Jay Timmons is president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and chairman of the board of the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education partner. The NAM is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector, and Jay is a leading advocate for the 13 million men and women who make things in America. Since Jay took the helm, the NAM has more than doubled in size, dramatically expanded its issue advocacy and enhanced the organization’s influence and mobilization efforts outside of Washington, D.C. He led the NAM to create the NAM Legal Center, acquire the Manufacturing Leadership Council and combine with the Innovation Research Interchange. With manufacturers facing an urgent need for talented and skilled workers, Jay is also a champion for connecting more Americans with rewarding careers in modern manufacturing and for closing the opportunity gap. In recent years, the MI has dramatically expanded its reach and impact, and together the NAM and MI launched an unprecedented, multimillion-dollar workforce development campaign, Creators Wanted, along with a first-of-its-kind online manufacturing career center, which houses manufacturing job and educational opportunities from across the entire country. The NAM has become the one-stop shop for manufacturers in advocacy, legal action, workforce development, operational excellence and news and insights.