Jan 10, 2013

Michael R. Withers, vice president of ride engineering for Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, Calif., has been elected to serve a two-year term as vice chairman of the ASTM International board of directors.

At Walt Disney Imagineering, Withers has responsibility for amusement ride design and engineering. In addition, he is currently serving as project manager for the Walt Disney Imagineering Global Design for Safety Initiative within the Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resorts Segment.

An ASTM International member since 2000, Withers is vice chairman of Subcommittee F24.24 on Design and Manufacture, a part of Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices. He is an active member of several F24 subcommittees, and he represents ASTM on the European Technical Committee CEN/TC 152, which is responsible for EN 13814, Fairground and Amusement Park Machinery and Structures – Safety, the European standard on amusement park safety. In 2011, F24 recognized Withers with the Award of Merit and title of fellow for his leadership and service in developing ASTM safety standards for the global amusement industry and his efforts in promoting the worldwide use and adoption of F24 standards. He has been a member of the ASTM board of directors since 2009, serving as chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee in 2012. Withers also served a term on the ASTM Committee on Technical Committee Operations (COTCO).

After graduating from Oakland University, Rochester, Mich., in 1972, with a B.S. in engineering, Withers began his professional career as a project engineer with Autosafety Engineering in Rochester, Mich. In 1974, he became a project manager at the John Z. DeLorean Corp. in Bloomfield Hill, Mich., and in 1977, took the position of vice president with Triad Services in Troy, Mich. In these roles he was involved with mechanical and systems engineering and automotive safety systems. In 1990, Withers joined Disney Imagineering as director of operations, and in 2000, he assumed his current role.

Outside ASTM International, Withers is a member of SAE International and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

Click here to see the full list of the 2013 ASTM board of directors.

ASTM PR Contact: Erin Brennan, Phone: 610-832-9602; ebrennan@astm.org

Release #9264