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The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Announces Changes in Executive Leadership
10/10/2025 - The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) board of directors announced it has appointed Trudi Dunlap as its executive director and chief executive officer, effective 1 April 2026.
Dunlap has served TMS for 26 years in various roles, TMS said. Most recently, she held the position of senior director of new initiatives and operational integration. Her duties in the role included directing events, continuing education, membership, volunteerism, awards, customer service and new initiatives development. She holds both an M.BA and certified meeting planner credential.
“I have a deep appreciation for the Society and for the work our members do every day to advance the fields of metallurgy and materials science and engineering,” said Dunlap.
TMS said the appointment process search was led by the board-established transition and search committee made up of the Society’s five officers: president, vice president, immediate past president, financial planning officer and executive director.
Some considerations for the new appointment included looking at qualified internal candidates before looking outside the Society and emphasizing the new executive director should continue TMS’s tradition of operational excellence.
“Continuity primarily refers to the vibrance of our strategies, our structure, our processes and our shared collaborative culture. The world continues to change, and the TMS Executive Director must be a strong leader who can ‘command a stable ship through changing waters,’” said Daniel Miracle, TMS president and chair of the search committee.
Dunlap will succeed James J. Robinson, whose retirement is scheduled for 1 May 2026 after a long career with TMS beginning in 1984. Throughout his time with TMS, he held positions including editor of JOM, leadership of the Society’s web and information technology enterprise, and deputy executive director. In 2012, he was selected by the board of directors to be executive director. He is also the author of the long-running column “In the Final Analysis,” which he’s written for every issue of JOM since 1989.
“I am certain that Trudi has the acumen, work ethic, experience, and leadership skills to more than effectively lead our team and ensure that TMS thrives and remains financially successful in an association business environment that continues to reinvent itself and challenge us in unexpected ways,” Robinson said about his successor.
TMS said Robinson will work with Dunlap in the months leading to the transition to ensure a smooth changeover.
“I have a deep appreciation for the Society and for the work our members do every day to advance the fields of metallurgy and materials science and engineering,” said Dunlap.
TMS said the appointment process search was led by the board-established transition and search committee made up of the Society’s five officers: president, vice president, immediate past president, financial planning officer and executive director.
Some considerations for the new appointment included looking at qualified internal candidates before looking outside the Society and emphasizing the new executive director should continue TMS’s tradition of operational excellence.
“Continuity primarily refers to the vibrance of our strategies, our structure, our processes and our shared collaborative culture. The world continues to change, and the TMS Executive Director must be a strong leader who can ‘command a stable ship through changing waters,’” said Daniel Miracle, TMS president and chair of the search committee.
Dunlap will succeed James J. Robinson, whose retirement is scheduled for 1 May 2026 after a long career with TMS beginning in 1984. Throughout his time with TMS, he held positions including editor of JOM, leadership of the Society’s web and information technology enterprise, and deputy executive director. In 2012, he was selected by the board of directors to be executive director. He is also the author of the long-running column “In the Final Analysis,” which he’s written for every issue of JOM since 1989.
“I am certain that Trudi has the acumen, work ethic, experience, and leadership skills to more than effectively lead our team and ensure that TMS thrives and remains financially successful in an association business environment that continues to reinvent itself and challenge us in unexpected ways,” Robinson said about his successor.
TMS said Robinson will work with Dunlap in the months leading to the transition to ensure a smooth changeover.
