FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2023
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Welcomes New Board Members
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) has named three new members to its Board of Directors as the association continues to build on its strong record of leadership on behalf of manufacturers across the state.
“The addition of these talented leaders to our board will allow us to better serve our members and support the success of manufacturers, which represent the largest contributor of any industry to our state’s Gross Domestic Product,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the IMA. “We look forward to drawing from their experience, insights and contributions as we work with our public and private sector partners to advance our industry and grow jobs and investment in Illinois. Together, we are boldly moving makers forward.”
The new board members for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association are:
Toby Bielenberg (National Safety Apparel): Bielenberg is the Executive Vice President of Operations at National Safety Apparel, a fourth generation, family-owned manufacturer of safety apparel for workers in hazardous industries which provide high-visibility, flash fire and arc flash hazard protection. Before being elevated to his current position, he was the Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Chicago Operations and previously served as the Vice President of Strategic Operations.
Bielenberg started his career at Magid Glove and Safety Inc. in 2007 as a Key Account Executive and rose to become an Import Buyer, where he was responsible for managing development of the clothing product line as well as leading various other strategic projects focused on products providing hand, face, eye, ear and body protection. He was also responsible for product and supplier development, cost reductions, supply chain improvement as well as development and implementation of strategic sourcing initiatives. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Tanya T. Bryja (ExxonMobil Product Solutions): Bryja is the Joliet Refinery Manager for ExxonMobil. In this capacity, she oversees a team of approximately 625 employees and 250 contractors who have responsibility for day-to-day operations and optimization of the refinery’s assets. Bryja has over 25 years of experience at ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers, working in a variety of technical, operations, and management positions.
Prior to her current role, she served as Strategy and Planning Manager for ExxonMobil’s Research & Engineering Company, and as Process Division Manager and Technical Division Manager at the ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Texas. Bryja holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.
Michael G. Grahe (Navistar Inc.): Grahe is the Executive Vice President of Operations for Lisle-based Navistar, Inc., a manufacturer of commercial trucks and engines, school and commercial buses, advanced connectivity services and aftermarket parts. He is responsible for product planning, program management, product development, procurement, quality, supply chain and logistics, and manufacturing across the company. Prior to his current role, Grahe was based in Sweden as the Chief Technology Officer of the TRATON GROUP, where he oversaw technology and product planning, strategic procurement and all alliance management activities.
Grahe has a vast history in the commercial vehicle industry, working at Mercedes-Benz Vans for Daimler in Germany and later as Executive Officer at Mitsubishi’s FUSO Truck & Bus Corporation in Japan. He returned to Daimler as Director of Global Procurement, Powertrain Trucks & Buses and became Head of Global Controlling, R&D and Procurement before joining the TRATON Group in 2018. Grahe holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Technical University Berlin and an MBA from Sophia University in Japan.
About the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA is the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, visit https://ima-net.org/
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