RRMEA President’s letter - Spring 2023
RRMEA President’s letter - Spring 2023

Greetings RRMEA members!
We are pleased to bring you the first issue of the RRMEA newsletter!!!
After a few months of conversations and planning the Red River Manufacturers & Engineers Association came to fruition late last year. We are currently at 31 members and growing quickly!
One of our first items of business was to partner with Midwest Manufacturers Association (MMA), a manufacturers association management company, and create our bylaws and a board of directors. After a time of recommitment to greater board engagement and the organization and its mission, the current RRMEA Board of Directors includes:
Rick Lemke, Interstate Assembly Systems, RRMEA President
Will Cromarty, Airial Robotics, RRMEA Vice President
Russell Martinson, Be More Colorful, RRMEA Secretary
Thomas Stromme, First Western Bank & Trust, RRMEA Treasurer
Lacee Bjork Anderson, The Birch Group
Bernie Dardis, City of West Fargo
Jenna Meuller, Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce
Kriss Burns, PRO Resources
James Leiman, Institute for Economics & Peace
Thank you to all the board members for your willingness to serve. As a nonprofit organization with minimal staff, it is critical to our organization’s success to have an engaged board that is knowledgeable and available to help deliver value to our members.
Our board of directors is bringing energy and focus to moving our mission forward throughout 2023 and beyond. One of our key initiatives is to create committees and find a broad base of volunteers from our member firms to join and have active engagement on a committee.
Joining a committee gives individuals a voice in the direction of the association and creates an army of promoters for RRMEA. We’d like to extend an invitation to all employees at member firms to consider volunteering for a committee that you have a passion around. The committees and their purposes are:
- Membership Recruitment & Retention Committee
- Create and maintain pipeline of new members
- Member value recruitment materials
- Member satisfaction
- Program Committee
- Actively assist with planning and execution of lunch/tour/speaker meetings, fundraising events, and more
- Government Relations Committee
- Monitor and inform members of pertinent legislative activities
- Offer a collective voice of advocacy for members in our region.
Please reach out to Rick Lemke with questions about the committees listed above or to volunteer and get involved!!
Please register to attend the upcoming RRMEA Luncheon Meeting on Tuesday, March 28 at Vanna Adventure Vans. The speaker will be Mike Henke speaking on Stopping the Great Resignation. You will learn new keys to retention, explore why pay didn’t make the list, and how to keep employees from all generations! After the presentation we will tour Vanna Adventure Vans. You won't want to miss it!
As a member of RRMEA you have access to events hosted by Midwest Manufacturers Association. Register to attend upcoming online events:
- March 22 at 11:00 am online. Workforce Development webinar: Cracking the Code to Rising Stars: How to Find, Motivate, and Create Engaged Young Leaders
- April 18 at 2:00 pm online. New member orientation for RRMEA members
- April 26 at 11:00 am online. A Manufacturers Guide to Implementing a High School Internship Program
RRMEA - please help us to create success in this valuable organization by getting involved and participating in our events. We’ll see you all on March 28th in Fargo.
Regards,
Rick