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ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥welcomes the Association’s newest Local Section! The C6 Membership Committee and ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥Board of Directors approved the creation of the new Section on May 15, 2025.

The Great Lakes Section was created to foster connection and ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥activities in the Great Lakes region &/greatlakes25/8211; IL, MI, MN, IN, OH, and WI. The founding officers are excited to begin planning in-person activities and events for the section members to provide a local hub to textile professionals.

Founding Officers of the Great Lakes Section

Section Chair:ÌýTazeen Akhtar is a Graduate of Textile Engineering from NED University. She is from the second batch of the Textile Department at NED. She started her career by joining Crescent Greenwood Limited, which is the largest Denim manufacturing unit in Asia. She has worked in major Textile Mills, gaining experience in Ginning, Spinning, Weaving, wet processing, dyeing and finishing. Based in Chicago, she is a Textile consultant and full-time, stay-at-home parent. She is the newly elected and first chairwoman of the NED Engineers Alumni Association (NEDEA). She has undertaken a major revamp for NEDEA, organized multiple events, and planned professional webinars, as well as other upcoming events. With the same zest, she is very enthusiastic about reviving the ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥Great Lakes Section, bringing the same passion and experience from NEDEA.

Section Vice-Chair:ÌýKamryn Henderson is a Textile Laboratory Specialist at Victoria’s Secret & Co. where she develops test methods, conducts R&D/innovation/quality testing, & helps manage their product performance standards/protocols. She’s currently located in Columbus, OH and is an NC State alumnus. She was Student member at NC State’s ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥Student Chapter before joining ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥again through VS&Co’s Corporate Membership!

Section Secretary:ÌýAudra Hunter is a Principal Color Engineer at Target. Her career spans 30 years of expertise in Color Management with roles at Express, Limited Stores, and White House | Black Market.   Audra is passionate about leveraging both new and existing technologies to streamline today’s complex supply chains.  Currently, she focuses on addressing emerging challenges that affect product quality and visual aesthetics, helping ensure that Target delivers consistent, high-quality experiences to its customers.

Section Treasurer:ÌýDeeDee Lamberti is a Textile Consultant and stay-at-home parent. While not exactly in the Great Lakes Region, she represents Colorado and the surrounding region as a textile professional. As an active ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥Member since 2008, she has served as Secretary for RA63, TCR, ECR, and more recently involved in Strategic Planning (2025). Her past employment includes working as Product Integrity Manager at SanMar and Laboratory Manager at Cocona/37.5 Technologies. DeeDee holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Colorado State University with a focus in textile science and sustainable fibers.

Section Education Chairs:

Mazeyar Parvinzadeh Gashti is an assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, USA. He got his PhD in Textile Chemistry and Fiber Science and undertook three postdoctoral positions at the University of Bern (Switzerland), Laval University, and McGill University (Canada) from 2011 to 2016. With 20 years’ experience in the textile industry, he has led several R and D funded projects from the US National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, Innovative Solutions Canada Program, Innovation for Defense Excellence and Security Program (Canada), The Industrial Research Assistance Program (Canada), and Build in Canada Innovation Program for North America’s textile industry. Since 2019, he has been a member of the Directory Board of the Canadian Institute of Textile Science.

Lauren Agnew serves as the laboratory coordinator for the Central Michigan University (CMU) Center for Merchandising and Design Technology as well as an instructor for fashion merchandising related courses. A proud graduate of CMU, Lauren earned her Master of Science in Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Technology in 2019 and is currently working towards her Doctorate in Educational Technology.

Amid the ever-evolving changes in the textile industry, the creation of the Great Lakes reflects the strength, commitment, and vision of the ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥members. The Association is excited to stand alongside the founding members and is dedicated to offering ongoing support and resources to help the Sections thrive and expand well into the future.

AATCC connects the global textile community to empower an innovative, informed, and sustainable future. Headquartered in the Research Triangle Park of North Carolina, ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥has provided standards development, testing materials, educational resources, and professional networking to the global textile industry for more than a century.

Membership Contact: Maria Thiry; Publications & Membership Director; thirym@aatcc.org