[Federal Register: September 2, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 170)]
[Notices]               
[Page 46777]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02se98-56]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

 
Announcement of a Partially Closed Meeting of the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership National Advisory Board

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of partially closed meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 
2, notice is hereby given that the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology's (NIST's) Manufacturing Extension Partnership National 
Advisory Board (MEPNAB) will meet to hold a meeting on Thursday, 
September 17, 1998. The MEPNAB is composed of nine members appointed by 
the Director of NIST who were selected for their expertise in the area 
of industrial extension and their work on behalf of smaller 
manufacturers. The Board was set up, under the direction of the 
Director of NIST, to fill a need for outside input on MEP. MEP is a 
unique program consisting of centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. 
The centers have been created by a state, federal and local 
partnership. The Board works closely with the MEP to provide input and 
advise on MEP's programs, plans, and policies. The purpose of this 
meeting is to delve into areas the Board selected at the previous 
meeting. The agenda includes a presentation by the co-chairs of the 
Next Generation Manufacturing Extension Partnership group under the 
United States Innovation Partnership on their vision for the future of 
manufacturing extension, MEP's work with client firms to increase their 
international competitiveness, and plans for a review of the process 
MEP uses to evaluate the centers. The portion of the meeting which 
involves personnel and proprietary budget information, will be closed 
to the public. All other portions of the meeting will be open to the 
public.

DATE AND ADDRESS: The meeting will convene on September 17, 1998, at 
8:00 a.m. and adjourn at 3:30 p.m. and will be held at the Department 
of Commerce, Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street and Constitution 
Avenue, Washington, DC, Room 4830. The closed portion of the meeting is 
scheduled from 8:00-9:00 a.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary for Administration 
with the concurrence of the General Counsel Formally determined on 
August 12, 1998, pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, that these portions of the meeting may be properly 
closed because they are concerned with matters that are within the 
purview of 5 U.S.C. 522(c)(4), (6) and (9)(b). A copy of the 
determination is available for public inspection in the Central 
Reference and Records Inspection Facility, Room 6219, Main Commerce.
    MEP's services to smaller manufacturers address the needs of the 
national market as well as the unique needs of each company. Since MEP 
is committed to providing this type of individualized service through 
its centers, the program requires the perspective of locally based 
experts to be incorporated into its national plans. The MEPNAB was 
established at the direction of the NIST Director to maintain MEP's 
focus on local and market-based needs. The MEPNAB was approved on 
October 24, 1996, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2., to provide advice on MEP programs, plans, and 
policies; to assess the soundness of MEP plans and strategies; to 
assess the current performance against MEP program plans, and to 
function in an advisory capacity. The Board will meet three times a 
year and reports to the Director of NIST. This will be the third 
meeting of the MEPNAB in 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Acierto, Assistant to the 
Director for Policy, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 
telephone number (301) 975-5033.

    Dated: August 24, 1998.
Robert E. Hebner,
Acting Deputy Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 98-23671 Filed 9-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M