ASME Announces Staff Appointments

New York, NY (March 10, 2016) – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has expanded its Executive Management Team, adding three distinguished professionals to its ranks while also announcing a series of internal promotions to the level of associate executive director.

The new management structure will position the Society to execute a recently approved Board strategy which calls for ASME to become a leader in advancing engineering technology for the betterment of humankind.

The new hires include Elena Gerstmann, Ph.D., FASAE, who is now serving as the Society’s deputy, Executive Operation, a new position within the organization. Gerstmann worked previously at IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), where she led a staff of 60 and oversaw corporate activities. At ASME, she is responsible for implementing programs and communications that help improve the Board of Governors’ effectiveness and overall Society growth. She recently completed a 3-year term on the ASAE Board of Directors.

Jeff Patterson joined ASME as associate executive director in charge of Marketing. Patterson has assumed responsibility for market assessment, brand identity and awareness, and marketing communications and sales. An accomplished leader in business-to-business publishing and digital marketing, Jeff most recently served as a group president at ALM Media.

Luis Rodriguez is the new associate executive director, Technology Services at ASME. Rodriguez will now provide strategic leadership and operational acumen to ensure the best utilization of the technology resources at ASME. Rodriguez has held positions at Westwood One and Viacom; as a senior technology leader in those organizations, Rodriguez provided strategic direction and managed media sales and content distribution systems to support up to $1 billion in sales.

Additionally, several ASME veterans have been promoted to associate executive director, including William Garofalo (associate executive director, Finance and Administration); Noha El-Ghobashy (associate executive director, Programs and Philanthropy); Michael Ireland (associate executive director, Engineering); Michael Merker (associate executive director, Standards and Certification); and Laurel Raso (associate executive director, Human Resources and Facility Operations). All, including John Delli Venneri, the Society’s General Counsel, will serve on the Executive Management Team, alongside Elena Gerstmann, Jeff Patterson and Luis Rodriguez, under the leadership of executive director Thomas G. Loughlin.

“The leadership of ASME is delighted to welcome Elena, Jeff and Luis,” said Thomas G. Loughlin, the Society’s executive director. “They each provide an ideal complement to the other members of ASME’s Executive Management Team, providing us with unprecedented expertise and vision to place ASME on a steady trajectory toward ever-increasing impact and relevance in the global engineering landscape.”

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.

Media Contact:
Deborah Wetzel
Manager, Media Relations
wetzeld@asme.org
212.591.7085