ASQS 2025 Syracuse Annual Conference
Onondaga Community College
Friday, March 21, 2025, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Conference Location: Mawhinney Hall, Room 345.
Parking available directly across the road from the main entrance.
Registration through March 17, 2025 –
$55.00 ASQ Members – on site
$25.00 – Students – on site
$75.00 non-members – on site
Breakfast (muffins & fruit) & Lunch (deli sandwich box lunch) provided – assorted drinks.
$25.00 – virtual – ASQ Members
$35.00 – Virtual – non-members
Presentations will be made available after the conference on MyASQ – Syracuse Section
8:00 – 8:30 AM Breakfast – Opening Remarks and Introductions
Bob Napoletano – Section Chair
8:30 – 9:30 AM – Leverage an IoE Focus Study: “Which Technical Skills Are Most Needed for an Organization’s Workforce” to Build Your Career Development Plan – Dr. Mike Mladjenovic
Are you looking to future-proof your career in quality and continuous improvement? Gain valuable insights from ASQE’s Insights on Excellence (IoE) Benchmarking Tool and stay ahead of emerging workforce trends.
In this session, you will:
✔ Discover the most in-demand technical skills for today’s workforce.
✔ Understand future opportunities and challenges in quality and operational excellence.
✔ Anticipate the effects of upcoming changes in industry standards and practices.
✔ Develop a personalized career development plan to enhance your skills and stay competitive.
Join us and leverage data-driven insights to make informed career decisions and elevate your professional growth.
Dr. Mike Mladjenovic
Dr. Michael Mladjenovic P. Eng.; MBB, Lean Sensei, ASQ Fellow
Dr. Michael Mladjenovic is a Lean Sensei and Master Black Belt whose professional experience includes senior leadership positions in operations, continuous improvement, and quality assurance for LifeLabs, Maple Leafs Food, Magna Int., Intier Interiors, General Electric, PPG, and SKF (IKL).
During his work in the automotive, food, electronic, and health sectors, Dr. Mladjenovic led several initiatives related to the development of enterprise business process systems, the development and implementation of innovation and continuous improvement strategies, and the implementation of Quality Systems.
As a passionate Lean practitioner, he has led over 120 Kaizen workshops on Value Stream Mapping, Hoshin Planning, Process Thinking Leadership, Change Acceleration Process (CAP), Improvement strategy development and implementation, Business Process Management, Project Management, and Workplace Organization (5S), to name a few.
Dr. Mladjenovic is an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality and Operational Excellence, Quality Auditor, Reliability, Quality, and Software Quality Engineer, and Registered Professional Engineer and holds a B.S., a Master’s, and Doctor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business.
Dr. Mladjenovic has served as the Chair of the Data Science Interest Group (DSIG) of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Statistics Division for the past 3 years.
Dr. Mladjenovic is from Aurora, Ontario, Canada
9:30 – 10:00 – Break & Networking
10:00 – 11:00 PM – Improving Quality Culture: A Case Study– Amanda Neumann
This is a case study on how one company navigated the transition from small business mentality to large corporation. This will review how the site improved their quality culture and signature while undergoing significant growth, and the tools and solutions used to make the improvements.
Amanda Neumann, MBA, CQA, CQPA
Currently a Quality Assurance Manager at Pratt & Whitney, a RTX Company, Amanda is in charge of compliance and continuous improvement at the powder metal facility in Clayville, NY. She has been with Pratt & Whitney for eight years and has supported sites across the value stream, from raw material through to the installation of jet engines onto aircraft and flight test. She is a Certified Quality Auditor and Certified Quality Process Analysist and has been with ASQ for 14 years, holding leadership positions for the past four in both technical divisions and geographic sections.
Ms. Neumann is from Clayville, New York
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM – Lunch & Networking
12:00 – 1:00 PM – Micron – Honorable Ryan McMahon II – Onondaga County
County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II is the 4th County Executive. He assumed office on November 2nd, 2018.
Micron, impact on Onondaga county and Central New York. Adding jobs, direct and indirect, adding to the economy and improving the overall economy. New opportunities at all levels. Educational needs, housing needs, new business opportunities. How do we prepare and make sure our community is ready.
Ryan started his career in public service as a Syracuse City Councilor in 2005 after being elected at the age of 25. He was reelected in 2007 for a second term and quickly earned a reputation as a bi-partisan problem solver.
In 2011, County Executive McMahon was elected to the Onondaga County Legislature and was subsequently elected Chairman of the County Legislature in 2012 by his fellow legislators becoming the youngest Chairman in County history. As Chairman, his primary focus was job creation and ensuring good fiscal discipline in the county. Under his leadership, property taxes were brought down to historic lows.
Upon becoming County Executive in 2018, Ryan has placed a focus on three main initiatives: poverty, infrastructure and economic development. A passionate supporter of small and local businesses, the County Executive firmly believes that the best way out of poverty is through a job and career. In his first term, County Executive McMahon has also led the way in securing huge economic successes for our community including JMA Wireless on the South Side of Syracuse, Amazon in the Town of Clay and most recently, the largest economic development project in the history of the United States with Micron.
1:00 – 2:00 PM – Mastering Change with Lean: ADKAR Meets 5W2H for Sustained Success – Manny Veloso & Bob Napoletano
Change management is crucial for successful improvement activities.
Poor change management often leads to temporary changes that don't stick.
The presentation will focus on the ADKAR model with the addition of these tools to ensure lasting change:
· 5W2H Analysis
· 5 Whys Technique
ADKAR is a proven change management workflow that helps ensure sustainability of changes in the workplace.
In this presentation we explore applying the 5W2H framework and the 5 Whys technique to each step of the ADKAR model. Change agents will achieve greater clarity on the steps needed to implement any change more effectively.
By using a case study to integrate the tools, we expect the participants to gain a better understanding of integrating the tools. Using the 5W2H tool, 5 Whys technique, and the ADKAR model together creates a comprehensive approach to change management with fewer overlooked areas resulting in better changes.
Manny Veloso
Manny’s hands-on approach has provided practical, real-world solutions for countless companies. Manny holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Rider University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Penn State.
Manny has delivered projects and trained internationally. He has a Master Black Belt certification and is a guest lecturer at Holy Family University, Temple University and spoken at industry conferences.
Mr. Veloso is from Bensalem, PA
2:00 – 2:30 PM– Break & Networking
2:30 – 3:30 PM – Practical Use of Generative AI – Peggy & Dan Sniezek
Learn how to simplify your workload, including tasks such as planning, traveling, and decision making using Generative AI. Understand the methods new college students are using to leverage their future careers. Find out how you can keep in the game by updating your field and remaining competitive.
Peggy Sniezek
An early integrator of generative AI in her college courses, teaches students how to “coach” AI. Professor Sniezek weaves her experience in avionics IT (Ensco Avionics at IBM and Lockheed Martin) with her 17 plus years of teaching Computer Science at SUNY Broome into an understandable approach to the practical use of AI. Students learn to “critique” their database ERDs, data analysis designs, and UML designs for systems analysis. Peggy is an IEEE Senior member and chair of the local Binghamton IEEE Computer chapter and a member of ASQ. She holds a Master of Science in Advanced Technology degree from Binghamton University.
Dan Sniezek
The Architect of Progress
In circuits’ hum and systems’ might,
He builds the future, clear and bright.
An artist’s touch, an engineer’s care,
Complexity yields to wisdom rare.
With Deming’s tools and Gause’s creed,
He crafts solutions the world will need.
In quantum realms and AI streams,
He shapes the course of future dreams.
A leader, mentor, thinker profound,
In standards and progress, his impact is found.
Through decades past and years ahead,
His vision inspires where others tread.
The Sniezeks are from Owego, New York
4:30 PM – Closing & Thanks
Workshops
8:30 – 10:00 AM – Got data? Build KPIs that Drive Business Improvement - Henry Olaisen & Bob Napoletano
Does your organization view internal performance metrics as an opportunity to improve or just another checkmark? Does your data process include employee engagement? Do your managers understand your customers, suppliers, and the key processes that drive strategy? Do we collect too much data that is not used to improve? You observe a KPI below threshold and now you need to spend resources to fix whatever caused the problem, but does that KPI have value? This is a two-hour workshop that will guide you through the steps of selecting and implementing the right KPIs for your organization.
Dr. R. Henry Olaisen
An accomplished professional in applied statistics, data literacy, business management, field epidemiology, and education. Excellent experience in the full data lifecycle (strategic foresight, operationalization, data collection, data management, data wrangling incl. linkage, data analysis, data dissemination, and database integration). Industry experience includes program management, data management, data analytics, federal disease detective, research director, and federal data scientist. Additional experience in agile methodologies includes Point of Sale, Software as a Service, Customer Relationship Management, procurement, team science, and data management systems. Ph.D. in epidemiology & biostatistics and PMP certified – with a dissertation in quality composite measures. A new member of ASQ. – Dr. Olaisen is from Washington, D.C.
Bob Napoletano
ASQ Member since 1981. Senior member, Binghamton Section Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and now Syracuse Chair. An accomplished Professional in Quality Management, Quality Engineering, business management and education. Experienced in electronics assembly, metal fabrication, plastics injection molding & manufacture of gasket & flooring materials. Additional experience in consulting and education / training. Industry experience includes OEMs in computers, office equipment, flight simulation, electronic timers and controls, railroad brake systems, 4G equipment telecommunications and radar equipment.
Mr. Napoletano is from Cicero, New York
1:00 – 2:30 PM – It Just Doesn’t Snow Around Here Like It Used To! – Terry Callanan
We make decisions all the time. Some as casual as deciding whether to agree or disagree that it doesn’t snow in Syracuse like it used to! Others of more significance. We strive to make decisions and draw conclusions that will benefit our customers and employees. But, in the absence of what is called “statistical thinking,” we can end up making decisions that hurt rather than help. Whether you are a senior leader, mid-manager or individual contributor, this workshop is for you. Come learn how to make smart decisions that will reward you with improved performance and go home with a tool (control charts) to help you separate fact from fiction! (Please bring your LAPTOP to download and practice using a simple control chart tool. No prior statistical training is required for this workshop.)
Terry Callanan, PhD, CCXP
Terry gained 35 years of experience driving process improvements while at Eastman Kodak and Carestream Health. He served as Kodak’s Director of Quality for Global Equipment Manufacturing, and Carestream’s Chief Quality Officer and then its Chief Culture Officer.
Today, Terry is the founder and owner of WalkOn Consulting, a training and consulting firm partnering with organizations to improve process efficiency, develop leaders, empower employees, and create cultures of continuous improvement.
Terry has a Ph.D. in Statistics from Iowa State University and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Kodak. He has served as a reviewer for the New York State Baldrige program and has presented and published numerous papers through the American Statistical Association, ASQ, and other quality organizations.
Dr. Callanan is from Fairport, New York.
During Breaks & Networking
Manny Veloso will do an exercise you can participate in on The Magic Ball Ice Breaker Turns Groups into Teams. You can preview this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28s1v_k4Ik [youtube.com]