Dan Walker, PE, will be the new managing director of the Industrial Fasteners Institute.

Walker becomes only the eighth MD in the 87-year history of the fastener manufacturers organization.

Walker will officially join the IFI in August 2018. He has been vice president of Thomas Associates Inc. of Cleveland since 2015 and held a variety of engineering and administrative roles with Thomas since 1996. Thomas Associates is a Cleveland-based trade association management company founded in 1913. Web: ThomasAMC.com

The roles include being general manager of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association; executive director of the Concrete & Masonry Anchor Manufacturers Association; technical director with National Sunroom Association; senior account executive; senior engineer of technical services; and staff engineer.

Walker has experience managing technology and research projects, codes, membership recruitment and retention, strategic planning, budgeting and safety education.

Walker graduated in 1996 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Cleveland State University. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Walker succeeds Rob Harris, managing director from 1995 through 2017, who returned on an interim role after the IFI separated with Ken McCreight who briefly succeeded Harris.

The IFI was founded in 1931. The IFI staff now includes Salim Brahimi, director of engineering technology; Barbara Grachanin and Michelle Lightfoot, administrative; and three IFI members heading divisions: Pat Meade, aerospace; John O’Brien, automotive; and Bob Hill, industrial. Web: indfast.org


IFI Chief Staff Officers
1931 – 1939  None

1940 – 1954  Herman Lind

1954 – 1974  Frank Masterson

1975 – 1981  Clyde Roberts Jr.

1982 – 1984  Richard Belford

1984 – 1995  Dick Scofield

1995 – 2017  Rob Harris

2017 – 2018  Ken McCreight

2018 –        Dan Walker