The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has announced that Caterpillar Group President of Resource Industries Denise Johnson has been elected to the NAM Board of Directors. Johnson will join the NAM Board for a two year term, beginning in January and will help advance a robust, pro-growth manufacturing policy agenda.

Founded in 1895, the NAM, guided by its Board of Directors, is the largest industrial trade association in the United States with more than 14,000 members and is the nation’s most influential advocate for manufacturing.

The NAM is at the forefront of every important policy debate for manufacturers. Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM’s advocacy efforts. 

“I’m looking forward to working together with my fellow board members to amplify the voice of manufacturing in Washington, D.C. and across the country,” said Johnson. “Enhanced trade opportunities, a modern and fair tax system, a comprehensive energy policy and smart regulations are critical to putting manufacturers in the United States in a position to create growth and jobs and allow us to compete effectively in the global marketplace.”

 “As a champion for manufacturing from a company with an iconic brand, Denise will be a valuable addition to the NAM Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “As a leader in her industry and her community, Denise has proven time and again that she knows what is needed to advance a new era in modern manufacturing, setting the manufacturing agenda and driving policies that will grow the economy and create jobs.”

Johnson joined Caterpillar in 2011 following a career with General Motors where she built deep expertise in operations and product management. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and dual master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Johnson was also in the first graduating class of the NAM’s Manufacturing Executive Leadership Program, an intensive weeklong program that focuses on tactics necessary to advocate effectively in Washington, D.C.