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YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing (AM) Innovation Institute, announced the recipients of its 2025 Ambassador Awards and Distinguished Collaborator Award at the annual Members Meeting and Exchange (MMX) event held on August 5-6 in Youngstown, OH.

The Ambassador Award Program, launched in 2017, recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to advancing America Makes and its mission. The 2025 class embodies a cross-section of the industry whose efforts have significantly shaped additive technology and showcase the strength of the AM community. These champions also symbolize the progress achieved in AM technology, industrial base expansion, and workforce development.

“We are honored to have a passionate and powerful membership base that proactively leads efforts across their industries and beyond that boosts our efforts as an Institute,” said John Wilczynski, Executive Director of America Makes. “Today, we sit at a critical juncture within America Makes. By reinforcing and expanding our effective collaboration model, the dedicated efforts of our supporters are essential to strengthening the U.S. industrial base and igniting the next wave of technological breakthroughs in additive manufacturing.”

Congratulations to the following Ambassadors:

• David Beck, Former Branch Chief, Space Industrial Base & Supply Chain, U.S. Space Force
• Stacey Eeman, Director, Industry Strategy, SME
• Thomas Pomorski, Director of Additive Manufacturing, Ursa Major
• Mark Shaw, Chief Engineer, National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)
• Samantha Snabes, Co-Founder & Catalyst, re:3D
• Andrew Thompson, Manager & Deputy Chief Engineer of Additive Manufacturing, Northrop Grumman
• Rich Wetzel, President, The Lanterman Group

Also, during the event, Adele Ratcliff, Director (retired), Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, was presented with the 2025 Distinguished Collaborator Award. Established in 2014, recipients of this award are celebrated for cultivating collaborative relationships with academia, government, and industry. Over the course of her career, Ratcliff, who recently announced her retirement after nearly 30 years of service, has been a key driver in significantly boosting the agility and readiness of the U.S. Defense Industrial Base to respond to national security challenges. By leveraging the authority of the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, she has strengthened traditional technical capabilities and fostered emerging industrial sectors.

During her acceptance remarks, Ratcliff stated, “While additive manufacturing has become ubiquitous, we still face the challenge of qualifying parts at pace; the adversaries do not pause their efforts, neither can we. We must think strategically, how to enable manufacturing in austere environments with unstable infrastructure while maintaining quality and reliability for critical national defense applications.”

She continued, “It has been an honor to serve alongside you all, to be inspired daily by people who choose to show up and make a difference in manufacturing, a commitment that underpins our national security. As I transition from government service, I carry the lessons and connections forged here forward, confident in the rising tide of disruptors and young innovators eager to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Thank you to America Makes, the flagship Manufacturing USA Institute.”