Philip K. Bell is President of the Washington, D.C.-based Steel Manufacturers Association. Prior to leading the SMA, Phil served as director of external communications and public affairs for Gerdau Long Steel North America based in Tampa, FL. He is a 25-year industry veteran, who developed an interest in the steel industry and manufacturing in the late 1980s while working in maintenance and operations at Elementis Chromium in Corpus Christi, TX. He has held executive-level positions in operations, human resources and public affairs with Gerdau, the SGL Carbon Group, and Qualitech Steel Corporation. He currently serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 11), advising the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative on trade policy, trade agreements, and other trade related matters that benefit U.S. businesses, workers, and the economy. Phil is also on the board of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He is also a member of the Association of Iron & Steel Technology and serves on the board of trustees at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Phil graduated from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He holds a master’s degree in Global Strategic Communications from the University of Florida.