Timeless Innovation Since 1925
Charles F. Kettering
The National Management Association (NMA) was founded by Charles F. Kettering in 1925. Kettering was a prolific inventor, businessman, and holder of 186 patents. He is most famously known for developing the electric starter for automobiles. Kettering pioneered numerous auto-industry innovations including leaded gasoline and the style of auto paint still used today. He also discovered the coolant Freon which ushered in refrigeration and air conditioning.
Kettering was the founder of the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) which became a subsidiary of General Motors. He realized early on that his supervisors, known as Foremen in those days, needed training to develop the necessary skills to effectively lead others. Thus, the Foreman’s Club was born.
As the Foreman’s Club gained national recognition, with members from different management and supervisory levels, the name was changed to The National Management Association to better reflect the organization’s role in crafting innovative leaders across industries.
Mission
NMA offers leadership development products and creates opportunities that maximize the potential of our members, sponsoring organizations, and communities.
Vision
NMA is the recognized worldwide partnership of people and businesses, inspiring outstanding leadership, and cultivating highly productive workplaces.
Continuing Education History
In 1974, NMA and the International Management Council created the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) located on the campus of James Madison University. Today, NMA and ICPM continue to work together to offer NMA members exclusive pricing a close relationship with NMA NMA members enjoying exclusive pricing on critical professional certifications like Certified Manager (CM) and Certified Supervisor (CS).
Learn more about our certification discounts and other continuing education resources below!
Committed to the next generation
The NMA Educational Foundation is committed to developing the next generation of leaders as the global economy changes ever rapidly. This comes in the form of continually evaluating and updating NMA’s existing professional development resources as well as looking for new materials, courses, platforms, and technology on which to deliver them.
For nearly 100 years NMA has been on the cutting edge of innovation and growth, both personal and professional. The NMA Educational Foundation will provide the funding for the next century of great leaders.
Awards
NMA annually recognizes its members with awards and recognition at its Annual Conference. National awards include the Member of the Year, the National Management Hall of Fame induction, and the Executive of the Year.
The Association occasionally awards the prestigious Wilbur M. McFeely Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals who have made profound contributions to leadership and management development while gaining national and international recognition for their work.
Since 1988, The Association has sponsored a speech contest for high school students awarding over $500,000 in scholarship funds.
Staff
Darrell Wacker
Director of Operations
Abbie Funke
Director of Marketing & Membership
2025 Executive Committee
Jeff Eberts
2026 National Vice Chair
Individual Member, Cape Canaveral, FL
Jeff is an Engineering Senior Manager on the Orion Program with over 43 years of experience in manned space flight operations. An ardent advocate of the National Management Association, he has been a member for nearly 35 years and has served as a Chapter President for two different Lockheed Martin chapters. Blessed to have been member of management for most of his career, his heart has always been for the development of his employees and NMA has provided the support and resources to aid in his mission. Jeff recently joined the board as the 2025 National Treasurer, holds a BS Degree in Civil Engineering and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, specializing in continuous improvement implementation strategies.
Miran Tyrrell, P.E., CM
2026 Chairwoman of the Board
Individual Member, Aiken, SC
Miran is a licensed Environmental Professional Engineer with over 35 years of experience in the consulting and nuclear fields. She was an NMA member in the 1990s before leaving fulltime employment to raise her children. She earned the Certified Manager designation in 1994.
Having enjoyed several Annual Conferences, she decided to step up and currently serves as the 2026 National Chairman of the Board and is a member of the Individual Members Leadership Association (IMLA) chapter. She holds a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.
Heidi Saucier, DET, MTD
2026 National Treasurer
Blue Cross Blue Shield Leadership Development Association, Detroit, MI
Heidi is a learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience. She currently leads the Provider Training team at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Heidi has been an NMA member since she started with Blue Cross in 2011, serving in several leadership roles that prepared her to join the NMA board in 2023 where she currently serves as the 2026 National Treasurer. Learning and development, coaching and mentoring, and helping people become successful are a strong passion of Heidi’s. She holds a Bachelor of Religious Education from Rochester Christian University, a Master of Training and Development from Oakland University, and a Doctor of Educational Technology from Central Michigan University. She is also a recently published author in the ISAR Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Studies with her article focusing on organizational, leader, and peer support for remote and hybrid workers.
Bhriannon Hernandez
2026 National Secretary
Lockheed Martin Leadership Association, Fort Worth, TX
Bhri brings a decade of experience in the aerospace and defense sector. She presently serves as the Project Engineering Lead for the F‑35 Depot and Intermediate Level Sustainment program. In addition, Bhri is the National Director of the Lockheed Martin Leadership Association (LMLA) Fort Worth chapter and sits on the Executive Committee as National Secretary. She earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Amanda Lamson
2026 Immediate Past Chair
Individual Member Leadership Association, Hartselle, AL
Amanda has been a professional in the aviation and aerospace industry for 20 years. She is currently part of Boeing’s Program Integration for the Space Launch System in Huntsville, AL. She has been an active member of NMA since 2016 and a member of the board since 2018. Currently she serves as the NMA Immediate Past Chair. She holds an Associates in Computer-Aided Drafting, a BS in Business Quality Management, and a Master’s in Business Administration. She is also a certified Project Management Professional.
