Do You Make a Difference? (2003 Charles Edgar Hoyt Memorial Lecture).

The presentation of the Charles Edgar Hoyt Memorial Lecture at the AFS Casting Congress is one of the industry's highest honors. At the 107th Casting Congress in Milwaukee, this honor is bestowed upon R. Conner Warren, retired executive vice president, Citation Corp., who will give his presentation, "Do You Make a Difference?"

Warren joined Citation Corp., Birmingham, Alabama, in 1979 after working at Southern Ductile Casting Corp. and Hackney Corp. During his long tenure as a member of AFS he received the William J. Grede Award in 1997 and the Simpson Gold Medal in 2001. Warren, who served as AFS president 1991-92, also represents AFS on the executive board of the World Foundry Organization (WFO) where he served as president for the year 2002, and is a past president of the Foundry Education Foundation (FEE). He is one of only four people who has served as president of AES, FEE and WFO.

In his lecture, Warren discusses the importance of pushing foundry men further so that when an individual has left, he can say that he has made a difference in not only his firm, but also the industry as a whole. Warren begins by explaining how foundry workers are motivated, and how managers can prepare them to compete in today's economy.

Warren then focuses on how attitude and character can be the difference in long-term job performance, and how proper training can lead to an improvement in performance. Finally, Warren gives a set of guidelines showing how every individual can make a difference with their lives, both professionally and personally.

"Success is possible for everyone, and it's worth the effort," says Warren. "The world is open for business. If you make a positive difference, there is a place for you."