The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the U.S. Department of Commerce, has recently granted approximately $400,000 to each of its MEP National Network™ (MEPNN) Centers across the United States and Puerto Rico. CIRAS, Iowa’s MEP center, was awarded the funding to help build … Continue reading Investing in Iowa’s Supply Chain Resilience: CIRAS Receives Funding to Expand Supply Chain Services
Month: July 2023
Q&A with Strategic Advisor, Derek Thompson
Q: Tell me about your job and how it contributes to the overall goals of CIRAS to help companies prosper. A: As a member of the Strategic Advisor team, we are the sales force of CIRAS. We are calling on and developing relationships with the leaders at our Iowa manufacturing companies so that we can … Continue reading Q&A with Strategic Advisor, Derek Thompson
CIRAS Attends Conference Focused on Workforce Solutions
The spark ignited at a recent workforce conference still burns for four CIRAS employees who attended the event. “We’re excited to take some of the information and best practices presented there and fit them into our program,” said Mary McGraw, project manager. McGraw, Brenda Martin, workforce program director, Pam Lane, project manager, and Mayra Ramirez, … Continue reading CIRAS Attends Conference Focused on Workforce Solutions
Reflecting on the ILC Kentucky Lean Tour
Members of the Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC) waited four years for the ILC Kentucky Lean Tour but by all accounts, the trip was worth the wait. “I’ve read the books and studied the practices but the presentations and tours gave me insights on how to apply lean principles that I couldn’t have gotten any other … Continue reading Reflecting on the ILC Kentucky Lean Tour
CIRAS Staff News: Meet Mica Paul
Mica Paul has joined CIRAS as a full-time event manager. Mica holds a bachelor’s degree in Event Management from Iowa State University and a Master’s in Strategic Communication from the University of Iowa. Prior to joining CIRAS, Mica served as the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of ISU Extension and Outreach and the Vice … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Mica Paul
CIRAS Staff News: Meet Hory Chikez
Hory Chikez has joined CIRAS as a Supply Chain Project Manager. Hory will act as the CIRAS lead for national supplier scouting and optimization services in this role. Hory will build and maintain a supply chain optimization and intelligence network, lead the execution of projects to map and understand supply chains and lead the execution of … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Hory Chikez
DYK: Cybersecurity Contract Clauses Explained
We are often asked to help a company understand what their contract compliance requirements are regarding cybersecurity in federal contracting. One way to understand those requirements is to look at your contract or solicitation and identify what cyber clauses are included. Below is a quick guide to identifying those clauses and understanding what obligations they … Continue reading DYK: Cybersecurity Contract Clauses Explained