It is with a great deal of humility and excitement that I welcome the opportunity to serve as the President of the ASM Thermal Spray Society. This is truly a wonderful privilege – one which I certainly would not be in a position to perform had it not been for the incredible leadership of my predecessors whom I had the pleasure to work with. I therefore must thank Richard Knight, Peter Hanneforth, Mitch Dorfman, Charlie Kay, Luc Pouliot, and finally Christian Moreau, for not only their mentorship, but also for their tireless efforts in making TSS the outstanding organization that it has become today.
As we seemingly accelerate toward the end of another busy year, I do want to share the details of some really outstanding initiatives both underway and being planned within TSS. As part of a parallel effort with ASM, the Thermal Spray Society launched a strategic planning session this fall with a broad focus on defining ever increasing value for the TSS membership. As part of this effort, we have updated the society vision statement in a manner that captures our focus moving forward:
Through advocacy, networking, and global leadership, TSS shall be the foremost resource for the collection, distribution, and exchange of world-class scientific information and technical knowledge on thermal spray technologies.
To support this vision, we will be dedicating our efforts to resolving a number of critical issues that will enable this vision to truly become a reality. Outside of strategic planning, we are also organizing and working with our global partners to prepare a number of exciting events including the North American Cold Spray Conference (Edmonton, Alberta, Nov 30 – Dec 1) and the International Thermal Spray Conference (ITSC 2017, Dusseldorf, Germany, June 7 – 9, 2017).
As I am sure most everyone is aware, the activities undertaken by TSS are carried out by a team of outstanding volunteers who are dedicated to promoting thermal spray technologies. For this reason, we are always looking for more volunteers to help support these efforts and to ensure the continued success of this affiliate society. I therefore ask you all to consider volunteering and join one of the committees that will be helping to shape the future of TSS. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers, committee members, and board members. I look forward to working with you all to continue the fine success TSS has enjoyed for years and years.
Doug Puerta
President, ASM Thermal Spray Society
