AFL Executive Elected Chair of Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation Board

04/11/2021

Spartanburg, SC – AFL, an industry-leading international manufacturer of fiber optic cable, connectivity and equipment, announces that Mary Ellen Grom, executive director of customer experience solutions for AFL, has been elected Chair of the Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation (WiMEF) Board of Directors. WiMEF is committed to developing and supporting powerful programs and resources which further the advancement for women in the manufacturing workforce.
“What a privilege this is to serve such an incredibly diverse team of leaders driving growth for the Education Foundation,” said Mary Ellen. The future’s so bright and I step forward alongside the WiM team and this board of directors to discover all that is next for women in this dynamic industry—on both the professional talent side and the production/plant workforce development side.”

Mary Ellen joined AFL in 2017 as the Executive Director of Marketing Communications, leading AFL’s external and internal strategic marketing efforts. In 2020, she was promoted to Executive Director of Customer Experience Solutions and leads the company’s marketing, customer service and inside sales teams. With 25 years of experience in the IT channel distribution industry, she previously served as Vice President of US Marketing with SYNNEX Corporation. Mary Ellen was instrumental in launching AFL’s newest employee resource group, Women Everywhere Connect (WeConnect), which celebrates women who pursue careers in manufacturing. She joined the WiMEF board in April 2020.
 
“We are thrilled to have Mary Ellen serve as chair of WiMEF in 2021,” said WiM President Allison Grealis. “Mary Ellen is a passionate advocate for furthering the advancement of women who have chosen careers in the manufacturing industry. Her efforts to launch AFL’s WeConnect align with WiM’s mission of supporting, promoting and inspiring women in the industry. I look forward to working with Mary Ellen and the WiMEF board to provide effective and affordable educational opportunities to help women further their careers in manufacturing.”
 
WiMEF funds the Leadership Institute for Women in Manufacturing and STEM, the Leadership Consortium, the Management Development Program, and the Empowering Women in Production Program. In addition, the foundation, with direct support from Arconic Foundation, has delivered more than 40 virtual learning sessions since its inception in 2016. These programs have helped more than 12,000 women and men in the industry grow professionally and personally.
 
To learn more about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
 
About WiM Education Foundation
The WiM Education Foundation (WiMEF) is the 501(c)(3) arm of Women in Manufacturing® Association, a more than 6,000-member-strong national association dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who have chosen a career in manufacturing. WiMEF provides and supports effective and affordable educational opportunities for women in manufacturing. For more information, visit www.wimef.org and www.womeninmanufacturing.org.
 
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
 

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and read our blog.