IEs Bring Profitability to NonProfits

Thursday, April 30, 2 p.m. Eastern time | Register now

Presenter: Ted Mayeshiba and Stella Mahakian, University of Southern California

IIE Los Angeles Chapter supports community development programs locally by collaborating with local members to design and implement engineering projects, while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders. In this case, our members work with a member of the nonprofit community to find appropriate industrial engineering based solutions to improve operational efficiency thereby decreasing dependence on charitable funding and government sponsored programs.

This webinar reviews our involvement with AbilityFirst, which, in this case, provides programs for adults with disabilities and special needs. The work center in this study provides secure paper shredding services to the public, while teaching and helping participants reach their full potential throughout their lives. The work center environment offers a range of employment, recreational and socialization special needs programs for the participants. While most of AbilityFirst programs qualify for funding through the state-supported regional centers, government support provides only about half of the dollars necessary to deliver high quality programs and services. The presentation illustrates how applying industrial engineering skills helped transform the work center from a "cost center" to a "profit center."

Theodore (Ted) Mayeshiba has over seven years working with municipalities, school districts (second largest in the U.S.) military and aerospace to introduce and train senior leadership and managers in developing lean culture, as well as aligning of metrics to strategic goals to improve operational capacity. By working closely, sometimes directly, for the senior leadership teams, Mayeshiba has had experience in multiple management and leadership styles, which allows him to be flexible in working with a variety of leadership types. Mayeshiba is an IIE fellow and current board member/past president of the IIE Los Angeles Chapter.

Stella Marie Mahakian worked for seven years with a transportation company as an industrial engineer supervising transportation and operations planning to utilize optimum design capacity and scheduling and supporting on-time network (OTN) management and management accounting. In addition, Mahakian worked at a healthcare systems, nonprofit organization, and currently at a supply chain company applying lean approach to process improvement using a systems engineering approach, specifically model-based systems engineering process, and implementing engineering work standards including layout. Mahakian received her B.S. in industrial engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, in 2004. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in industrial and systems engineering and certification in supply chains operations at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.