DALLAS –The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has named Grant Thornton LLP’s Walter (Wally) D. Gruenes to its board of directors.  Gruenes is the national managing partner, consumer and industrial products for Grant Thornton, and is based in the firm’s Dallas office.  

With more than 30 years in the industry counseling clients in the manufacturing sector,   Gruenes holds a BS in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a member of AICPA, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants.  

Gruenes’ appointment comes at a time when the nation’s manufacturers struggle to recover from the prolonged economic downturn, and he will lend his experience to support NAM’s advocacy on behalf of its 10,000 manufacturing companies and nearly 12 million workers.  He looks forward to working on behalf of American manufacturers to advance policies that help manufacturers do what they do best: create economic strength and jobs.