Don Vincent to Retire From Robotic Industries Assn.

Donald A. Vincent, who has headed the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) since 1983 and helped launch the group in 1974, will retire June 30, RIA announced today. He will be succeeded by Jeffrey A. Burnstein, RIA's vice president of marketing and public relations and executive director. Vincent was instrumental in RIA's growth from a startup to a trade association with a staff of 13 which now represents more than 250 companies. Trevor Jones, current RIA president and director of OEM development at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., said that under Vincent's leadership, RIA became the leading source for industrial robot statistics in North America, developed the American National Robot Safety Standard, launched Robotics Online Web site, created educational workshops on the use of robots and established the International Robots & Vision Show and Conferences. "RIA's development is an amazing success story, and Don Vincent has been its primary architect," said Joseph F. Engelberger, a robotics industry pioneer who helped launch RIA in 1974. Vincent was also instrumental in establishing the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) and the Motion Control Association (MCA) and helped create and is executive vice president of the Automation Technologies Council (ATC). Burnstein will also assume Vincent's responsibilities as ATC's executive vice president.