APG Specialty Publications 00_IRON_MINING_ASSN_19_BOOK_NEW | Page 21

IMA COMMITTEES' YEAR-IN-REVIEW
By the numbers, in the past year, the
IMA:
• Posted 212 times on the Minnesota
Iron Facebook page, 132 times on the
Minnesota Iron Twitter page, and 49
times on the imagineLiFewithoutiron
Instagram page – the most popular of
all these posts reached 4,816 people
• Posted 112 times on the IMA Facebook
page, 80 times on the IMA Twitter page,
and 69 times on the IMA LinkedIn page
– the most popular of all these posts
reached 2,755 people
• Sent 21 press releases on association
and industry news
• Presented in front of audiences
ranging in size from 10-2,000 people at
international, national, state, and local
events a record 50 times, including
media events with similar scope.
• Participated in more than 35 community
events throughout the state.
Looking forward to 2019, IMA hopes to build
a consistent dialogue with this important
regulator and our regulated parties.
WORKFORCE & EDUCATION
COMMITTEE
In 2017, Matt Thibodeau (Thibodeau,
Feriancek & Johnson) volunteered as IMA
Workforce & Education Committee Chair.
Under his new direction, the committee took
time to regroup and refocus its efforts. The
committee decided to focus it’s efforts to
bring other workforce development groups
to the table to find the best ways to bolster
overall efforts.
In 2019, IMA hopes to continue our “imagine
LiFe without iron” on a statewide level at
the MSHSL State Tournaments and the State
Fair. Some other efforts will be pared back as
we plan to partner with a yet-to-be-selected
public affairs company to better educate the
public on the wild rice sulfate issue.
SAFETY & HEALTH COMMITTEE
Much of the groundwork for 2018’s IMA
Safety & Health Committee issues was
laid in 2017. In September 2017, MSHA
announced proposed changes to its
workplace examination rule and changed
its interpretation in new miner certification,
requiring a site tour by an MSHA approved
instructor.
In early 2018, longtime committee chair
Karla McKenzie (ArcelorMittal Minorca Mine)
retired, and Bryan Baird (United Taconite)
stepped in as the new committee chair to
continue work on the workplace exam rule.
This work included opening the committee
meeting to the entire IMA membership for
a question and answer session with Richard
Boeckermann, supervisor of the Hibbing
MSHA office. Members found the meeting
helpful, and IMA will give updates to any
pertinent rule changes as needed.
That goal began to come to fruition in
Fall 2018 when MNSCU Director of Talent
Development Roy Smith and NHED President
Bill Maki attended a committee meeting
– which was opened up to the entire IMA
membership – to give an update on the
Applied Learning Institute as well as mining-
related programs at NHED colleges.
The Applied Learning Institute brings
industrial tech and shop classes back to
high schools in the region, and Hibbing
Community College & Mesabi Range
Community College have the most mining-
2018-2019 Directory | 21