Martin J. "Marty" Mechsner was a driving force for the development of robotics teams, and leagues in Southern California. He supported local trailers and helped with the inaugural VEX World Championship event at CSUN. He focused on Workforce Development before it was recognized nationally as a critical need.
Mechsner served as president and CEO of the Small Manufacturers' Institute (SMI), president of Schober's Machine and Engineering (SME), and adjunct professor of Technology and Mechanical Engineering at the Cal State University Campus in Los Angeles, and General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Fabrication Division of IMS.