2002: Past Meetings

The following is a summary of previously held meetings in 2002 listed in reverse chronological order.


December 10, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Who’s in Control? – The Prospect or the Consultant?
		Speaker: Dr. Jeff Callahan, President Sales Strategies & Solutions, Inc. Is This What Your Consulting Practice is All About? One-Sided – While you attempt to foster a long term relationship, your prospect withholds information and often misrepresents his requirements Unfair – You advise, educate, design and/or inform … you work harder than ever to satisfy your customer, who does nothing in return Frustrating – You present and try to close the sale, while the prospect does everything to stall, put you off, or just plain hide You Will Learn… Why consultants make fabulous presentations to the wrong people at the wrong time. How prospects take control of the sales process and use that to keep you struggling and off balance How not to settle for “think it overs” How to write fewer proposals and generate more business Sales Strategies & Solutions, Inc is an Affiliate of The Sandler Sales Institute. The Sandler Sales Institute excels in providing sales and customer service seminars, presentation skills training & sales skills training for companies who wish to increase sales and customer satisfaction. The Sandler Sales Institute offers a variety of Seminars that will generate you more new business, more quickly and less expensively.


October 22, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: “The State of the Association: The Future, Considering the Past”
		*Speaker: William E. Swartz, President, ACC&CE* During the past few years, considerable attention has been given to the immediate needs and opportunities of the Association. Many things have been evaluated and some have been put into use. It is now time to look back and discuss the success and / or failure of these initiatives. More important, we need to consider how they have helped prepare a good foundation for future growth. There are still many things that need to be done. New ideas must be developed to meet the needs of today, most of which are not the problems and needs of the past. More important, the future can be bright for ACC&CE if the members get involved and engaged enough to make things happen. As with most groups, all members can obtain benefits, but what you actually get from your membership will be directly proportional to your involvement in the programs and activities of the organization. Most of us have enjoyed many benefits from our membership, but there are more things to be achieved if we can make it an even better organization. Some suggestions will be presented to show how ACC&CE can move forward to a period of strong growth and greater opportunities.


September 24, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Chocolate and Why We Love It
		Speaker: Michael M. Blumenthal, PhD Libra Technologies, Inc. The sensuosity and luxury of a good bite of chocolate can be intoxicating and stimulating for adults; and the odor, taste and mouthfeel can pacify children. This native American food/beverage actually transformed European society and set up traditions that carried over into the British, French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies in North and South America, and indeed around the world. The methods of production, economics, and forms of chocolate are intriguing. Studies of the effects that chocolate has on our everyday lives gives us a lot of new information, while leaving intact myths and attributes that are our folkloric wisdom… everyone loves chocolate! Dr. Michael M. Blumenthal is an award-winning consulting chemist and food scientist. He has a humorous, light touch while speaking about and illustrating topics he is passionate about. Mike grew up in the Bronx and Long Island, and settled in New Jersey after grad school at Rutgers University. As he puts it, “I’m a fat chemist who loves his work.” Members and non-members are invited to bring a guest/spouse to join us for this special presentation.


June 25, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Smart Marketing for the Savvy Consultant
		Speaker: Gloria Reisman Reisman Consulting Group, Inc. It’s not enough to have great technical skills to be a successful consultant. Learn about the myths and realities of marketing your expertise to reach more clients, maximize your time, and achieve your business goals. Find out how “rethinking” marketing, understanding your goals, and developing your “soft skills” can add value to your career. Gloria is principal of Reisman Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting services placement company to Fortune 1000 companies. Areas of focus are technical and marketing communications, training development, and sustainable business strategies. Reisman also lectures and coaches independent consultants on marketing techniques.


May 28, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Financial Planning
		Speakers: Julia Barinova and Caroline Donatelli Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. Two financial consultants from Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., Ms. Julia Barinova and Ms. Caroline Donatelli, will be presenting a Financial Planning and Asset Management Workshop that will include: – Create a strategy – Manage the process – Execute wisely – Immediate issues you will have to address. Having a financial and investment discipline is so important to successful wealth management. Ms. Julia Barinova received her MBA from Western Illinois University in 1997 and she received her BA in Economics from Saratov, Russia, in 1996. Ms. Caroline Donatelli received her BA from Monmouth University in 1983.


April 23, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Marketing Your Consulting Practice
		Speaker: Jim Shulman Marketing Results We’re all experts in our fields, we take great care of our customers business, yet as consultants we often forget the most important customer of all: Ourselves! It’s very easy to become so involved in specific projects that we forget the larger picture: the need to create an ongoing (and often, renewing) supply of customers who need our services. This presentation will cover some of the more effective methods of creating on-target marketing programs. In particular, we will discuss the importance of short and long-term planning, the value of publicity through trade publications and trade shows, and creative new uses of e-marketing. Marketing doesn’t have to be extremely expensive-or traumatic-to be highly effective. A few simple steps along the way will help you create steady work and income flows. Jim Shulman has designed targeted marketing programs for nearly two decades, in fields as diverse as specialty adhesives, pharmaceuticals, collectible toys and models, technical tools, and classical music compact disks. Since 1996 he has run his own organization, Marketing Results, which creates highly specialized marketing programs for businesses and individual entrepreneurs. He is a prolific author on marketing topics, in publications as diverse as Target Marketing, SBN magazine, Adhesives and Sealtants Industry, Chemical Week, Internet Marketing, and many others. He has been a featured speaker at numerous symposia, including national conferences of magazine publishers (Folio) , direct marketers (DMA), and at countless local business organization functions. He is currently on the boards of directors of the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association and the Reading Symphony Orchestra.


March 26, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: The Trigger Factor
		Speaker: William J. Altier, CMC, FIMC Princeton Associates Inc., Management ConsultantsCreativity is hot these days. Everyone is looking for the magic elixir that will enable them to be more creative. And yet every day everyone is exposed to many opportunities to come up with creative ideas. The only problem is that most of these opportunities pass by unrecognized. In “The Trigger Factor,” Bill Altier offers examples of situations where people failed to recognize opportunities to improve things, opportunities to come up with creative new ideas. He then examines why this happens and develops the concept of the trigger factor. He show the need to examine events for their dissatisfaction elements, and the need to make better and more frequent use of the word “Why?” William J. Altier, CMC, FIMC is President of Princeton Associates, Inc., management consultants specializing in participative-process consulting. The company works with major organizations in North America, Europe and Asia. Prior to organizing Princeton Associates in 1976, he spent eleven years with the international consulting firm of Kepner-Tregor, Inc. Before entering consulting, he held a variety of positions in the electronics field in which he holds patents. He earned a B.A. at Lafayette College, majoring in chemistry, and an M.B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.


February 26, 2002 Tuesday		Topic: Radiation Processing of Polymer Materials
		Speaker: Mr. Song Cheng Applications Development Manager, IBA Advanced Materials Division In this presentation, radiation processing and radiation chemistry of polymer materials will be discussed. General concepts and basic chemistries will be introduced. The effects of radiation (mainly electron beam radiation) on polymer materials will be illustrated and examples of various applications of radiation processing will be provided. Advantages for radiation processing and main processing issues will be discussed. IBA’s capability in radiation processing of advanced materials will also be introduced. Background: Song Cheng joined the Advanced Materials Division of IBA in April 2001 and has since served as Applications Development Manager. IBA (Ion Beam Applications) is an established world leader in the use of particle accelerator technology, advanced physics and chemistry for industrial and medical markets. IBA has many facilities all over the world. Application Development is a new department and a cornerstone IBA’s Advanced Materials Division (AMD). Song takes lead in applications and development of radiation processing and radiation chemistry. He works directly with customers to develop the correct process to enable them to obtain results they are after. He assists the Account Managers on technical aspects of customer radiation processing service and radiation equipment sales. He will also be at the forefront of developing new applications that IBA AMD can offer to the market. Song has an M.S. degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alabama and a B.S. degree in Polymer Chemistry from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. Song has 7 years of experience in radiation processing of polymer materials and a total of over 14 years’ of experience in industrial polymer materials R & D. As a Research Engineer with the Chen-Guang Research Institute for Chemical Industry in Chengdu, China, Song specialized in gamma-ray and electron beam radiation processing studies of various polymeric materials, including composite conductive polymers, hydrophilic polymer membranes, and sensitizers for radiation vulcanization of natural rubber latex. Song’s most recent position before IBA was with Moltech Corporation in Tucson, AZ, where he was a Scientist and Team Leader for Advanced Technology and developed various coatings for novel lithium battery components.


January 17, 2002 THURSDAY		Topic: Best Practices in Process Safety Management/Risk Management Programs
		Speaker: Michael J. Hazzan, P.E. Chemetica/AcuTech Consulting Group, San Francisco, CA Joint meeting with NJ GROUP OF SMALL CHEMICAL BUSINESSES Process Safety Management programs have been in existence for nearly 10 years; Risk Management Programs for nearly 3 years. We have just passed the anniversary of the third audit cycle for required PSM audits and the first such anniversary for RMP prevention programs. Because of these audits, some insights have emerged regarding what works in PSM and what doesn’t work. The most improved PSM element over the past 3 audit cycles is operating procedures. There are a number of reasons for this, including the electronic management of SOPs (as well as many other plant documents) and ISO-9000 registration. These represent elements of best practice for SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures]. The least improved PSM element over the past 3 audit cycles is mechanical integrity. There are many common findings from our auditing of mechanical integrity [MI] programs, including overdue inspection and testing, undocumented inspection and testing programs, undocumented maintenance training and qualification programs, and poor management of MI deficiencies. Despite these problems, there are some “bright spots” in MI, including the use of state training qualification programs for maintenance technicians, and the adoption of formal project management processes. Background: Mr. Hazzan has over twenty-seven total years experience in process safety and risk analysis, engineering, and plant operations. He has served as a Project Manager/Lead Engineer for a number of process safety related compliance audits, Process Hazard Assessments (including HAZOP studies, What-If studies, and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), release (source term) calculations for severe reactor accidents, facility siting studies, and dispersion/consequence calculations, mechanical integrity management systems, probabilistic risk analyses, and fault tree analysis. Mr. Hazzan has authored and repeatedly taught a seven course training in process safety and risk analysis for the chemical/process and power industries. Michael has been an invited speaker on these subjects for the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Edison Electric Institute, the Air & Waste Management Association, the Texas Chemical Council, The Kentucky Safety and Health Network, and the Safety Executives of New York, as well as for conferences sponsored by several major corporations. He has published 18 technical papers in the areas of process safety and risk and has served as an expert witness on process safety during the permit hearing process for a new chemical recycling facility.