June 16, 2025 • 34 mins
Jay Timmons is president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and one of the longest-serving trade association leaders in America. Under his leadership, the NAM has doubled in size and helped manufacturers achieve sweeping wins on tax reform, infrastructure, regulatory certainty—and in reshaping the perception of manufacturing and manufacturing careers. Jay is a respected voice across the political spectrum, trusted by CEOs and policymakers alike to anticipate challenges and deliver results. He also chairs the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate for building the modern manufacturing workforce.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You should know powerd by iHeartMedia.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Let's meet Jay Timmins.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
He is the President and CEO for the National Association
of Manufacturers, the largest manufacturing association in the United States,
representing a wide range of manufacturers in every industry and state.
Its primary functions include advocating for manufacturers and policy matters,
providing resources and services to members, and promoting.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
The industry's interests.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Before we talk more about the NAM, what it is
and what they do, I first asked Jaya talk a
little bit about.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Himself, where he's from and his origin story.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I was born in a small milltown in southern Ohio, Chillicopy, Ohio,
and I grew up there for about ten years. It's
where my grandfather worked in the paper mill. He stood
in line for six months during the Great Depression trying
to get a job in manufacturing because he knew that
would be a way forward for his family. I was
(00:57):
the only child and the only grandchild. I spent a
lot of time with my grandparents. My dad was He
was a division manager at Sears, but then he opened
his own appliance store, Timmins Appliance and TV and my
mom is an amazing leadership story all on her own.
She ascended the ladder at the Chillicotha Gazette. It was
(01:19):
our local newspaper, a Gannet newspaper, and she started out
as a secretary and she was told when she became
pregnant with me back in those days, well she'd have
to leave because you couldn't be pregnant work if you
were a woman. That wouldn't be acceptable. And she was
going to go along with the plan until they said, hey,
we've had a person leave and we need you to stay.
(01:41):
Would you stay? And she said, sure, I'd be happy to. Well,
they cleaned out of closet and they made her stay
in that closet for the entire time she was pregnant
and she had me, and then she came back to work.
She worked away up the ladder and she became the
president and CEO of that organization in nineteen seventy nine,
and the entire town was blown away that there was
this one woman who had ascended the ranks to become
(02:03):
the leader of the organization. And her story inspired me
every single day to just keep working for you know
what's really important. We moved when I was tend to
a farm near Circleville, Ohio, which, of course, as everybody
who's listening knows, is the home of the Pumpkins Show,
the greatest free show on Earth. That was always fun
(02:28):
for me and the band to be able to march
in the parades there. But I raised cattle throughout my
high school years and cut the grass and worked at
a fast food restaurant and a grocery store, and then
I went to Ohio State. Ohigh State didn't work out
so well for me. Loved the school, love everything about
the buck Eyes, but I wasn't exactly the most studious
(02:49):
person in the world. I wanted to get involved in politics,
and this was the advent of the Reagan years, and
man did I want to do everything I could to
to help Ronald Reagan succeed. So I started. I went
out and I started college Republican clubs all over the state.
Became the state chair of the College Republicans, and at
(03:10):
the same time thought, hey, I'm nineteen years old. I
think I had a run for office. So I ran
for state representative and won the primary, but did not
win the general election spectacularly, so and decided then I
just don't think I want to stay in college. So
I moved to Washington, DC and tried to get a
(03:31):
job and the Reagan Revolution didn't succeed there, but ended
up going to Capitol Hill. So those were the early
days that got me here to Washington.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well, we're going to talk a lot about that in
your diverse resume, AJ and all the incredible things that
you're doing now in the last almost twenty years of
the National Association of Manufacturers. But it never ceases to
amaze me, even though it's not exclusive that when we
grew up, our parents can be incredible role models, and
without any context, but the story that you're telling, it
sounds like they were wonderful role models for you, fature
(04:00):
that you dived into in your career.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Absolutely amazing role models parents and grandparents. My grandmother was
a stay at home mother grandmother, and I spent a
lot of time with her, watching my grandfather every single
day work hard. He had such a work ethic. I
used to go over there on the weekends and he'd
come home from overnight trick work, and I would sit
(04:26):
at the at the threshold at his bedroom door because
I wasn't allowed in because he was trying to sleep.
I just watch him snore. I don't know why that
was so fascinating to me, but I can still see
it today, and every once in a while, because I
was a pretty rambuxious kid, I'd make noise and he'd
wake up, and he always yell out to my grandmother,
come get the boy. I can remember that like it
(04:47):
was yesterday. My dad, you know, he there wasn't there
wasn't you know, a job he wouldn't do. He was
always always working, always trying to succeed. And then to
watch my mother was was fairly amazing. In fact, my
mother who's eighty nine now, at age seventy one, after
she retired, she decided, you know, I'm kind of bored.
I'm going to pick up a paintbrush and start painting.
(05:08):
And she paints the most amazing things. She's at art shows.
She sells all kinds of stuff. At eighty nine. I mean,
I hope I can't draw all straight line, but I'm
inspired that maybe there's something afterwards for me too.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And beside all the hard work that you learn and
that you've done over your career, it seems like there's
a theme of advocation. Where did that come from about
being an advocate, because we obviously do that now, But
where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm not sure, but I know that from the time
I was probably ten years old, I got interested in
the news. And you know, when I was growing up,
there was some rough stuff happening. We had the hostage
crisis in Iran, we had a very bad economy. I
watched my parents' trouble as they tried to make ends meet.
(05:56):
I watched a lot of my friends and neighbors also struggle.
I watched a lot of people lose their jobs. I
watched farmers who went bankrupt, some of them actually ending
their own lives, and I just thought, you know, there's
got to be a better way, and what is that right?
How does that does? How does the world work, How
(06:17):
does the economy work? And so I really just tried
to figure out how public policy intersected people's lives. And
that's why I became invested in politics. For me, it
was not really about political party or power. It was
really about policy that enabled people to live their best lives.
And that's what I think, Frankly, I think that's what
(06:37):
makes America so incredible, is we have this thriving democracy
and this contest of ideas and end goal is to
improve things for folks who live here.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
So you've done so many many things, and as I
take a look at this diverse resume, You've been a
chief of staff, You've been an executive director, chairman of
the board, now president and CEO at National Association Manufactures.
Was there something that you wanted to attain? You know,
as I talked to so many leaders out there, sometimes
there's a plan, sometimes there's not, and sometimes we go
on a road and it takes us another way. But
(07:11):
was there a plan as you were doing all of this?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I would say that I was probably taking the road
less traveled by Robert Frost's pome. Right. I didn't really
know what I wanted to do. I just it sounds cliche,
but I always wanted to make a difference, right. I
always wanted to be able to to do something significant
that would help a large group of people, and certainly Americans,
just because I had that American spirit. So when I
(07:40):
came to Washington, I worked on the hill for a while,
I worked at the RNC, but I ended up with
a fellow by the name of George Allen, and he
and I crossed paths before, but we didn't really know
each other. And he started running for in a special
election for Congress. He needed a campaign manager, and it
just so happened. I was ending job and I needed
(08:00):
a job, and I literally interviewed over the phone with him,
and he said, Hey, why don't you come start next week?
So I did. We were together fourteen years. So I
was his chief of staff when he won that seat
in Congress. Then he moved to the Governor's office after
he was redistricted out of that seat. I was his
chief of staff there, the youngest chief of staff in
(08:22):
the country and the youngest in Virginia history, and a
guy who knew nothing about state government in Virginia. But
he had the confidence in me. And I'll never never
be able to thank him enough for this, But he
had the confidence in me that he knew I would
work really, really hard to learn everything I could and
do the best job I could to help the people
(08:44):
in Virginia. He went to the Senate. I was his
chief there, and then to your point about executive director
of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, it's the campaign committee.
He was chair of that while he was in the Senate,
and I ran that and I was pretty proud of
the fact that we ended up getting the largest Republican
majority since nineteen twenty seven, and that number of stays
(09:05):
is the record up to today. Having said that, during
that time, it was also a pretty difficult time because
that was at a juncture where the culture wars were
really ratcheting up. President Bush had endorsed the marriage Amendment
marriages between one man and one woman, and I was
(09:28):
outed for being gay. I had been with my then
partner for I guess probably thirteen fourteen years. We've been
together now for thirty four years and we're married. He's
my husband now. But that was a pretty difficult time.
Back then, you really couldn't be you couldn't be a
part of the Republican Party and be identified as gay.
(09:52):
Some would say today that's also a problem, but certainly
back then it was. And so I decided to do
something else because I didn't want to hurt George Allen politically.
That was I think a very difficult thing for both
him and for me. He was very supportive of me
the whole time. He didn't know either till I was out,
(10:13):
and I ended up making my way to the National
Association of Manufacturers, and I was able to reconnect with
my roots in Chilicothe, Ohio and kind of what had
fed my soul growing up was manufacturing. So I ran
the Policy and Government Relations division for six years and
was named CEO in twenty eleven.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Well, it's a great story, and I'm glad that this
is a great segue because you've been there for a
couple of decades now and with your diverse resume that
you've just briefly touched on, which is absolutely incredible. Jay,
I can see why NAM was interested in you, but
why were you interested in joining them?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
So manufacturing is not a partisan issue, and the success
of America I don't believe is a partisan issue. I
know that want to make it that, but manufacturing is
really infused into the fabric of all we are as
an American, As Americans. I mean, think back to Alexander
Hamilton when he created a manufacturing strategy, and all of
(11:14):
the inventions and products that we've produced here in the
United States, the fact that we were the arsenal of
democracy in I would argue both World Wars, but certainly
World War Two, that manufacturing helped us to build the
infrastructure system that made us the strongest, most connected economy
in the world in the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties.
(11:36):
The advancements in health and nutrition that were made possible
by manufacturing, all of that has made us so strong,
so vibrant as a nation. And our at the nam
Our Mission statement really focuses on the four values that
(11:56):
make our industry strong and make America except and those
are free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, liberty, and equal opportunity.
And each one of those things kind of covers every
facet of our lives. And oftentimes you see political parties
focusing on two, maybe three of those, but rarely all four.
(12:19):
And we want our elected leaders to really focus on
advancing all four of those pillars. And when we do that,
and when it's all about policy, not politics, process or personality,
that's when America really wins.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Love that.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So let's do this with a national Association of manufacturers
in a thirty thousand foot view. If you were to
tell everybody what you do, what would you tell them?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You know, we advocate, We advocate for the success of
the more than thirteen million people, the men and women
who make things in America and for a better future
for all of the citizens of this country. And we
do that through work on Capitol Hill, through the legal system,
(13:06):
through advocacy with the agencies and the White House, as
well as issue advocacy campaigns that inform more people around
the country about what manufacturers do and what they're responsible for. Oftentimes,
manufacturing is just kind of taken for granted. Well, you
want to go get a car, Ok, you go to
the car dealer and you cut the best deal you can. Well,
(13:29):
somebody had to make that car. And by the way,
it's not just a machine, it's people. People had to
design it. They had to they had to construct it
and build it and then ship it out to the
locations where they'd be sold. Think about the same thing
with a washing machine or a plastic bottle, or you
can think about literally anything you touch is manufactured or
(13:51):
mined or farmed. But the largest part of the economy
is really in the manufacturing sector.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
So, Jay, you've got a hundred of thousands, of nine
millions of basically constituents, all these members that are part
of the association. With that said, there's got to be
so many different ideas in things, how people can improve
and things that they're dealing with every day. How does
the communication work and how do you execute what you
(14:19):
want to do what they want to do. So everybody's
on the same page, because I imagine that communication is
paramount with all these different manufacturers.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
But what is it like? How does it work?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, that's actually the beauty of a trade association. You
do have to listen to your members. And we have
thirteen thousand members here at the NAM and well, I
think we're blessed by the fact that they like to
give us their thoughts and their opinions, and I like
to tell us specifically what works and what doesn't. One
(14:50):
of the things that we said in twenty seventeen when
Congress was debating the tax bill was look, this is
about investment and jobs in the United States. And what
I have heard from my members is that if you
pass tax reform in twenty seventeen, I can guarantee you
you will see more investment, more job creation, and more
wage growth. That is a promise that we will make.
(15:11):
Then we executed our Promises Kept campaign, where we collected
all the stories of manufacturers who did exactly that. We
had record investment we had record hiring and we had
record wage growth over the course in the next three
years because of that rocket fuel, as President Trump called it,
that rocket fuel and that tax bill that was passed.
(15:34):
We do the same thing when it comes to regulations.
We do the same thing when it comes to trade
and teariffs and how that may impact manufacturer's ability to
compete here in the United States. We do the same
thing when it comes to workforce. We have five hundred
thousand open jobs in manufacturing. We want to make sure
that people know the great opportunities. But to your point,
we try to make sure that we are we're providing
(15:58):
the broad based issues set that will be helpful to
manufacturers of all sizes, in all sectors, in all regions
of the country. That tends to be very broad based
tax policy, very broad based regulatory policy, very broad based
infrastructure trade, energy policy, and those are things that frankly,
(16:22):
nearly all manufacturers agree on. So we don't have a
lot of we don't have a lot of different opinions
when it comes on the things that will actually make
the entire sector successful.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
You had mentioned tariffs are in the news. I'd be
remiss if I didn't ask you, and I know you
and I could go for hours about tariffs. I know
a lot of people find it complicated. Some things are
easy to understand, some aren't. But when you talk to
the manufacturers and the association and we hear about tariffs
right now, and I know things are changing, it's very
fluid every day. But you running as president and CEO
(16:54):
of the NAM, what do you hope in the end happens?
And the resolutionist where everybody to be the best possible scenario.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
What's going on right now?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, one of the things that has been the
greatest joy in this job, or the greatest joy in
working at the NAM for the time I've worked here
is we've had tremendous relationships with all of the presidents.
So President Bush, President Obama, President Trump won, President Biden,
President Trump two. All of them want to improve manufacturing
(17:25):
and they all have a different way of approaching that.
My personal preference is to listen to manufacturers and find
out from them how they can succeed and what allows
them to hire more. And I will say this, we're
working really hard right now on that tax bill. We're
working very hard to get regulatory rebalancing done. The tariffishes
(17:48):
is it's a little complicated for us, and I wouldn't
be shooting straight if I didn't say that there's a
lot of concerns among manufacturers about whether they're going to
be able to handle that continued back and forth on
tariff policy. I don't think there's anything wrong at all
with wanting to make more things here in the United States.
(18:10):
I mean, my gosh, I represent the National Association and Manufacturers.
I want to make more stuff here in the United States. Unfortunately,
that's not always possible. We can't make everything. Ninety five
percent of the customers in the world actually reside outside
of the borders of the United States. So we want
to sell as much stuff as we can from here
in the United States to them, which means we've got
(18:31):
to have we've got to have a positive relationship with them,
and we don't need any retaliatory tariffs coming back at
US which would impede our ability to sell our products there.
I also think that it would not you know, we
have to acknowledge the fact that there are some countries
that they don't treat the United States very well. They cheat,
(18:54):
and I'm looking at China in particular. So intellectual property theft,
dumping subsidization. I think manufactors fully expected the Administration to
go after that. There have been some surprises though along
the way, where some of our allies are receiving or
are now having tariffs imposed on them that we didn't
see that coming. So for manufacturers, we're very hopeful that
(19:16):
the Administration really is going to be able to settle
in their ninety day window all of these potential trade
agreements throughout the world get that done, so manufacturers actually
can have the certainty they need to again invest, hire,
and increase wages and benefits. We also have things that
are not manufactured here, so I think of critical minerals
(19:38):
that go into to silicon chips for instance, other things
that are mined machinery that we don't have the capacity
to make here at least yet hopefully someday. But if
we're going to build manufacturing facilities and we have to
import those machines, if we get a forty percent tariff
on that, well a small business can't afford to build
that factory. So we're going to have to have some
(20:01):
sort of a policy that sets those aside from tariff
policy as well. Our hope is that that's what the
administration is working on, and we're providing them with all
the information we possibly can to help them make an
informed choice.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
And without super inferring a while you're talking about and
I know you don't have a crystal ball, but it
sounds like you're encouraged about the future.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
I'm always encouraged about the future when you're talking about it.
From the American perspective, I think Americans are incredibly resilient.
And I got to tell you, of all the Americans
that I've ever had the great privilege of meeting, manufacturers
are the most resilient of the resilient. And that's because
(20:40):
they you know, they've they've got to make ends meet,
they've got to figure out their whole job is to
figure out how to make things work, and they're so
important to our communities. So failure is not an option
for manufacturers. Now. You know, we hit bumpy times in
the road sometimes as well. But we want to work
(21:03):
with whoever the American people give us in the White
House or Congress to make things more successful for manufacturing.
By the way, manufacturing pays more on average than any
other sector of the economy. So when you create a
manufacturing job, you're supporting five more jobs in other areas
of the economy. When you invest a dollar in manufacturing,
you create almost two dollars of economic spinoff activity outside
(21:29):
of that particular facility. So that's why I elected officials,
both Republican and Democrat want to see manufacturing succeed because
they know that that's important to the success of the
economy and their communities, their state in the country.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Jay, you kind of talked about some of the challenges
in the industry. What about some of the great things
are going on there. I realize that thirteen thousand members,
there's a lot going on there that's great. But is
there a common theme of some incredible things that are
happening with some of the members out there right now?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah. I think of the potential of AI and what
that is going to be able to do for manufacturing
in the United States, and we're at the very very
beginning of the AI revolution, and I don't think we
(22:19):
really to have any idea where that's going to be.
And I was actually talking to somebody last night who said,
can you imagine ten years from now when we look
back and we'd say these decisions that we made today
had the impact that they had on where we are
in ten years, and those decisions are who gets it
(22:39):
and who gets to use it, and will our allies
be working with us or will our adversaries be working
against us. When it comes to artificial intelligence and the
development of it, I think about all the incredible uses
(23:00):
it could have for our national defense. I think about
what it can do for productivity in a manufacturing facility,
and then I immediately will have a comma there because
the first thing that you're going to hear from from
folks who may be a little bit skeptical, is, oh,
(23:20):
but it will take jobs away. No, it will not.
It will actually create the need for more jobs, but
different jobs in the manufacturing sector, more highly skilled and
technical jobs that I believe our schools need to really
focus on over the course of the next decade or two.
So that's one thing. And then, of course a host
(23:43):
of new medical discoveries. We're seeing tremendous therapies being developed
for cancer and Alzheimer's and other debilitating disease. Is certainly
the vaccinations that and there's always controversy with all of that,
(24:05):
but I pushed that aside because I just think of
how many people were saved because of the COVID vaccine
and the new technology, the mRNA technology that was utilized
for that. And trust me, I speak from my heart
on that because my father died of COVID before the
vaccine was developed, and no family should have to go
(24:29):
through that. So I'm eternally grateful that science and manufacturing
enabled us to have that that development. And there's so
many more things like that out there that it's just
the possibilities are endless.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah, they sure are, and I appreciate you sharing all that,
and it's been my personal experience in this series. I've
had an opportunity right here locally to talk to Montgomery
County Economic Development. The biotech industry right in the Rockville,
Maryland area is exploding. They're all moving here and it's
really you know, because Nih is close and it makes
a lot of sense why, but just that industry itself
(25:04):
is just booming here in this area.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Your Governor Wes Moore is in Maryland is an absolute salesman,
trying to recruit as many as he can, and my
Governor Glenn Youngkin is competing with him, and I think
it's fun to watch them both talk about all the
great things that the states have to offer.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, it really it listens a healthy competition, right.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
That's right. It's a good thing. You know. Look, if
we get all the policies right at the national level,
that just opens it up for fifty dates to compete
against each other to attract those jobs.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well, Lis, I want to put a pin in work
just for a second, if you can indulge me and
talk about philanthropic and charity work. And when you do
have the time, Jane, I know you're busy because the job,
you're a family man. But when you do have time
to be a part of something, what do you like
to be.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
A part of.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Look, I've seen over the course of my time in
the work place the things that really can impact people
that you work with, things like difficult diseases. So I
was able to be involved in the Alzheimer's Vision Gala
a few weeks ago and tell my grandmother's story and
(26:18):
also to work to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association
I've been involved. I think one of the most profound
things that can happen to a family is for them
to get a new pet. So I was the chair
of the Washington Humane Society it's now the Humane Rescue
Alliance for I think seven years and encouraging the adoption
(26:40):
of companion animals. But I think the thing that really
hits closest to my heart our children's issues and family issues.
I mentioned. I've been with my husband for thirty four years.
We have three wonderful children. I have a freshman in
high school, I have an eighth grader, and I have
a girl girl, and then a third grade boy, and
(27:04):
they're all just fantastic kids. They were all born through surrogacy,
and the two oldest or biologically related to either my
husband or I, and the third was a snowflake embryo,
and by that I mean the family that he was
a part of had completed their family. They had four children,
(27:26):
and they asked if we would accept accept the embryo
and adopt or take it as our own, which we did,
and we found an amazing surrogate in Wisconsin. A few
weeks before the baby was born, we went to court
to get our pronal rights. We were granted parental rights. Weirdly,
another judge came in, swooped in, took those parental rights away.
(27:48):
Apparently didn't like the look of a gay family. I
don't know what it was. And this went on for
ten months. Thank god, we never lost our temporary custody.
But at the end of that, his ruling said that
we were human traffickers for bringing an embryo into existence,
(28:09):
and that he was taking away our pronal rights. He
was taking away the pronal rights of the surrogate, and
he was leaving our child an orphan and an award
of the state. After that disgraceful ruling, he resigned. No, no,
no surprise there, but we had We were tangled up
in courts in Wisconsin for three four years. While we
(28:32):
ended up getting our pronal rights back rather quickly. We
came after the guardian ATLTEM so that he wouldn't want
to do this to others. And at the end of
all of this, our local legislator in Virginia ended up
introducing a bill and in order for other same sex
families not to have to go through the same thing.
(28:55):
And I lobbied Republicans, he lobbied Democrats. We got about
a third of the Wilkens, all the Democrats. We got
that bill through and the Governor, Ralph Northam at the
time signed it. At our preschool at our church, Walker
Chapel United Methodist Church, and he had Jacob on his lap,
(29:15):
our son and our daughters Catherine and Ellie were standing
there watching, and it's now known as Jacob's Law. So
that kind of advocacy for children and families and equality
really matters a lot to my husband, Rick and I.
We've been involved in family equality for a number of
years where we started Jacob's Fund to help other families
(29:37):
who might find themselves in similar situations for no reason
or no fault of their own.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Well, it's a remarkable story. I appreciate you sharing it,
and I think you're also showing us as we listen
that you're a fighter when it comes to advocating professionally
and personally, which I think is very cool. I did
want to ask you by leadership, so I hope you
indulge me because we have a lot of president CEOs, entrepreneurs,
but also young people futures that want to get into
(30:03):
whatever turns them on and what they want to be
good at. So when it comes to leadership, Jay, what
does it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I think the number one thing about leadership is being
authentic and telling your story and kind of what you
just said, actually fighting for what you believe in. When
I actually hire people, and I've gotten to hire lots
of people over my career, I have kind of three
priorities and they seem to be different than a lot
(30:30):
of other people's. But my first priority is that that
person is going to have loyalty to the team, not
loyalty to the boss. That's the easy part, right, It's
got to be the person has to be loyal to
the entire team. They have to be willing to accept,
you know, all of the pros and cons, the positives,
(30:51):
the challenges with the entire team. The second thing is
they kind of have a really strong work ethic. They've
got to be willing to be willing to work hard
to get the job done and know that there's probably
more jobs than the job that they were hired to do.
And the third, and actually the least important thing to
me is their experience in actually doing the job or
(31:14):
their ability to do a job, because I kind of
figure if you've got those first two things, then you're
going to be able to pick up the third. So
those are the things that are important to me. And
as far as leadership goes, just being yourself, being approachable
and being authentic and being a fighter for your beliefs.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
It is critical outstanding. Thanks for sharing. Well, let's do this.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I really enjoyed the conversation, but I do want to
get some final thoughts from you, Jay about what we've
talked about. We're going to give a website to everybody, folks.
There's a lot of information on there. It's easy to navigate.
It's some beautiful website. With that said, Jay, some final
thoughts from you to recap what we've talked about. The
floor is yours.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, I appreciate that, and you're right. Nam dot org
is where we're housed, and we invite people to take
a look at that. Really, I think what is so
important for America right now is, Look, we're divided. There's
no question about that. Manufacturing is one of those things
that can bring us all together, but so can our
(32:14):
communities and the things that we want to see for
our kids' future and the success of our communities, and
all of that revolves around policy. It doesn't revolve around politics,
personality or process. And in today's environment, especially with social media,
it is so hard to remember that. As long as
(32:35):
we stay focused on the policies that improve people's lives.
Then what that does is is it really strengthens the
soul of our country and it allows America to succeed.
For us, it allows manufacturing to succeed. And we know
here at the NAM when manufacturing succeeds, when manufacturing wins,
(32:58):
America wins. So the bottom line is everybody has to
hold their elected leaders accountable for the things that they
want to see happen. They need to They need to
hold their elected officials accountable for cutting through all the
talk and the chatter and the bloviating and the promises
and make sure that they vote correctly on the things
(33:19):
that truly matter in their lives. That's not easy today
is there's a lot of there's a lot of plutter
out there in the political world. But there's a lot
of good people who serve in Congress and in elected office,
and we've got to we've got to appeal to who
they are as human beings and and get them to
do the right thing.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Very well said, well, Jay, I can't tell you how
much I appreciate your time, not only what you do,
but all the people on your team. It's an incredible story.
I know You've got a lot of work to do,
but the last couple of decades have been incredible and
I know there's good things ahead in the future for
you and your team. Thank you so much and I'm
glad we could feature you on CEOs You Should Know.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Dennis, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
It was great to be here our community.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
M and T Bank supports CEOs You Should Know as
part of their ongoing commitment to building strong communities, and
that starts by backing the businesses within them. As a
bank for communities, M and T believes in dedicating time, talent,
and resources to help local businesses thrive, because when businesses succeed,
our communities succeed.
M and T Bank presents CEOs.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You should know powerd by iHeartMedia.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Let's meet Jay Timmins.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
He is the President and CEO for the National Association
of Manufacturers, the largest manufacturing association in the United States,
representing a wide range of manufacturers in every industry and state.
Its primary functions include advocating for manufacturers and policy matters,
providing resources and services to members, and promoting.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
The industry's interests.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Before we talk more about the NAM, what it is
and what they do, I first asked Jaya talk a
little bit about.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Himself, where he's from and his origin story.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I was born in a small milltown in southern Ohio, Chillicopy, Ohio,
and I grew up there for about ten years. It's
where my grandfather worked in the paper mill. He stood
in line for six months during the Great Depression trying
to get a job in manufacturing because he knew that
would be a way forward for his family. I was
(00:57):
the only child and the only grandchild. I spent a
lot of time with my grandparents. My dad was He
was a division manager at Sears, but then he opened
his own appliance store, Timmins Appliance and TV and my
mom is an amazing leadership story all on her own.
She ascended the ladder at the Chillicotha Gazette. It was
(01:19):
our local newspaper, a Gannet newspaper, and she started out
as a secretary and she was told when she became
pregnant with me back in those days, well she'd have
to leave because you couldn't be pregnant work if you
were a woman. That wouldn't be acceptable. And she was
going to go along with the plan until they said, hey,
we've had a person leave and we need you to stay.
(01:41):
Would you stay? And she said, sure, I'd be happy to. Well,
they cleaned out of closet and they made her stay
in that closet for the entire time she was pregnant
and she had me, and then she came back to work.
She worked away up the ladder and she became the
president and CEO of that organization in nineteen seventy nine,
and the entire town was blown away that there was
this one woman who had ascended the ranks to become
(02:03):
the leader of the organization. And her story inspired me
every single day to just keep working for you know
what's really important. We moved when I was tend to
a farm near Circleville, Ohio, which, of course, as everybody
who's listening knows, is the home of the Pumpkins Show,
the greatest free show on Earth. That was always fun
(02:28):
for me and the band to be able to march
in the parades there. But I raised cattle throughout my
high school years and cut the grass and worked at
a fast food restaurant and a grocery store, and then
I went to Ohio State. Ohigh State didn't work out
so well for me. Loved the school, love everything about
the buck Eyes, but I wasn't exactly the most studious
(02:49):
person in the world. I wanted to get involved in politics,
and this was the advent of the Reagan years, and
man did I want to do everything I could to
to help Ronald Reagan succeed. So I started. I went
out and I started college Republican clubs all over the state.
Became the state chair of the College Republicans, and at
(03:10):
the same time thought, hey, I'm nineteen years old. I
think I had a run for office. So I ran
for state representative and won the primary, but did not
win the general election spectacularly, so and decided then I
just don't think I want to stay in college. So
I moved to Washington, DC and tried to get a
(03:31):
job and the Reagan Revolution didn't succeed there, but ended
up going to Capitol Hill. So those were the early
days that got me here to Washington.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well, we're going to talk a lot about that in
your diverse resume, AJ and all the incredible things that
you're doing now in the last almost twenty years of
the National Association of Manufacturers. But it never ceases to
amaze me, even though it's not exclusive that when we
grew up, our parents can be incredible role models, and
without any context, but the story that you're telling, it
sounds like they were wonderful role models for you, fature
(04:00):
that you dived into in your career.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Absolutely amazing role models parents and grandparents. My grandmother was
a stay at home mother grandmother, and I spent a
lot of time with her, watching my grandfather every single
day work hard. He had such a work ethic. I
used to go over there on the weekends and he'd
come home from overnight trick work, and I would sit
(04:26):
at the at the threshold at his bedroom door because
I wasn't allowed in because he was trying to sleep.
I just watch him snore. I don't know why that
was so fascinating to me, but I can still see
it today, and every once in a while, because I
was a pretty rambuxious kid, I'd make noise and he'd
wake up, and he always yell out to my grandmother,
come get the boy. I can remember that like it
(04:47):
was yesterday. My dad, you know, he there wasn't there
wasn't you know, a job he wouldn't do. He was
always always working, always trying to succeed. And then to
watch my mother was was fairly amazing. In fact, my
mother who's eighty nine now, at age seventy one, after
she retired, she decided, you know, I'm kind of bored.
I'm going to pick up a paintbrush and start painting.
(05:08):
And she paints the most amazing things. She's at art shows.
She sells all kinds of stuff. At eighty nine. I mean,
I hope I can't draw all straight line, but I'm
inspired that maybe there's something afterwards for me too.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And beside all the hard work that you learn and
that you've done over your career, it seems like there's
a theme of advocation. Where did that come from about
being an advocate, because we obviously do that now, But
where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm not sure, but I know that from the time
I was probably ten years old, I got interested in
the news. And you know, when I was growing up,
there was some rough stuff happening. We had the hostage
crisis in Iran, we had a very bad economy. I
watched my parents' trouble as they tried to make ends meet.
(05:56):
I watched a lot of my friends and neighbors also struggle.
I watched a lot of people lose their jobs. I
watched farmers who went bankrupt, some of them actually ending
their own lives, and I just thought, you know, there's
got to be a better way, and what is that right?
How does that does? How does the world work, How
(06:17):
does the economy work? And so I really just tried
to figure out how public policy intersected people's lives. And
that's why I became invested in politics. For me, it
was not really about political party or power. It was
really about policy that enabled people to live their best lives.
And that's what I think, Frankly, I think that's what
(06:37):
makes America so incredible, is we have this thriving democracy
and this contest of ideas and end goal is to
improve things for folks who live here.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
So you've done so many many things, and as I
take a look at this diverse resume, You've been a
chief of staff, You've been an executive director, chairman of
the board, now president and CEO at National Association Manufactures.
Was there something that you wanted to attain? You know,
as I talked to so many leaders out there, sometimes
there's a plan, sometimes there's not, and sometimes we go
on a road and it takes us another way. But
(07:11):
was there a plan as you were doing all of this?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I would say that I was probably taking the road
less traveled by Robert Frost's pome. Right. I didn't really
know what I wanted to do. I just it sounds cliche,
but I always wanted to make a difference, right. I
always wanted to be able to to do something significant
that would help a large group of people, and certainly Americans,
just because I had that American spirit. So when I
(07:40):
came to Washington, I worked on the hill for a while,
I worked at the RNC, but I ended up with
a fellow by the name of George Allen, and he
and I crossed paths before, but we didn't really know
each other. And he started running for in a special
election for Congress. He needed a campaign manager, and it
just so happened. I was ending job and I needed
(08:00):
a job, and I literally interviewed over the phone with him,
and he said, Hey, why don't you come start next week?
So I did. We were together fourteen years. So I
was his chief of staff when he won that seat
in Congress. Then he moved to the Governor's office after
he was redistricted out of that seat. I was his
chief of staff there, the youngest chief of staff in
(08:22):
the country and the youngest in Virginia history, and a
guy who knew nothing about state government in Virginia. But
he had the confidence in me. And I'll never never
be able to thank him enough for this, But he
had the confidence in me that he knew I would
work really, really hard to learn everything I could and
do the best job I could to help the people
(08:44):
in Virginia. He went to the Senate. I was his
chief there, and then to your point about executive director
of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, it's the campaign committee.
He was chair of that while he was in the Senate,
and I ran that and I was pretty proud of
the fact that we ended up getting the largest Republican
majority since nineteen twenty seven, and that number of stays
(09:05):
is the record up to today. Having said that, during
that time, it was also a pretty difficult time because
that was at a juncture where the culture wars were
really ratcheting up. President Bush had endorsed the marriage Amendment
marriages between one man and one woman, and I was
(09:28):
outed for being gay. I had been with my then
partner for I guess probably thirteen fourteen years. We've been
together now for thirty four years and we're married. He's
my husband now. But that was a pretty difficult time.
Back then, you really couldn't be you couldn't be a
part of the Republican Party and be identified as gay.
(09:52):
Some would say today that's also a problem, but certainly
back then it was. And so I decided to do
something else because I didn't want to hurt George Allen politically.
That was I think a very difficult thing for both
him and for me. He was very supportive of me
the whole time. He didn't know either till I was out,
(10:13):
and I ended up making my way to the National
Association of Manufacturers, and I was able to reconnect with
my roots in Chilicothe, Ohio and kind of what had
fed my soul growing up was manufacturing. So I ran
the Policy and Government Relations division for six years and
was named CEO in twenty eleven.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Well, it's a great story, and I'm glad that this
is a great segue because you've been there for a
couple of decades now and with your diverse resume that
you've just briefly touched on, which is absolutely incredible. Jay,
I can see why NAM was interested in you, but
why were you interested in joining them?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
So manufacturing is not a partisan issue, and the success
of America I don't believe is a partisan issue. I
know that want to make it that, but manufacturing is
really infused into the fabric of all we are as
an American, As Americans. I mean, think back to Alexander
Hamilton when he created a manufacturing strategy, and all of
(11:14):
the inventions and products that we've produced here in the
United States, the fact that we were the arsenal of
democracy in I would argue both World Wars, but certainly
World War Two, that manufacturing helped us to build the
infrastructure system that made us the strongest, most connected economy
in the world in the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties.
(11:36):
The advancements in health and nutrition that were made possible
by manufacturing, all of that has made us so strong,
so vibrant as a nation. And our at the nam
Our Mission statement really focuses on the four values that
(11:56):
make our industry strong and make America except and those
are free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, liberty, and equal opportunity.
And each one of those things kind of covers every
facet of our lives. And oftentimes you see political parties
focusing on two, maybe three of those, but rarely all four.
(12:19):
And we want our elected leaders to really focus on
advancing all four of those pillars. And when we do that,
and when it's all about policy, not politics, process or personality,
that's when America really wins.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Love that.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So let's do this with a national Association of manufacturers
in a thirty thousand foot view. If you were to
tell everybody what you do, what would you tell them?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You know, we advocate, We advocate for the success of
the more than thirteen million people, the men and women
who make things in America and for a better future
for all of the citizens of this country. And we
do that through work on Capitol Hill, through the legal system,
(13:06):
through advocacy with the agencies and the White House, as
well as issue advocacy campaigns that inform more people around
the country about what manufacturers do and what they're responsible for. Oftentimes,
manufacturing is just kind of taken for granted. Well, you
want to go get a car, Ok, you go to
the car dealer and you cut the best deal you can. Well,
(13:29):
somebody had to make that car. And by the way,
it's not just a machine, it's people. People had to
design it. They had to they had to construct it
and build it and then ship it out to the
locations where they'd be sold. Think about the same thing
with a washing machine or a plastic bottle, or you
can think about literally anything you touch is manufactured or
(13:51):
mined or farmed. But the largest part of the economy
is really in the manufacturing sector.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
So, Jay, you've got a hundred of thousands, of nine
millions of basically constituents, all these members that are part
of the association. With that said, there's got to be
so many different ideas in things, how people can improve
and things that they're dealing with every day. How does
the communication work and how do you execute what you
(14:19):
want to do what they want to do. So everybody's
on the same page, because I imagine that communication is
paramount with all these different manufacturers.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
But what is it like? How does it work?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, that's actually the beauty of a trade association. You
do have to listen to your members. And we have
thirteen thousand members here at the NAM and well, I
think we're blessed by the fact that they like to
give us their thoughts and their opinions, and I like
to tell us specifically what works and what doesn't. One
(14:50):
of the things that we said in twenty seventeen when
Congress was debating the tax bill was look, this is
about investment and jobs in the United States. And what
I have heard from my members is that if you
pass tax reform in twenty seventeen, I can guarantee you
you will see more investment, more job creation, and more
wage growth. That is a promise that we will make.
(15:11):
Then we executed our Promises Kept campaign, where we collected
all the stories of manufacturers who did exactly that. We
had record investment we had record hiring and we had
record wage growth over the course in the next three
years because of that rocket fuel, as President Trump called it,
that rocket fuel and that tax bill that was passed.
(15:34):
We do the same thing when it comes to regulations.
We do the same thing when it comes to trade
and teariffs and how that may impact manufacturer's ability to
compete here in the United States. We do the same
thing when it comes to workforce. We have five hundred
thousand open jobs in manufacturing. We want to make sure
that people know the great opportunities. But to your point,
we try to make sure that we are we're providing
(15:58):
the broad based issues set that will be helpful to
manufacturers of all sizes, in all sectors, in all regions
of the country. That tends to be very broad based
tax policy, very broad based regulatory policy, very broad based
infrastructure trade, energy policy, and those are things that frankly,
(16:22):
nearly all manufacturers agree on. So we don't have a
lot of we don't have a lot of different opinions
when it comes on the things that will actually make
the entire sector successful.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
You had mentioned tariffs are in the news. I'd be
remiss if I didn't ask you, and I know you
and I could go for hours about tariffs. I know
a lot of people find it complicated. Some things are
easy to understand, some aren't. But when you talk to
the manufacturers and the association and we hear about tariffs
right now, and I know things are changing, it's very
fluid every day. But you running as president and CEO
(16:54):
of the NAM, what do you hope in the end happens?
And the resolutionist where everybody to be the best possible scenario.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
What's going on right now?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, one of the things that has been the
greatest joy in this job, or the greatest joy in
working at the NAM for the time I've worked here
is we've had tremendous relationships with all of the presidents.
So President Bush, President Obama, President Trump won, President Biden,
President Trump two. All of them want to improve manufacturing
(17:25):
and they all have a different way of approaching that.
My personal preference is to listen to manufacturers and find
out from them how they can succeed and what allows
them to hire more. And I will say this, we're
working really hard right now on that tax bill. We're
working very hard to get regulatory rebalancing done. The tariffishes
(17:48):
is it's a little complicated for us, and I wouldn't
be shooting straight if I didn't say that there's a
lot of concerns among manufacturers about whether they're going to
be able to handle that continued back and forth on
tariff policy. I don't think there's anything wrong at all
with wanting to make more things here in the United States.
(18:10):
I mean, my gosh, I represent the National Association and Manufacturers.
I want to make more stuff here in the United States. Unfortunately,
that's not always possible. We can't make everything. Ninety five
percent of the customers in the world actually reside outside
of the borders of the United States. So we want
to sell as much stuff as we can from here
in the United States to them, which means we've got
(18:31):
to have we've got to have a positive relationship with them,
and we don't need any retaliatory tariffs coming back at
US which would impede our ability to sell our products there.
I also think that it would not you know, we
have to acknowledge the fact that there are some countries
that they don't treat the United States very well. They cheat,
(18:54):
and I'm looking at China in particular. So intellectual property theft,
dumping subsidization. I think manufactors fully expected the Administration to
go after that. There have been some surprises though along
the way, where some of our allies are receiving or
are now having tariffs imposed on them that we didn't
see that coming. So for manufacturers, we're very hopeful that
(19:16):
the Administration really is going to be able to settle
in their ninety day window all of these potential trade
agreements throughout the world get that done, so manufacturers actually
can have the certainty they need to again invest, hire,
and increase wages and benefits. We also have things that
are not manufactured here, so I think of critical minerals
(19:38):
that go into to silicon chips for instance, other things
that are mined machinery that we don't have the capacity
to make here at least yet hopefully someday. But if
we're going to build manufacturing facilities and we have to
import those machines, if we get a forty percent tariff
on that, well a small business can't afford to build
that factory. So we're going to have to have some
(20:01):
sort of a policy that sets those aside from tariff
policy as well. Our hope is that that's what the
administration is working on, and we're providing them with all
the information we possibly can to help them make an
informed choice.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
And without super inferring a while you're talking about and
I know you don't have a crystal ball, but it
sounds like you're encouraged about the future.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
I'm always encouraged about the future when you're talking about it.
From the American perspective, I think Americans are incredibly resilient.
And I got to tell you, of all the Americans
that I've ever had the great privilege of meeting, manufacturers
are the most resilient of the resilient. And that's because
(20:40):
they you know, they've they've got to make ends meet,
they've got to figure out their whole job is to
figure out how to make things work, and they're so
important to our communities. So failure is not an option
for manufacturers. Now. You know, we hit bumpy times in
the road sometimes as well. But we want to work
(21:03):
with whoever the American people give us in the White
House or Congress to make things more successful for manufacturing.
By the way, manufacturing pays more on average than any
other sector of the economy. So when you create a
manufacturing job, you're supporting five more jobs in other areas
of the economy. When you invest a dollar in manufacturing,
you create almost two dollars of economic spinoff activity outside
(21:29):
of that particular facility. So that's why I elected officials,
both Republican and Democrat want to see manufacturing succeed because
they know that that's important to the success of the
economy and their communities, their state in the country.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Jay, you kind of talked about some of the challenges
in the industry. What about some of the great things
are going on there. I realize that thirteen thousand members,
there's a lot going on there that's great. But is
there a common theme of some incredible things that are
happening with some of the members out there right now?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah. I think of the potential of AI and what
that is going to be able to do for manufacturing
in the United States, and we're at the very very
beginning of the AI revolution, and I don't think we
(22:19):
really to have any idea where that's going to be.
And I was actually talking to somebody last night who said,
can you imagine ten years from now when we look
back and we'd say these decisions that we made today
had the impact that they had on where we are
in ten years, and those decisions are who gets it
(22:39):
and who gets to use it, and will our allies
be working with us or will our adversaries be working
against us. When it comes to artificial intelligence and the
development of it, I think about all the incredible uses
(23:00):
it could have for our national defense. I think about
what it can do for productivity in a manufacturing facility,
and then I immediately will have a comma there because
the first thing that you're going to hear from from
folks who may be a little bit skeptical, is, oh,
(23:20):
but it will take jobs away. No, it will not.
It will actually create the need for more jobs, but
different jobs in the manufacturing sector, more highly skilled and
technical jobs that I believe our schools need to really
focus on over the course of the next decade or two.
So that's one thing. And then, of course a host
(23:43):
of new medical discoveries. We're seeing tremendous therapies being developed
for cancer and Alzheimer's and other debilitating disease. Is certainly
the vaccinations that and there's always controversy with all of that,
(24:05):
but I pushed that aside because I just think of
how many people were saved because of the COVID vaccine
and the new technology, the mRNA technology that was utilized
for that. And trust me, I speak from my heart
on that because my father died of COVID before the
vaccine was developed, and no family should have to go
(24:29):
through that. So I'm eternally grateful that science and manufacturing
enabled us to have that that development. And there's so
many more things like that out there that it's just
the possibilities are endless.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah, they sure are, and I appreciate you sharing all that,
and it's been my personal experience in this series. I've
had an opportunity right here locally to talk to Montgomery
County Economic Development. The biotech industry right in the Rockville,
Maryland area is exploding. They're all moving here and it's
really you know, because Nih is close and it makes
a lot of sense why, but just that industry itself
(25:04):
is just booming here in this area.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Your Governor Wes Moore is in Maryland is an absolute salesman,
trying to recruit as many as he can, and my
Governor Glenn Youngkin is competing with him, and I think
it's fun to watch them both talk about all the
great things that the states have to offer.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, it really it listens a healthy competition, right.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
That's right. It's a good thing. You know. Look, if
we get all the policies right at the national level,
that just opens it up for fifty dates to compete
against each other to attract those jobs.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well, Lis, I want to put a pin in work
just for a second, if you can indulge me and
talk about philanthropic and charity work. And when you do
have the time, Jane, I know you're busy because the job,
you're a family man. But when you do have time
to be a part of something, what do you like
to be.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
A part of.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Look, I've seen over the course of my time in
the work place the things that really can impact people
that you work with, things like difficult diseases. So I
was able to be involved in the Alzheimer's Vision Gala
a few weeks ago and tell my grandmother's story and
(26:18):
also to work to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association
I've been involved. I think one of the most profound
things that can happen to a family is for them
to get a new pet. So I was the chair
of the Washington Humane Society it's now the Humane Rescue
Alliance for I think seven years and encouraging the adoption
(26:40):
of companion animals. But I think the thing that really
hits closest to my heart our children's issues and family issues.
I mentioned. I've been with my husband for thirty four years.
We have three wonderful children. I have a freshman in
high school, I have an eighth grader, and I have
a girl girl, and then a third grade boy, and
(27:04):
they're all just fantastic kids. They were all born through surrogacy,
and the two oldest or biologically related to either my
husband or I, and the third was a snowflake embryo,
and by that I mean the family that he was
a part of had completed their family. They had four children,
(27:26):
and they asked if we would accept accept the embryo
and adopt or take it as our own, which we did,
and we found an amazing surrogate in Wisconsin. A few
weeks before the baby was born, we went to court
to get our pronal rights. We were granted parental rights. Weirdly,
another judge came in, swooped in, took those parental rights away.
(27:48):
Apparently didn't like the look of a gay family. I
don't know what it was. And this went on for
ten months. Thank god, we never lost our temporary custody.
But at the end of that, his ruling said that
we were human traffickers for bringing an embryo into existence,
(28:09):
and that he was taking away our pronal rights. He
was taking away the pronal rights of the surrogate, and
he was leaving our child an orphan and an award
of the state. After that disgraceful ruling, he resigned. No, no,
no surprise there, but we had We were tangled up
in courts in Wisconsin for three four years. While we
(28:32):
ended up getting our pronal rights back rather quickly. We
came after the guardian ATLTEM so that he wouldn't want
to do this to others. And at the end of
all of this, our local legislator in Virginia ended up
introducing a bill and in order for other same sex
families not to have to go through the same thing.
(28:55):
And I lobbied Republicans, he lobbied Democrats. We got about
a third of the Wilkens, all the Democrats. We got
that bill through and the Governor, Ralph Northam at the
time signed it. At our preschool at our church, Walker
Chapel United Methodist Church, and he had Jacob on his lap,
(29:15):
our son and our daughters Catherine and Ellie were standing
there watching, and it's now known as Jacob's Law. So
that kind of advocacy for children and families and equality
really matters a lot to my husband, Rick and I.
We've been involved in family equality for a number of
years where we started Jacob's Fund to help other families
(29:37):
who might find themselves in similar situations for no reason
or no fault of their own.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Well, it's a remarkable story. I appreciate you sharing it,
and I think you're also showing us as we listen
that you're a fighter when it comes to advocating professionally
and personally, which I think is very cool. I did
want to ask you by leadership, so I hope you
indulge me because we have a lot of president CEOs, entrepreneurs,
but also young people futures that want to get into
(30:03):
whatever turns them on and what they want to be
good at. So when it comes to leadership, Jay, what
does it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I think the number one thing about leadership is being
authentic and telling your story and kind of what you
just said, actually fighting for what you believe in. When
I actually hire people, and I've gotten to hire lots
of people over my career, I have kind of three
priorities and they seem to be different than a lot
(30:30):
of other people's. But my first priority is that that
person is going to have loyalty to the team, not
loyalty to the boss. That's the easy part, right, It's
got to be the person has to be loyal to
the entire team. They have to be willing to accept,
you know, all of the pros and cons, the positives,
(30:51):
the challenges with the entire team. The second thing is
they kind of have a really strong work ethic. They've
got to be willing to be willing to work hard
to get the job done and know that there's probably
more jobs than the job that they were hired to do.
And the third, and actually the least important thing to
me is their experience in actually doing the job or
(31:14):
their ability to do a job, because I kind of
figure if you've got those first two things, then you're
going to be able to pick up the third. So
those are the things that are important to me. And
as far as leadership goes, just being yourself, being approachable
and being authentic and being a fighter for your beliefs.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
It is critical outstanding. Thanks for sharing. Well, let's do this.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I really enjoyed the conversation, but I do want to
get some final thoughts from you, Jay about what we've
talked about. We're going to give a website to everybody, folks.
There's a lot of information on there. It's easy to navigate.
It's some beautiful website. With that said, Jay, some final
thoughts from you to recap what we've talked about. The
floor is yours.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, I appreciate that, and you're right. Nam dot org
is where we're housed, and we invite people to take
a look at that. Really, I think what is so
important for America right now is, Look, we're divided. There's
no question about that. Manufacturing is one of those things
that can bring us all together, but so can our
(32:14):
communities and the things that we want to see for
our kids' future and the success of our communities, and
all of that revolves around policy. It doesn't revolve around politics,
personality or process. And in today's environment, especially with social media,
it is so hard to remember that. As long as
(32:35):
we stay focused on the policies that improve people's lives.
Then what that does is is it really strengthens the
soul of our country and it allows America to succeed.
For us, it allows manufacturing to succeed. And we know
here at the NAM when manufacturing succeeds, when manufacturing wins,
(32:58):
America wins. So the bottom line is everybody has to
hold their elected leaders accountable for the things that they
want to see happen. They need to They need to
hold their elected officials accountable for cutting through all the
talk and the chatter and the bloviating and the promises
and make sure that they vote correctly on the things
(33:19):
that truly matter in their lives. That's not easy today
is there's a lot of there's a lot of plutter
out there in the political world. But there's a lot
of good people who serve in Congress and in elected office,
and we've got to we've got to appeal to who
they are as human beings and and get them to
do the right thing.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Very well said, well, Jay, I can't tell you how
much I appreciate your time, not only what you do,
but all the people on your team. It's an incredible story.
I know You've got a lot of work to do,
but the last couple of decades have been incredible and
I know there's good things ahead in the future for
you and your team. Thank you so much and I'm
glad we could feature you on CEOs You Should Know.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Dennis, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
It was great to be here our community.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
M and T Bank supports CEOs You Should Know as
part of their ongoing commitment to building strong communities, and
that starts by backing the businesses within them. As a
bank for communities, M and T believes in dedicating time, talent,
and resources to help local businesses thrive, because when businesses succeed,
our communities succeed.
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