NEW MILFORD, CT – During the 2015 Woodworking Industry Conference (WIC) in San Antonio, TX, members of the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA) elected a new slate of officers to lead the Association for the next two years. Scott Mueller, owner of the Edward B. Mueller Company, a full-service machinery distributor located in the Midwest, was elected WMIA’s new president at the Association’s annual business meeting April 22, succeeding John Park.

“I am excited and honored to be elected to serve as the President of the WMIA,” Mueller remarked. “With our work harmonizing machinery standards, providing scholarships to encourage young people to continue their woodworking education, and providing networking opportunities for our members, the Association is well-positioned to be an industry leader. I am looking forward to working with the other members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors to identify new member benefits and continue to add value for all WMIA members."

Mueller has been very active in the WMIA for a number of years, most recently serving as vice president from 2013-2015, and secretary/treasurer from 2011-2013. He also has been chairman of the Association’s Finance, Technology Review, and Young Executives committees.

David Rakauskas, executive vice president at Colonial Saw, Inc., Kingston, MA was elected WMIA’s vice president. Rakauskas, who started his career at Deloitte & Touche, becoming a certified public accountant in 1994, was introduced to the woodworking industry when he became Colonial Saw’s controller, later moving onto become vice president of operations before assuming his current position.

Involved with the WMIA since 1998, when he joined the Young Executives Committee, Rakauskas served as the Association’s secretary/treasurer from 2013-2015, and participated as both chair and member of the Technology Review Committee.

“I look forward to my role as WMIA’s VP and assisting Scott Mueller as we focus our efforts on developing member benefits and getting more distributor members involved in the association, as well as expanding our efforts on Education and ANSI standards,” Rakauskas said.

Joining WMIA’s Executive Committee as the new secretary/treasurer is Jim Besonen, who has been selling woodworking machinery for over 30 years in the upper Midwest. Besonen has owned and operated Wood Machinery Systems in Minnetonka, MN for 20 years. He was elected to WMIA’s Board of Directors in 2013, but his real passion is education—he is a long-time member of the Association’s Education Committee, and serves on its Education Foundation Board of Trustees. “I am honored to be able to serve the WMIA and its members in this new role,” Besonen said. “I look forward to working with Scott and the entire Board of Directors to help increase the value of WMIA membership.”

John Park, vice president of industrial sales for SCM Group USA, who served as WMIA President from 2013-2015, will remain on the Association’s Executive Committee as Immediate Past President. Additionally, James Scarlett, Scarlett Inc., was elected to serve the remaining year of Besonen’s term on the Board of Directors.