The American Foundry Society (AFS) is proud to announce the recipients for two of its most prestigious honors, recognizing outstanding leadership and service to the metalcasting industry.
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Brent Charlton | Alan Brink | Gregory Miskinis | Tracy Malpass |
2025 Keating Founders’ Freedom Award Recipients
AFS is honored to present the Keating Founders’ Freedom Award to Brent Charlton and Alan Brink. This award was established to recognize foundry industry leaders "for significant contributions to the foundry industry and active participation in the fields of government affairs, human resource management, safety, health, or education.
Brent Charlton is Vice President of EHS at Metal Technologies of Indiana, LLC, with 29 years as a full-time safety professional. He began his career after earning a BS in Agriculture from Purdue University, working in safety roles at several companies before joining MTI in 2014. A certified safety professional since 2001, Brent has chaired the AFS Safety Committee, currently leads the AFS EHS Division, and is a long-time member of the American Society of Safety Professionals.
Alan Brink is President and CEO of Spring City Electrical Manufacturing Company, where he has led since 1996 after serving as Vice President and CFO. Under his leadership, the company has become a leading supplier of ornate cast iron and aluminum lampposts and fixtures in major U.S. cities, introduced patented LED fixtures, and successfully navigated globalization challenges. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles with Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), managing consulting projects for Fortune 500 companies, manufacturers, and government agencies.
2025 William J. Grede Award Recipients
The William J. Grede Award is awarded to Gregory Miskinis and Tracy Malpass. This award celebrates leaders for major contributions in the fields of management, marketing or education which have resulted in expanding the effective use of metal castings.
Prior to his recent retirement, Gregory Miskinis served as the Director of Research and Process Development for Waupaca Foundry. His excellent work at Waupaca Foundry lasted over 30 years. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Plant Metallurgist at Brillion Iron Works. Miskinis received his BS and MS degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Miskinis has been an active member of AFS since 1979.
Tracy Malpass is the President and CEO of EJ. Prior to this role, he served in many different areas at EJ including Executive VP, VP of Engineering Services and Facility Project Engineer. Malpass received his Mechanical Engineering Technology degree from Lake Superior State University.
Award Presentations
Brent Charlton, Alan Brink, and Gregory Miskinis will receive their awards at the upcoming 2025 Foundry Leadership Summit in Farmington, PA.
Tracy Malpass will receive his award during Metalcasting Congress 2026 in Grand Rapids, MI.
The American Foundry Society extends its heartfelt congratulations to Brent Charlton, Alan Brink, Gregory Miskinis, and Tracy Malpass on being recognized with these prestigious awards. Their dedication, leadership, and vision have made a lasting impact on the metalcasting industry, inspiring colleagues and advancing the industry as a whole. AFS thanks each of these outstanding individuals for their contributions and looks forward to celebrating their achievements at the upcoming award presentations.
The American Foundry Society is a dynamic technical and advocacy organization that serves and represents the $50 billion metalcasting industry. AFS is the only association serving the entire industry, including all metals and processes, with a three-part focus on advocacy, education, and innovation. AFS also publishes Modern Casting and Casting Source magazines and presents Metalcasting Congress and CastExpo, the largest metalcasting trade events in North America. Founded in 1896, the organization is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an advocacy office in Washington, D.C. More information is available at AFSinc.org. |