Join us at Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet for the June, 2009 Membership Meeting.

Identity Theft. Presented by Sgt. Kevin Cavanaugh, St. Louis County Police Department.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet
191 Westport Plaza Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63146
Phone: (314) 878-1500

• 5:45 - 6:15 pm: Registration and Social
• 6:15 - 7:00 pm: Dinner
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Presentation - Identity Theft. Presented by Sgt. Kevin Cavanaugh, St. Louis County Police Department.

Please register by Friday, June 12, 2009, by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on a safe and secure web environment.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

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June, 2009 Membership Meeting Highlights

Identity Theft
Presented by Sgt. Kevin Cavanaugh - St Louis County Police Department.

FTC.gov says, “Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.” This is a benign definition for one of the most terrifying white collar crimes in modern times. One can’t turn on the television without being bombarded with offers for free credit reports, identity theft insurance, etc. It doesn’t take much research to discover a company founder for one of these products was the victim of identity theft after he started hawking his company’s product on TV.

Estimates on the FTC website say that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. The odds are that some- one you know has experienced some form of identity theft. Identity theft crimes may involve thieves renting an apartment, or obtaining a credit card, or establishing a telephone account in your name. The theft may not be known to you until you review a credit card statement, get a call from a debt collector, or are denied credit on a legitimate application.

Sgt. Kevin Cavanaugh of the St. Louis County Police Department will present a program on credit card fraud and how individuals can protect themselves. His presentation will also touch on internet auction fraud (Craigslist, and Ebay) and the latest scams being perpetrated in the St. Louis area.

About the Speaker

Sgt. Kevin Cavanaugh has 25 years of experience with the St. Louis County Police Department. He has served nine years as an investigator in the fraud unit and seven years as that unit’s supervisor. Sgt. Cavanaugh has spoken on the subject of identity theft to many community organizations.

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Please register by Friday, June 12, 2009, by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on a safe and secure web environment.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

The May Membership Meeting will have presentations by Rod Toro and Will Meyer, who will also review recertification packages. Attendees can enjoy free beer and wine along with steaks grilled by members of the Leadership Committee.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Engineers’ Club of St. Louis
4359 Lindell Blvd, St Louis, MO 63108
Tel: (314) 533-9333

• 5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration and Social
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Top 10 Tragedies in Implementing QMS - Rod Toro
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Dinner & Section Business
• 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Overview of ASQ Recertification Requirements - William Meyer

Please register by Sunday, May 9, by visiting the online registration page. ASQ St. Louis members who register and prepay online for membership meetings are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

Come enjoy steaks and beverages, listen to excellent speakers and have your recertification package reviewed.

Engineers’ Club of St. Louis - Map

Have you ever thought about transitioning to a totally new and exciting field?

How about the dynamic service field of Healthcare? Healthcare has launched its quality journey and needs Quality professionals from industry. Healthcare is a very dynamic and growing field that welcomes professionals from all arenas. Come to the ‘Transitioning from Manufacturing to Healthcare’ workshop to learn about differences, similarities, skills required, why, how, and when to transition, as well as an actual Lean Six Sigma projects and tools that have been used to improve healthcare processes. Healthcare is in need of expertise in quality tools and analysis to help them have excellence in patient care. This will be a fun, interactive workshop for anyone thinking about transferring your quality expertise to the service sector. And guess what…when you’re part of healthcare, you’ll be helping save lives in the process!

• Cost: $99.00
• Date: Saturday, May 16, 2008
• Time: 8:00am - 12:00Noon
• Place: Engineers’ Club of St. Louis, 4359 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108

Register online now.

Questions? email Section Education Chair, Kim Rochetti, at kim_rochetti@irco.com, or call 314.838-4659.

The April Membership Meeting this year will coincide with the Spring Conference Reception and Dinner Keynote Address. Mike Brooks of Ardent Outdoors will deliver the Keynote Address.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Clayton Crowne Plaza Hotel
7750 Carondelet Ave, Clayton, MO 63105
Tel: 314.726.5400

• 5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration and Social (Grand Ballroom)
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Keynote Address by Mike Brooks
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Dinner & Section Business
• 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Sponsor exhibits, book sales & networking
  

Section members and guests do not have to attend the Spring Conference to register for this event. Please register by Tuesday, March 31, by visiting the online registration page. For conference participants, attendance at this event is included with conference registration.

ASQ St. Louis members who register and prepay online for membership meetings are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

If you haven’t already done so, there is still time to register for the ASQ St. Louis 2009 Spring Confernce. Kim Tucci, Co-founder of the Pasta House Company, will deliver the keynote address on April 3. Pre-conference workshops and ASQ Certification Exams will be offered on April 2. April 3 is Conference Day with lots of interesting breakout sessions and speakers, book sales, and plenty of networking opportunities. More details are available at the conference page .

View map to the Clayton Crowne Plaza

Click here to go to the Clayton Crowne Plaza website

Meeting Highlights

Keynote Address by Mike Brooks, Ardent Outdoors

Michael J. Brooks is President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Ardent Outdoors, Inc. a manufacturer of fishing reels and accessories that are Made in the U.S.A.

Brooks began with Ardent in 2003 as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2004, Brooks was named President and CEO and became Chairman in 2007. Since then, Ardent has become one of the fastest growing companies in the fishing tackle industry with their products now distributed in more than 1,500 dealers nationwide and with additional outlets in Canada and Mexico. Ardent reels are now the reel of choice for a number of amateur and professional anglers competing in the U.S. and was the reel used by Alton Jones to win the 2008 Bassmaster Classic Championship, the largest tournament prize in freshwater fishing.

Prior to joining Ardent, Brooks worked at Anheuser- Busch, Inc. for 19 years, serving most recently as Vice President of Wholesale Operations. Prior to that, Brooks served as the company’s Vice President of Sales for the United States. He was responsible for the company’s sales revenue and volume sold through Anheuser-Busch’s 800 independent wholesalers and 500,000 retail accounts. Under his management, the company consistently grew volume, revenue, market share and earnings. He was a member of the Anheuser- Busch Board of Directors, Management Committee, and Business Practices and Ethics Committees. Brooks also served as Director of Budweiser Marketing and Director of Sports Marketing during his career. Brooks is also the Managing Partner of the St. Louis Bandits, an NAHL franchise, as well as Managing Partner of both JJM Brooks Ag. LLC and Brooks Brothers Ag. LLC. He serves on the Board of Directors for C.K. Power Corporation and the Government Affairs and Commerce Committees of the American Sport Fishing Association.

Brooks is also a Lifetime Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and formerly served as the National Secretary of the organization. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and Quail Unlimited and formerly served as the president of the St. Louis chapter. Brooks is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and served as President of the fraternity’s University of Missouri Alumni Association. Brooks has also served on additional civic, religious, and conservation boards across Missouri.

Brooks graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri Columbia in 1981 and now resides in St. Louis, Mo. with his wife and 3 children.

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Section members and guests do not have to attend the Spring Conference to register for this event. Please register by Tuesday, March 31, by visiting the online registration page. For conference participants, attendance at this event is included with conference registration.

ASQ St. Louis members who register and prepay online for membership meetings are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $20.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

Join us at Dave & Buster’s for the March, 2009 Membership Meeting.

This is a meeting of awards and recognitions as well as the ASQ St. Louis Section elections. ASQ St. Louis members who received ASQ certifications in 2008 will attend free of charge and will be recognized. The section will also hand out its annual awards to members for exemplary service to the section and to the field of quality. The meeting will also elect officers for the 2009-2010 Leadership Committee. ASQ St. Loius Scholarship recipients will also be announced during the meeting.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Dave & Buster’s
13857 Riverport Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
Phone: 314-209-8015

• 5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration and Social
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Networking - Dave & Busters Game Room.
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Dinner and Section Business
• 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Elections, Awards and Recognitions. .

Please register by Sunday, March 15, 2009, by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on a safe and secure web environment.

Section Members who received an ASQ Certification in 2008 can attend free of charge. Please bring the letter from the mebership chair to the meeting.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Meeting fee for attendees registering and paying at the door is $30, while students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

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Join us at Favazzas for the February, 2009 Membership Meeting.

First Presentation: Project Management and Career Skills are Inseparable. Presented by Bob Freese.
Second Presentation: Basic Principles of Effective Workplace Communication. Presented by Karla Armbruster, Webster University.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Favazzas
5201 Southwest Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139
Phone: 314-772-4454

• 5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration and Social
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm: First Presentation - Project Management and Career Skills are Inseparable. Presented by Bob Freese.
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Dinner and Section Business
• 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Second Presentation - Basic Principles of Effective Workplace Communication. Presented by Karla Armbruster, Webster University.

Please register by Friday, February 13, 2009, by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on a safe and secure web environment.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Meeting fee for attendees registering and paying at the door is $30, while students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

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February, 2009 Membership Meeting Highlights

First Presentation
Project Management and Career Skills are Inseparable
Presented by Bob Freese, MBA, CQE, CQA, PMP.

Learn new tips including how to kill a project and live to tell about it, nurturing your sponsor, bringing the calvary to save your project, and organizational improvement techniques. Also learn new personal and career skills that will improve both your career succss and project management abilities.

Learning objective:

• Improve your project management effectiveness
• Improve your personal career effectiveness
• Bring new skills to your organization

Bob Frese has gained many insights during his career as a successful project manager, project engineer, and workforce team facilitator. He is currently a practicing program manager with international experience. He also teaches project management both locally and internationally. He is a student of the soft skills which are actually the difficult skills.

Teaching and speaking experience: The Boeing Company, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Maryville University, and Saint Louis University. Subjects include project management, operations management, statistics, decision sciences, and database principles.

Second Presentation
Basic Principles of Effective Workplace Communication
Presented by Karla Armbruster, PhD, Associate Professor - Webster University.

Professor Armbruster will discuss purposes and techniques of workplace writing using examples as examples for improvement. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of their own writing. Her presentation will include:

• Common purposes of workplace writing: to inform, to persuade, to build goodwill
• Characteristics of effective communication: clarity, completeness, accuracy, audience awareness
• How to create “You Attitude” (audience awareness)
• How to build goodwill
• Stylistic techniques to clarity and concision

As an Associate Professor of English at Webster University, Karla directs the professional writing program. She has worked as an editor and professional writer, and has been involved at the college level or about 20 years. Karla also conducts corporate business writing seminars.

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Please register by Friday, February 13, 2009, by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on a safe and secure web environment.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Meeting fee for attendees registering and paying at the door is $30, while students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

ASQ St. Louis is hosting a half-day workshop on ISO 9001:2001 on Saturday, February 21 at the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis. The workshop compares the new standard with the 2001 version. Charlie Ochs, the instructor, will also discuss benefits, implementation steps and certification process. It’s also a great way to earn additional RU Points.

Workshop Agenda

• Compare ISO9001:2000 to ISO9001:2008
• What does ISO9001:2008 offer your operation
• What steps are recommended to implement ISO in your company
• How to become certified

Cost
Course fee is $99.00

Date & Time
Saturday, February 21, 2009
8:00am-12:00 noon

Location
Engineers’ Club
4359 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108

Instructor: Charlie Ochs
Charlie has been in the Quality Management field for 50 years. He was a Quality Manager at National Vendors, Valentec Manufacturing, and Bachman Machine Co., all in the St. Louis area. He retired January 2004, and since then has been consulting and performing third-party ISO9001:2000 audits. He is currently certified by IRCA and ha an excellent understanding of ISO9001:2000 and ISO9001:2008.

Questions?
For more details, email Section Education Chair Kim Rochetti at at kim_rochetti@irco.com, or call 314.838-4659.

To register online, click here.

Join us at Villa Farotto in Chesterfield for the first membership meeting of 2009.

First Presentation: The Five Drivers to Success. Presented by Donna Forgy, ProSkills, Inc.
Second Presentation: Setting Goals with Lean Thinking. Presented by Chris Anderson, Bizmanualz, Inc.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Villa Farotto
17417 Chesterfield Airport Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005
(636) 519-0048‎

• 5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration and Social
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm: First Presentation – The Five Drivers to Success, presented by Donna Forgy
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Dinner & Section Business
• 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Second Presentation – Setting Goals with Lean Thinking, presented by Chris Anderson

Please register by Friday, January 16 , by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on safe and secure web environment.

Attendees who register online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Meeting fee for attendees registering and paying at the door is $30, while students and members between jobs pay $15. For logistical purposes, we urge you to register online by the prescribed date.

You can also send an email to registration@asqstlouis.org, call the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis at (314) 533-9333 or send a fax to (314) 533-9336.

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January 20 Membership Meeting Highlights

First Presentation
The Five Drivers to Success
Presented by Donna Forgy, ProSkills, Inc.

Without a doubt, hard work and dedication in applying leadership principles truly separate the armatures and the professionals. But there are certain qualities for a leader’s success-that are inherent in the personality and work habits of top achievers. We will be discussing the following Drivers of Success and how they relate to your personal and professional success.

• Self Confidence. In a world where risk, challenge, competition and change go hand-in-hand, self-confidence is the competitive edge.
• People Skills/Communication Skills. By far the greatest single obstacle to communication and success is poor understanding of people.
• Leadership Skills. Leadership is about influence and the ability to motivate and inspire people from a variety of backgrounds to a higher level of performance.
• Worry and Stress. The ability to face a challenging situation with a constructive attitude is a determining success factor for all of us
• Attitude Control. Not easy but as the saying goes, “If you can’t change the situation, change your attitude about it.

Donna Forgy is an experienced professional with over 25 years of experience in management, leadership training, and presentation development. As President of ProSkills Inc., Donna has coached hundreds of people to become more effective in all areas of life, to live with more enthusiasm, and embrace challenges with new found confidence. Donna will motivate you to move outside of your comfort zone and take the steps necessary to reach your next level! Her focus is you.

Second Presentation
Setting Goals with Lean Thinking
Presented by Chris Anderson, Bizmanualz.

People always ask me — how do you start to implement lean? What is first or how do you begin? This presentation explains the importance of changing your thinking as the first step to implementing lean. Lean goals, lean tools, and lean events are used as examples of how lean thinking can begin to take root within an organization. The presentation will cover: 1. Understanding the importance of position goals for lean

• Finding your lean goals
• Determining the metrics (what will success look like)

2. Using lean tools to determine where to start

• Value stream analysis
• Visual space analysis
• Material flow analysis

3. Creating the lean plan of improvement opportunities

• Holding a successful event and reporting out.
• Repeat/execute the plan.

Chris Anderson, M.B.A., the Managing Director for Bizmanualz, Inc., is a strategic deployment and process improvement trainer, consultant, and public speaker having published dozens of articles and taught hundreds of hours of classes on creating well-defined processes, implementing lean six-sigma, and deploying process improvement strategically for competitive advantage. Chris is a graduate of the Advanced Manufacturing Specialist Training Program (AMSTP), a one-year training program covering Six Sigma, Business and Lean Enterprise techniques that is held in conjunction with the University of Missouri - Rolla and Missouri Training & Employment Council. He is a senior member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ) as a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA) and Certified Quality Improvement Analyst (CQIA). He is the immediate past chair of ASQ St. Louis and participates in the Lean Division, Quality Management and Customer, Supplier Divisions of ASQ.

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Please register by Sunday, January 18 , by visiting the online registration page (click here). You can prepay for membership meetings via credit card on safe and secure web environment.

Section members who register and pre-pay online are entitled to a $5 discount, which brings the meeting fee down to $25. Meeting fee for members paying at the door and for guests is $30, while students and members between jobs pay $15.