[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49967-49968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20807]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Announcement of a Partially Closed Meeting of the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership National Advisory Board

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of partially closed meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 
2, notice is hereby given that the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology's (NIST's) Manufacturing Extension Partnership National 
Advisory Board (MEPNAB) will meet to hold a meeting on Wednesday, 
September 20, 2000. The MEPNAB is composed of eight members appointed 
by the Director of NIST who were selected for their expertise in the 
area of industrial extension and their work on behalf of smaller 
manufacturers. The Board was set up, under the direction of the 
Director of NIST, to fill a need for outside input on MEP. MEP is a 
unique program consisting of centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. 
The centers have been created by state, federal, and local 
partnerships. The Board works closely with MEP to provide input and 
advice on MEP's programs, plans, and policies. The purpose of this 
meeting is to delve into areas of operation determined by the Board. 
The agenda includes a look at the MEP program impact, the integration 
team pilot, and the operation of Center boards. The portion of the 
meeting, which involves personnel and proprietary budget information, 
will be closed to the general public. All other portions of the meeting 
will be open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will convene on September 20, 2000, at 8 a.m. and 
will adjourn at 3:30 p.m. and will be held at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD. 
The closed portion of the meeting is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary for Administration 
with the concurrence of the General Counsel formally determined on July 
12, 2000, pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, that these portions of the meeting may be properly closed because 
they are concerned with matters that are within the purview of 5 U.S.C. 
522(c)(4), (6) and (9)(b). A copy of the determination is available for 
public inspection in the Central Reference and Records Inspection 
Facility, Room 6219, Main Commerce.
    MEP's services to small manufacturers address the needs of the 
national market as well as the unique needs of each company. Since MEP 
is committed to providing this type of individualized service through 
its centers, the program requires the perspective of locally based 
experts to be incorporated into its national plans. The MEPNAB was 
established at the direction of the NIST Director to maintain MEP's 
focus on local and market-based needs. The MEPNAB was approved on 
October 16, 1998, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2., to provide advice on MEP programs, plans, and 
policies; to assess the soundness of MEP plans and strategies; to 
assess the current performance against MEP program plans, and to 
function in an advisory capacity. The Board will meet three times a 
year and reports to the Director of NIST. This will be the third 
meeting of the MEPNAB in 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Acierto, Senior Policy Advisor, 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4800, telephone number (301) 
975-5033.


[[Page 49968]]


    Dated: August 10, 2000.
Karen H. Brown,
Deputy Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 00-20807 Filed 8-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M