PMI25 Manufacturing Success Promises Inspiration, Innovation and Industry Insight

“PMI25 participants can look forward to four days of compelling presentations, valuable networking, and fun camaraderie,” said PMI CEO/Executive Director Kerry Stackpole. “Our program is designed not only to keep members informed but to inspire them toward higher aspirations.”

Compelling Speakers

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Brett Culp will be the keynote speaker at the Nov. 3-6 meeting to be held at the Fairmont Hotel – Millennium Park, Chicago. The founder of the not-for-profit Rising Heroes Project, Culp will present “Superhero Leadership in Uncertain Times and Instant Storytelling.” Culp will share powerful stories about ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things.

Stephanie Klein, Founder of Mindfire Mastery, will facilitate the PMI Inspiring Leaders Program on the conference’s first day. Participants in this all-day program will learn how Klein applied her experience dealing with stress in the fast-paced corporate world to pursue a more meaningful second act. She will discuss how to build mental resilience by shifting from burnout to balance.

During the Women of PMI Breakfast on Nov. 5, Shelley Paxton will share how she walked away from her job as chief marketing officer of Harley-Davidson and into her “soulbbatical.” Her mission is to empower leaders, entrepreneurs and organizations to feel more alive, aligned and energized for greater impact in the world.

Industry Leaders

Providing a glimpse into plumbing manufacturing’s future will be a group of the industry’s top executives—Erin Beyer, Senior Vice President, Product, Delta Faucet Company; Bob Downie, President and CEO, Duravit America; Carmen Fiordirosa, President, Globe Union North America Group and Gerber Plumbing Fixtures; and Shawn Oldenhoff, Senior Vice President, Category Management, Kitchen and Bath Americas, Kohler Co. Paxton will moderate this discussion.

The Future of Manufacturing

PMI25 will provide just-in-time updates on industry issues designed to make attendees the go-to people for the latest information in their organizations:

• Present and Future Implications of AI in Advanced Manufacturing with Thomas Kurfess, Regents’ Professor and Chief Manufacturing Officer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Chief Technology Officer, National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
  
  
• Navigating the Future of Water in Manufacturing, fireside chat with Joel Brammeier, President and CEO, Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Alaina Harkness, Chief Executive Officer, Current
  
  
• PFAS – State of Practice for Management and Treatment with Joseph Quinnan, Senior Vice President and Director of Emerging Contaminants, Arcadis
  
  
• Measuring Pressure Loss in Modern Plumbing Fittings with Natascha Milesi Ferretti, National Institute of Standards and Technology
  
  
• PMI Market Outlook LIVE: Gearing Up for 2026 with Lauren Saidel-Baker, ITR Economics

Issues requiring engagement with governmental entities also will take center stage:

• Advocacy/Government Affairs Update from PMI representatives Jerry Desmond and Stephanie Salmon
  
  
• Tariff Trends and Trade Tactics with Brooks E. Allen, Partner, International Trade, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  
  
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Presentations and Discussion with Rob Keith, AMERIPEN; Karl Heisler, King and Spalding; and Lowell Huffman, rePurpose Global. Moderated by Matthew Windrum, PMI
  
  
• Strategic Benefits of Build America Buy America Certification with Jason Hodell, Cherry Bekaert Advisory

Other PMI25 presentations will include:

• Deep Tunnels, Backwards Rivers and Electrofishing: Chicago’s Water Infrastructure with Justin Brown, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in Greater Chicago
  
  
• Building Water Systems: The Link to Wholistic Water Resilience with Lisa Ragain, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
  
  
• Counterfeit and Contraband Products Update with Pam Taylor, Jones Day
  
  
• I Am Woman, Watch Me Build! with Jenn Kovacs, MiTek and the She Built Foundation
  
  
• FCC Equipment Authorization: What Manufacturers Need to Know with Jennifer Wainwright, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Steps from Millennium and Grant Parks, world-renowned shopping on Michigan Avenue, and the breathtaking Riverwalk, Fairmont Chicago's premier hotel location is ready to turn moments into memories. PMI25 attendees will be able to discover Latin cuisine without borders at Toro, experience unmatched relaxation in the Leaf Spa, and explore all this top-rated city has to offer.

For more information or to register, visit www.safeplumbing.org/events/calendar#id=10569&cid=1564&wid=701&type=Cal.