February General Meeting  

"Lean Six Sigma: From "Project-Based" to "Culture-Based" in a highly regulated industry"

Presented by

Ms. Sonja Cline,

Director of Operations, RTS Unit, Lonza Walkersville

Thursday, February 21, 2008
At the
The Golden Bull Restaurant
In
Gaithersburg, MD

The cost is $10.00 for ASQ members and students or $20.00 for non-members.

Please register using the link above or by contacting Mrs. Michele Withnell at (301) 461-2469 or .  Please note:  Meal preferences cannot be guaranteed if one is not registered by Tuesday, February 19, 6:00pm.

Important Notice: ASQ Section 509 is responsible for the meals for all �No shows� at The Golden Bull Restaurant.  Please help us control our losses by notifying our Arrangements Chair Mrs. Michele Withnell at to cancel your dinner prior to the event.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Program Summary:  Variation and waste occur in all processes.  But�.it can be minimized and/ or eliminated by using the proper Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques.  Whether �project-based� or the ideal, �culture-based�, Lean Six Sigma is still driven by data.  And that data can drive you to change, even in an environment that is highly regulated.  This presentation will take you on a journey; a journey through the Lean Six Sigma implementation at Lonza Walkersville.  This presentation will also illustrate the importance of the �right� data, highlight the successes of many of the LSS projects at Lonza Walkersville, and discuss the importance of the customer.

Speaker Biography:  Sonja Cline

Sonja H. Cline is the Director of Operations for the Rapid Testing Systems (RTS) Business Unit for Lonza, Walkersville, Inc, a supplier of test kits, reagents, raw materials, and components for research and FDA-regulated companies.  The company also provides contract manufacturing facilities and services for FDA-regulated companies. 

Ms. Cline has 16 years of experience with the former BioWhittaker/Cambrex, now Lonza, company holding roles in Quality Control, Technical Services, Marketing, Planning, Sales and Operations Planning, Lean Six Sigma (LSS), and most recently Operations.  She is also the chair of the Lonza Bioscience LSS Council.  Concurrently, Sonja is the team leader for the Production Planning SAP implementation project, slated to �go-live� this Spring 2008.  Ms. Cline is a Six Sigma Black Belt, holds a Masters in Business Administration from Hood College, Frederick, MD, and a BS in Biology from Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA.

She is also quite involved with the Frederick 4^th of July Committee, part of �Celebrate Frederick�, and is the President of the Frederick Volleyball Club.

See February 2008 General Meeting Announcement for more information and directions to the Golden Bull Restaurant.