60th Anniversary Celebrations

January Events


Join Us In Celebrating 60 Years of Quality!

Ronald D. Atkinson

Chairman of the Board

            January 15, 2008               

                        Key Speaker: Ron Atkinson, Chairman, ASQ

                        The Future of Quality   ( ASQ’s Futures Study – The Forces of Change)

Every three years, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) conducts a futures study to brainstorm and envision what the society might look like in 10 to 15 years. In 2005, 62 participants from 14 countries evaluated several dozen social, political, economic and technical forces that could shape the future of quality. Six key forces were identified, scenarios surrounding these forces were discussed and the implications that resulted were made applicable to the quality community. In detailing the futures study’s findings, this presentation will enable more relevant strategic plans to be crafted and give quality professionals the ability to boost their skills in anticipation of the future. 

Ron Atkinson uses quality every day in his role as Quality Systems Manager for General Motors and says the tools and processes are integral to his personal life as well. He has been an ASQ member for more than 20 years, many of them as a member leader representing ASQ’s Divisions in director and chairman positions.

• Atkinson has been on the ASQ board of directors for seven years. He has also served in many local and national positions in the Society. He holds ASQ certifications as a Six Sigma Black Belt, quality engineer, auditor, manager, and quality improvement associate. He is also on the Board of the China Association for Quality.
  
  
• For more than 30 years, Atkinson has worked for General Motors, with the majority of that time in quality-related activities.
  
  
• Atkinson spent six years on the Michigan Quality Council (Baldrige based) examining board. He has taught classes on many quality-related subjects at several educational institutions in the United States and has also been on the curriculum advisory board for three U.S. colleges. 
  
  
• He holds a master of science degree in industrial engineering from Wayne State University, an MBA from Louisiana State University, and a bachelor of applied science in mechanical engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

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