Breakout #3

Eric Lanke is the President and CEO of the National Fluid Power Association, a trade association of more than 300 organizations serving the hydraulic and pneumatic industries. He is responsible for setting NFPA’s strategic direction, and overseeing the programs and communications needed to achieve its objectives. He also serves as the President and CEO of the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation, an affiliated charitable organization that supports outreach, education and research programs in fluid power. 

During his tenure with NFPA, Eric has worked to build coalitions that have launched, developed and grown numerous initiatives focused on the future of the fluid power industry, including: 

• The NFPA Executive Leadership Program, a partnership with the Kellogg School of Management that provides executive education and collaborative experiences to emerging and established leaders in the fluid power industry.
• The Fluid Power Forum podcast, a new media platform that showcases interesting and innovative uses of fluid power, and the technology advances that are helping to create them.
• The Fluid Power Industrial Consortium, an educational platform for fluid power manufacturers, distributors, and OEMs to network, solve problems, and access cutting-edge technologies.
• The Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, a nationwide undergraduate engineering design challenge that teaches practical hydraulics and connects students to industry mentors and employment opportunities.
• Project AME, a technology demonstration collaboration between industry, academia and government labs that produced the first additively manufactured hydraulic excavator.
• The Fluid Power Innovation and Research Conference, an event that presents fluid power research in North America and connects industry to university resources and talent through technical sessions, networking opportunities, and laboratory tours.
• The Pascal Society, an annual giving and recognition society within the NFPA Foundation dedicated to meeting the technology and workforce development needs of the U.S. fluid power industry.
• The Energy Efficient Hydraulics and Pneumatics Conference, an event designed to educate the marketplace on state-of-the-art system design and maintenance techniques.
• A grant program to support the establishment of new fluid power teaching laboratories at four-year universities and two-year technical schools.
• A comprehensive study of fluid power system energy consumption and efficiency conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy
• The Technology Roadmap for the Fluid Power Industry and the pre-competitive research agenda it contains.
• The Fluid Power Action Challenge student design/build competition, engaging thousands of U.S. middle school students in learning about fluid power technology and careers.
• The “Fluid Power: A Force for Change” video program, marketing recent advances in the industry to a world-wide audience.

Prior to NFPA, Eric worked at Executive Director, Inc. (EDI), one of the five largest association management companies in the United States, where he held leadership positions with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.

Eric is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He has served as a board member of the Council of Manufacturing Associations of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). He has chaired and served as an active member of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE), where he has led task forces focused on the adoption of for-profit innovative practices by non-profit organizations and on increasing the use of membership diversity in the organization’s activities and decision processes.

He received his BS degree from the University of Wisconsin.