI colleagues. His background includes working in the refining industry, managing a small family business, working as a contractor for insurance companies conducting failure

investigations services and now his focus is on petrochemical plant materials issues. Dufault decided to get involved as LyondellBasell’s AmeriTAC representative for two reasons:

“Specifically to better understand high temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) and how we can monitor damage and continue to operate safely, but also to gain experience working with others in the indus-try to develop solutions to material reliability problems,” he says. Dufault’s other interests include learning about ethylene tubes, duplex alloys, corrosion testing techniques for labs and field use, nickel alloys and mitigating CUI. He hopes to gain a better under-standing of the HTHA phenomena and how to inspect for damage, to gain experience with the MTI project management process, and learn from others and contribute to the common good of the industry. Please join us in welcoming Scott to MTI’s collaborative technical community. n

By Byron Keelin, CAE , MTI Operations Director

AsiaTAC Chair Henry Ye of DuPont will step down from his leadership role in December, but plans to remain active in MTI.

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Technical Panel Sessions to Highlight Fall AsiaTAC Meeting in ChinaMembers Set to Elect New Chair as Longtime Leader Ye Steps Down

December 2-4, MTI will hold its Fall AsiaTAC Meeting in Shanghai,

China in conjunction with the “International Symposium on Science, Engineering, and Strategy for Risk Based Maintenance,” sponsored by the 180th Commit-tee Meeting of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) on Risk-Based Plant Management. John Aller, MTI Executive Director and a noted authority on RBI, will be a Keynote Speaker at the event as well as participate in AsiaTAC’s Annual Meeting. The preliminary fall meeting agenda features several panel sessions, including Corrosion and Prevention Technology with Corrosion Resistant Metals; Material Applications in the Food, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Biosci-ence Industries; Failure Analysis ‒Root Cause of Material Fracture, Fatigue, Deformation, Wear, and High Temperature Failures; and Metal Applications in the Chemi-cal and Petrochemical Industries. “During this meeting, we will also provide a technical training course on duplex stainless steels,” adds AsiaTAC Chair Henry Ye of DuPont. “Duplex stainless steels are still relatively new in China and the Asia Pacific region; however, recently their applications are growing rapidly. It is an opportune time for MTI to arrange world class experts to educate us about this material. Many member companies, especially the producing companies, would be very interested in this topic and benefit from this training. “We will also use the meeting to share the experiences on equip-

ment maintenance and reliability issues, on corrosion testing and fail-ure analysis issues and on material development and test issues. All of these topics are very important for improving the safety and reliability of equipment in member companies’ production sites.” In addition, MTI Associate Director Paul Liu will also make a special presentation on “How to GenerateandLeadanMTIProject.”Being a Project Champion can be a rewarding experience for member representatives and deliver signifi-cant value to their companies. Speaking of leadership, MTI has been very fortunate to have a very special leader at AsiaTAC for the last six years. During the region’s Annual Meeting, members will elect a new Chair as Ye completes his successful six-year journey building AsiaTAC with his Vice Chairs and MTI staff. He has been instrumental in organizing activi-ties, seminars, and other programs

in China and the Asia Pacific region since 2009 and was an active contributor since the TAC’s inception in 2007. “During the first few years, the members kept changing because they were not familiar with this association and wanted to learn more about it,” recalls Ye. “After about 5 years, the members with strong technical backgrounds found that the association met their interests and decided to stay with it. That is when AsiaTAC started to be stable as an organiza-tion. It is not mature yet, but I have strong confidence in the continu-ous growth of this association and its members in Asia Pacific region.” After he steps down as Chair, Ye plans to continue supporting AsiaTAC activities. “I’m currently leading a project called Develop-ment of Acceptance Criteria for Nickel Alloy Corrosion Tests, which will probably end in 9 months,” he reports. “Then I will try to initiate and lead more projects, since I have learned how to lead MTI projects and saw the benefits to my company and the MTI members in general.” In the meantime, Ye strongly encourages members in the region and around the world to attend AsiaTAC’s Annual Meeting. “The Fall meeting is the best time for networking, sharing experiences and lessons with other peer mem-bers, training new employees, and developing new projects,” he notes. “Any member companies, if they re-ally want to improve their company business in China and the Asia Pa-cific, should send their employees to this meeting.” For more informa-tion and to register, visit the MTI web site at mti-global.org. n

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On July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder delivered a six-wheel rover, named

Sojourner, to the red planet to explore the terrain and demon-strate the feasibility of low-cost landings on the Martian surface. NASA completed that successful mission with technology that is now nearly two decades old. Fast forward to 2015, and Processing Industry companies are beginning to apply much more advanced robotics technology,

using unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as ground and submersible remotely controlled vehicles to explore the surfaces of flare stacks, elevated pipe trays, distillation columns and other hard-to-reach plant equipment. There are several reasons that the time has come to use robots in chemical plants. Operators are always interested in anything that reduces the safety risks inher-ent when workers are required to inspect in elevated and confined

space conditions. Many structures are aging, including ladders that have been deemed too dangerous to climb or completely removed from tanks and other vessels. Working in confined spaces that might include gases or other potential hazards also raises the level of risk. Enter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other remote con-trolled inspection tools that are now able to travel to the top of a flare stack, gather information with high performance cameras, and

Robotics and UAVs Offer a Proactive Approach for Detecting Corrosion

Inspection Technology toTaking

New Heights

Left: Robotic track vehicles remove inspectors from confined work spaces and can often access areas of a processing operation that are difficult to reach. Right: UAVs’ high performance cameras are ideal for spotting problems like cracking, pitting, and other potential issues in tanks, stacks, and other elevated structures.

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return data safely to the ground and control room that can be shared plant-wide. These systems are able to handle inspection jobs that used to take two months in fewer than two days, according to Aaron Cook, President of the AetosGroup,whichprovidestheindustry with robotic inspection services. He points out that a UAV can cover a whole field of tanks, drastically reducing the time normally required for filing permits for inspection. Chemical plants are using UAVs and other robots for a number of applications. Since the cameras can read 1/8-in. lettering clearly from a safe distance, the technol-ogy is ideal for spotting problems like cracking. Although these units aren’t equipped for photomicros-copy, they can detect pitting and other forms of corrosion that chal-lenge oil & gas and chemical plants. They offer a way to quickly map the surface area of piping and large vessels by “stitching together” im-ages, according to Cook. The UAV helicopters can also provide mul-tiple perspective views of metal, polymer, or ceramic structures,

gathering better data than they could from a ground-based inspec-tor equipped with a zoom lens. “The improvements that we’re seeing is that we are able to use robotics to get into places that in a lot of ways were difficult or nearly impossible,” notes Cook, who talked about the benefits of robotic inspection during a presentation at AmeriTAC 117 in Calgary, Alberta. “It allows you to inspect a confined space, like a storage tank or heat recovery unit. Instead of trying to get scaffolding through a 2 x 2 manway, you can do your initial work with an indoor flyer (UAV). This initial scan allows for a more efficient repair if needed, allowing the owner to only scaffold where needed. “This is a very low impact, non-invasive inspection process,” notes Cook. “In many cases you don’t have to shut things down or change the day-to-day operations of a plant. You can still get the information that you need. A good example is a

flare stack. You don’t have to shut down to look at a flare stack. Plants are even able to run a flare under different conditions, low steam, high steam, low flame, high flame, and monitor a range of operations.” Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a challenge that many processing industry plants face as witnessed by MTI members who are in the process of developing a worldwide project spanning three TACs. UAVs can be equipped with infrared sensors, allowing them to spot moisture that could be a strong indicator of CUI issues. Although the equipment can’t spot the corrosion under the insulation, it can detect moisture, since it has a different temperature than the surrounding area. This is a cost and labor avoidance oppor-tunity, possibly reducing the need to uncover and inspect hundreds of feet of a pipe and identifying areas of concern.

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Taking Inspection Technology to New Heights> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

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On the ground, robots are helping inspectors assess piping and vessels and removing people from confined space work. The AetosGroupusestheiRobot510,a track vehicle that is similar to bomb disposal vehicles, as well as the Inuktun MicroMag, a robot that has magnets between the tracks, so that it can climb walls and navigate turns in piping. “The nice thing there is that you don’t have to worry as much about the robot in the environment, whether it is a temperature issue or a gas issue,” explains Cook. “If there is new construction, we can go in there and check for foreign object debris. Robots can carry an LEL (lower explosive limit) meter, so we can monitor the air. If somebody does have to go in there, you can check it out and make sure that it’s safe to go in. Some companies are making it mandatory to first ask if a robot can do the job; if not, only then will they send in a human. It is a good way to look at CSE (con-fined space entry) activities.” Underwater, submersibles can map the bottoms of sediment pools and look for blockage in discharge and other piping systems. “We have used submersibles to look at bridges and piping that are close to the surface, preventing people from going into the water or boats” says Cook. In other cases, a submersible has been used to explore inacces-sible underground piping like dis-charge lines that stretch hundreds of feet. “A lot of people look at this for the reliability of their equipment– keeping the plants running, but environmental people are interested too, from a different perspective,” says Cook. “When we talk about environmental issues, prevention and clean-up of spills, robotics goes a long way toward doing that as well as keeping everything running. If

given the opportunity, plants don’t want to be reactive; they want to be proactive. That’s what this tech-nology provides. It allows you to better understand your facilities, so that when you have planned work or downtime, you can be more efficient with that time. It’s much more predictive.” Robotics have and will con-tinue to change the way processing plants inspect infrastructure and equipment. Cook predicts that vehicles will become smaller and the detection equipment/sensors and monitoring equipment will become more sophisticated. “We’re just scratching the surface,” he says. “Down the road, there may be a control center, and all of the robots will be based at this control center. Like you dispatch people today to go out and do work, you will dispatch robots. You may have one person who is operating two or

three robots at any given time. It will become more of a pro- grammable procedure where you provide a set of instructions. The same people who are building scaffolding today may be maintain- ing robots tomorrow.” Robotics are becoming more mainstream. Unlike Sojourner’s exploration of Mars, 140 million miles from Earth, mapping a cooling tower at a chemical process facility isn’t a work of science fic-tion anymore; it’s a viable alter-native to save time, money, and potentially lives. Robotic inspec-tion is becoming an efficient way to maintain plant equipment and a proactive alternative for prevent-ing problems that can occur from undetected corrosion of aging materials and other hard-to-detect processing industry problems. For Cook’s presentation, visit TACs/AmeriTAC at mti-global.org. n

• Reducesconfinedspaceentry in inspections of pressure vessels and storage tanks widely used in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry.

• Reducescostsassociated with shutdowns, excessive labor, and time-consuming inspection setup.

• Allowsforinspectionstobecompleted without shutdown of the process or evacuation of liquids or gasses in the pipelines or vessels.

• Increasesefficiencyallow-ing for increased inspection frequency and reduction in unplanned events.

Robotic Plant Inspection Technology:

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EuroTAC to Spotlight High Temperature Hydrogen Attack BASF Hosting Fall Meeting and Tour in Ludwigshafen, Germany

The Fall 2015 EuroTAC Meeting will be held November 5-6 at the BASF

facilities at Ludwigshafen, where Badishe Aniline & Soda Fabrik was created 150 years ago. Participants will have the opportunity to tour this producer member company’s unique facilities. Dr.BerndGlaser ofBASFwillopen the meeting, followed by Dr. Michael Schütze of DECHEMA, who will present a new project relative to long-time behavior of materials in high temperature corrosive environments. In addition, Dr. Knuth Schweier will share his supplier experience while working for Bayer in China. The morning session will wrap upwithapresentationbyGeertHenk Wijnans, Principal Integrity Consultant at Stork Technical Services, who will discuss Expert Systems for Corrosion Prevention and Control.

The day one afternoon session will include a major contribution to the HTHA project with five presentations from NDE compa-nies. “The main idea is to identify tools to detect High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) at its early stage so that engineers can follow the fitness for service,” reports Dr. Patrice Houlle, MTI Associate Director. Dr. Houlle adds that“French,GermanandDutchcompanies will present their new developments in this area.” In the evening, MTI will host a special dinner for participants. European and Middle East MTI members have been very active on new projects, and the second day agenda will offer the opportunity for champions to provide updates on their projects. Karl-Friedrich Schneider will make a presentation on Corrosion Under Insulation and provide an update on a potential HTHA project. Among the

potential projects that will be discussed, Lars Rose of DuPont will provide an update on GuidanceforFailureMechanismsin Chemical Industries. John Houben of ExxonMobil will bring the EuroTAC up-to-speed on the Development of Supplementary Requirements – Flanges, and Jim Shipley of Sandvik will share information on another new possibility, Definition and Explanation of Country of Origin. The packed agenda will conclude with a discussion on forming a Project Development Committee (PDC) in Europe. For more information about the Fall EuroTAC Meeting, including the latest agenda and registration information, visit mti-global.org. n

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MTI Scholarship Applications Due in January

The Materials Technology Institute continues to invest in the future of materials

science and engineering — today’s most promising college students. Every year, MTI awards the two winners of its Bert Krisher Memorial Scholarship with $5000 to help cover educational expenses. Applications are due January 1, 2016. As MTI expands its influence globally, the organization has expanded the reach of its schol-arship program. The best and brightest candidates from around the world are able to submit their qualifications for the scholarships. MTI members will have access to this pool of applicants for consideration as interns/co-ops, and possible development as future employees. For students, winning an MTI Scholarship offers the unique opportunity to network and build future working relationships with some of the most notable engineers in the process industries. “In addition to receiving money for college expenses, the two students who win the 2016 scholarships will have the opportunity to travel to either the Summer or

Fall AmeriTAC Meeting,” points out Kirk Richardson, MTI Marketing Director. “This is a great chance for tomorrow’s materials engineers to connect with the industry and learn from experts in their chosen field. A few hours preparing an application could lead to connections that pay off for an entire career.” MTI is looking for students who show an interest in pursuing a career in the Process Industries through enrollment in Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Corrosion Engineering, and other relevant programs; relevant course-work (completed or scheduled); academic achievement; personal and professional activities; work experience; and letters of recom-mendation. The scholarships are open to all undergraduate students. “Please spread the word about the MTI scholarships within

and outside of your organizations,” suggests Richardson. Previous winners were students from eight different schools in the USA and Europe. Many of them are now employed as full-time materials engineers within the Processing Industries, according to Scholarship Committee Chair, Srini Kesavan of FMC. Downloadable forms, require-ments, instructions, selection process details, and other informa-tion are available at NACE.org. To enter, all required paperwork must be received at NACE head-quarters no later than January 1, 2016. Winners will be announced this winter and invited to attend the Corrosion 2016 meeting (March 6-10) in Vancouver, B.C., Canada to receive the award. n

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Longtime Operations Director Debby Ehret Retiring

At the annual MTI Staff Meeting in July, Executive Director John Aller asked

the Associate Directors and St. Louis Office team to come up with words associated with each of the letters in E-H-R-E-T. The idea was to describe longtime Operations Director Debby Ehret, who will be retiring this fall after a 20-year career. A long list of admirable qualities, everything from empa-thetic to tireless, covered the wall as the group shared their many positive experiences. Ehret’s colleagues put an exclamation mark on their appreciation by applauding their teary-eyed teammate to conclude the tribute. She has earned the recognition. When Ehret joined the Materials Technology Institute in 1995, she knew she had found a special association of professionals. “I came to MTI just as Bert Krisher was stepping down as Executive Director, but he was still very much an inspiration as the heart of MTI,” she remembers. “I don’t think there has been anyone who cared more about this organization. I think he would be very proud of MTI now and especially its expansion in Europe and Asia.” Ehret calls her experience with technology at MTI an adventur-ous journey, noting that she had never even used a computer when she started. “Bert would record his meeting notes, and I would type them up by listening to the tape, then he would revise them with red pen,” she recalls. “Then the paradigm shift that is the Internet came to MTI and with great wonder and anticipation we all stood around Bert’s computer as he fired up the dial-up modem for the first time. You all remember that sound I am sure. Of course everything changed after that.

E-mail, MTI’s first web site and communicating with our members took on a new direction, which continues to evolve as MTI uses technology to give more and more value to our members.” The “H” in Ehret definitely stands for humorous. When she is asked for some of the most impor-tant lessons learned at MTI, the wheels turn and deliver a witty response. “The importance of butt welds, crevice cracks and stud failures,” she replies with a smile. “Seriously, I have come to appreciate the crucial role materi-als engineers play in keeping us all safe and their companies profitable by preventing costly maintenance. Corrosion happens, and I am glad MTI exists to help deal with it!” Although the “T” in MTI refers to technology, it could just as eas-ily be tied to the teamwork Ehret has witnessed during the last two decades. “The most rewarding part of my career has been developing pride in being an association profes-sional helping to promote the excel-lence inherent in MTI’s culture,”

she points out. “It has often been said that MTI is a collaboration of the very best experts in materials science, and I have come to respect, admire and enjoy getting to know them as our valued members, esteemed staff, and friends.” Now she says she will spend her time traveling, visiting grandchildren, and volunteering. The usually even-keel, pragmatic Operations Director becomes a little bit emotional when it comes time to say farewell. “I will miss seeing the people of MTI I have come to know and love,” she continues, but steadies herself with a little humor: “Maybe some-day those hotel meeting rooms will not be either too cold or too hot.” Our thoughtful colleague says goodbye on a warm note, punctuating the end of her MTI journey with thanks and wishes for continued success: “It has been my honor to be involved in this unique community of people dedicated to helping each other solve problems. Please continue to nurture this spirit of collaboration.” n

Longtime MTI Director of Operations Debby Ehret retires in December.

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Byron Keelin Named MTI Director of Operations New Director Brings Extensive Association Management Experience to MTI

MTI is pleased to announce that it has hired Byron Keelin as the next

Director of Operations. Keelin will lead operations and staff at the St. Louis headquarters office beginning this Fall, as longtime Director Debby Ehret concludes an outstanding 20-year career with MTI (see associated article on page 11). John Aller, MTI Executive Director, reports that Keelin is already applying his extensive association management knowledge to a variety of staff projects. “Byron brings a great deal of relevant experience with other very large non-profit organizations,” notes Aller. “This experience will be of great benefit to MTI. He likes working with membership, and understands the importance of retaining and growing the mem-bership of our organization. His experience includes developing and managing the policies and procedures that guide the

organization and its staff in working more effectively, and he is already involved in helping MTI bring its policies and procedures up-to-date. He has had the oppor-tunity to understudy Debby for several months to learn from her many years of successful experience with MTI.” Keelin’s 20 years’ experience in a variety of association management

roles includes responsibility for Education Program Management, Member Recruitment and Reten-tion, and Fundraising during his three years in leadership at the American Soybean Association. He has also worked for the National CornGrowersAssociationandtheMissouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among other organi-zations, and served in the United StatesCoastGuard.Keelinearneda Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Public Relations from Marquette University and holds a prestigious CAE certificate from the American Society of Association Executives. “I am excited to be part of MTI and learning about this industry,” says Keelin. “I look forward to sharing my experiences with and learning from the members to help grow the value of MTI.” Please join us in welcoming Byron to our unique materials engineering community. n

New Director of Operations, Byron Keelin takes over MTI’s St. Louis Office in December