Goodyear's Steve McClellan named to NAM board of directors

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Manufacturers has named Steve McClellan, president of Goodyear, to the organization's board of directors.

McClellan will help "bolster the association's leadership in policy advocacy, workforce solutions, legal action, operational excellence and news and insights. He will help the industry advance an agenda that promotes opportunity and prosperity for all Americans," according to NAM.

Founded in 1895, NAM has more than 14,000 members—90 percent of which are small and medium-sized businesses—and is the largest industrial trade association in the U.S.

NAM is "a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of the industry and equipping manufacturers with resources through news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the Manufacturing Institute (MI) and the Innovation Research Interchange."

The organization and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate for manufacturers and have led the nation's response to COVID-19 and have led campaigns to encourage vaccination, NAM said.

The executives on NAM's board guide the organization.

"It's a privilege to serve on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers and represent the more than 12 million highly dedicated individuals employed in manufacturing," McClellan said.

"Manufacturing has long been a key driver of the U.S. economy, and I look forward to continuing to support the growth and success of this vital industry."

McClellan, a 34-year Goodyear veteran, has been president of the Akron-based tire maker since 2016. Prior to Goodyear's combining its North and Latin America businesses into one unit, he was president of Goodyear North America, a position he'd held since 2011. Prior to leading Goodyear North America, he led Goodyear's North America commercial truck and consumer businesses.

He also chaired the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association from 2018-2020.

The NAM board plays a key role in NAM's and the MI's "Creators Wanted" campaign, a member-driven initative to encourage more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing, as well as shift perceptions about careers in the industry.

The campaign—which supports MI programs for students, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities—has a first-of-its-kind mobile experience and tour and aims to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025. The campaign also seeks to increase the number of students enrolling in technical and vocational schools and apprenticeships by 25 percent and increase the number of parents encouraging their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing by 50 percent from 27 percent.

"Steve is a recognized leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our board of directors," NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said.

"Manufacturers are the driving force behind our economic recovery. Now that we have secured historic infrastructure investment, we are working with lawmakers to ensure they deliver the long-term policy work on issues like immigration reform, trade expansion, supply chain improvements and workforce development."

"We also continue to defend the progress we've made on tax reform and regulatory certainty to ensure we can keep our promises to invest in our people and our communities.

"The NAM's mission is to ensure we always keep moving forward, and Steve will bring invaluable insights as we advocate for the men and women of our industry and advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity," he said.