Board Leadership

jtrobertson2009@gmail.com

Dr. John Robertson is a physicist working on solar arrays for satellites with Boeing in El Segundo, California.

jimcarleton4@gmail.com

Jim Carleton is retired from the aerospace industry at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) after 40 years of service. He supported all 135 Space Shuttle launches as well as several other missile launches. Jim worked at United Space Alliance (USA), a prime contractor for the Space Shuttle Program, most recently as the Solid Rocket Booster Program Manager. Jim served in several roles in the USA, including Director of Space Shuttle Upgrades and Director of Manufacturing Operations. Prior to the USA, he was an Engineering Manager and Program Manager for United Technologies Corporation, USBI. Jim is a Certified Manager with the Institute of Certified Professional Managers and a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology Certified Manager curriculum. Jim retired from the United States Marine Corps and is a Vietnam Veteran, receiving several decorations including the Purple Heart. After retiring from KSC, Mr. Carleton started a successful business, Chematics of the South. As the CEO of this Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, he won and completed contracts at KSC, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Patrick Space Force Base, and Port Canaveral. Jim is currently enjoying a slower pace as the CEO of Old Dead Eye Golf, selling golf products and playing the grand old game. Jim is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Brevard Veterans Council.  He is the past Chairman of the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery Support Committee. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.

kevin.ellis@duke-energy.com

Kevin Ellis is the General Manager of Nuclear Regulatory Affairs, Policy, and Emergency Preparedness in the Charlotte Corporate Office. In this role, Kevin is responsible for developing and executing regulatory strategy for Duke Energy’s nuclear fleet. He is responsible for licensing and compliance associated with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulated activities, North and South Carolina utility commission rate case activities for nuclear, and oversight of the emergency preparedness program to ensure it is effective in its role of maintaining the health and safety of the public.

Kevin has more than 20 years of experience in the nuclear energy industry. Kevin joined Duke Energy in 2016 as Manager of Regulatory Affairs in the Corporate Office. Kevin transitioned to Robinson Nuclear Plant, where he was selected as Regulatory Affairs Manager in 2017, Nuclear Support Services Manager in 2018, and Director of Plant Support Engineering in 2019.

Kevin began his nuclear career working for Norfolk Naval Shipyard, refueling submarines for the nuclear navy. Afterwards, Kevin joined the NRC, where he was a Resident and Senior Resident Inspector in Region II.

Kevin, a native of Wilson, NY, earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology. He also received a senior reactor operator certification from Oconee Nuclear Station.

cyfernando@gmail.com

Chris Fernando is an experienced leader, mobility researcher, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. His primary background is in aviation and airport operations with a focus on emerging aviation technologies, policy development, and airport and environmental planning. He is a recognized subject matter expert in these fields and his expertise in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), urban air mobility (UAM), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has resulted in multiple engagements with Federal clients and multiple airports in the U.S. to support integration efforts. He has an extensive network and strategic partnerships with the industry and has leveraged these relationships to plan and host successful workshops, stakeholder engagement roundtables, and conferences related to the future of aviation.

He is currently a Principal at Hovecon in Raleigh, NC, an advisor to the mobility group at Ernst and Young, an AAM consultant to the FAA and NASA, and an adjunct professor at Florida Institute of Technology where he teaches graduate courses on the UAM Ecosystem and Infrastructure Planning for AAM. He is a board member of the Florida Tech Alumni Association, a member of the College of Aero Advisory Council, an advisory board member of the Jet Perfect Foundation, and a founding member and advisor to the Coalition of Advanced Health Mobility. He is also the co-host of the No U-Turn Podcast, which is a podcast focused on the future of transportation, emerging technologies, and the workforce of the future. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

jimhalley3@gmail.com

Jim Halley was an Artillery Officer in the United States Marine Corps prior to becoming involved with aviation. As an artillery officer, he gained immeasurable experience in operations and safety management and team leadership but also found that in the civilian workforce, there were not many opportunities for artillery officers. He was passionate about aviation and earned two degrees: a B.S. in Aviation Management from Florida Institute of Technology and an MBA in Aviation from Embry-Riddle. After working in the consulting world for a couple of years, he worked in airport operations at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport and then Palm Beach International Airport. He then joined the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) in September 2014, as the Aviation System Manager and then became the Statewide Planning Coordinator in 2019 where he led efforts related to the Florida Transportation Plan and gained experience working with the Transportation Research Board, grants, and compliance. Jim then joined the Aviation Division as Director of Planning and Programming in May 2020.

ramone.hemphill@gmail.com

Ramone Hemphill, Sr. earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2006. He then went on to receive his MBA in project management from Florida Tech in 2022.

Since then, he has worked as a systems engineer in avionics, a career that in the winter of 2019 brought him and his family to the Space Coast, where he now works for Northrop Grumman. 

In December 2020, Ramone and his wife launched the 99th Squadron, a nonprofit organization seeking to expose young people, particularly minorities, to the vast opportunities in the aviation industry and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields beyond.

rhodiehumbert@aol.com

Dr. Rhodie Humbert is an Adjunct Professor at Florida Tech’s School of Business teaching Production Management and Operations in addition to supporting the school’s innovative incubator for developing student business ideas. He received his MBA from Florida Tech in 1982. His previous experience includes stints as Senior Proposal Manager at IAP Worldwide Services, Inc. with full responsibility and authority for preparing large and complex Government proposals. Before IAP, he had extensive Defense industry experience as a Senior Program Manager for more than 25 years with Harris Corporation.

Dr. Humbert’s successes include designing, developing, delivering, and installing satellite communications equipment. He also has extensive experience leading Government and Commercial high volume manufacturing systems. He is particularly effective in lean initiatives and has managed functional teams and factory resources to manufacture and deliver products that exceed both customer specifications and schedule expectations in addition to achieving corporate financial objectives. 

He is active in community affairs and serves as a member of the City of Melbourne’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee, is a Florida Tech Alumni Association Board Member, and volunteers with Vitas Hospice and the Maxwell King Center. 

manishjindal18@gmail.com

Manish Jindal works for Accenture LLP as a Cloud First Sales Director. Manish is responsible for developing Accenture Cloud Business in North America.

Manish has 22+ years of sales and leadership experience in various industries including but not limited to Retail & CPG, Travel, Transportation and logistics, Banking and Finance Services, Insurance, High-Tech and Manufacturing, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and the Public Sector.

Before joining Accenture, Manish was the Regional Partner Development Lead for Amazon Web Services responsible for developing AWS business with Global System Integrators (GSI) in North America.

Before AWS, Manish was the Dallas Region Head for Retail, CPG, Travel, and Transportation (RCTL) verticals for Tech Mahindra (TechM). At TechM, he was responsible for growing his strategic accounts to make the place in the CEO’s Top Account 25 list. Manish brings a diverse background in multiple industries, technologies, and roles.

In his current & previous roles, Manish managed customer relationships bringing 10x growth and winning new customer logos. He comes in handy with a strong technical solution mindset, program execution, and onshoring/ offshoring delivery models. 

Manish has a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Florida Tech and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Manish did extensive research for NASA Glenn Research Lab & Florida Hydrogen Research Center and published several technical papers. He likes to help students prepare for transitioning from student to working professionals by mentoring and coaching them.

Manish currently lives near Dallas (Texas) with his wife (Mahima) and two boys (Manav and Arnev).

chris.marot@heka.email

Christopher Marot graduated from Florida Tech with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Applied Mathematics and Computer Engineering. At Florida Tech, he was ingrained with the value of teamwork while he rowed crew and won numerous state, regional, and national titles with his team.

After successfully founding, building, and running two previous engineering services companies, he founded HEKA in 2017 to focus on full-scale product development services. These services include software, electrical and mechanical engineering and their integration into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), Proof of Concepts (POCs), or full-scale production.

javier@aldiatoday.com

Javier Molinares came to the United States in 1991. His first job was as a cargo handler. He then drove trucks for 4 years before joining the US Army as a paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division. During his time in the 82nd Airborne, he completed his Associate in Arts, moved back to Palm Bay, and enrolled in the communication program of the Florida Institute of Technology. In 2003, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and recorded his own music CD, Vallecumbia. He later wrote for Florida Today’s business section and ultimately started the bilingual newspaper Al Día Today eight years ago.

davemurphy50@outlook.com

Corporate VP of Operations at Food Sales East where he supports the leadership team and the organization in areas of financial management, re-enforcing corporate culture based on integrity and teamwork, and driving operational efforts aimed at maximizing selling time to drive client revenue growth.

bryan@pommers.com

Bryan earned his BS in Ocean Engineering from Florida Tech in 1985. After graduation, Bryan served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Propulsion Submarine Officer and then transitioned his career to financial services. He is currently an executive at Bayview Asset Management.

nicholas.schwartz@gmail.com

Dr. Nicholas Schwartz is a licensed professional chemical engineer with research and development experience in energy and sustainability. After achieving a B.S. at UW-Madison, he graduated with a M.S. from FIT in 2014, and later a Ph.D. from UF. Dr. Schwartz is a principal engineer with M2X Energy, a climate-driven company targeting the commercial conversion of flare gas to methanol with a transportable chemical system. 

veronica.sherard@l3harris.com

Veronica Sherard is an experienced business development director with a demonstrated history of working in the defense & space industry. She is currently the Director of Business Development for the Intel & Cyber Sector in the Space and Airborne Systems Segment of L3Harris Corporation. She received an MBA focused on Business and Human Resource Mgmt from Florida Institute of Technology in 1993.

ftricomi@earthlink.net

Frank Tricomi is the Chief Operating Officer for Conley and Associates, Inc., and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a multi-divisional product support company with business units and offices located throughout the U.S. and the Middle East. Prior to coming to Conley, he created, launched, and was President of ESSIbuy.com, Inc., a subsidiary of a publically held corporation, Engineered Support Systems, Inc. (ESSI). 

Before starting ESSIbuy, he was the Director of Program Management at Engineered Air Systems, another ESSI subsidiary.

Immediately after retirement from the military, he held the position of Executive Director of the Wisconsin Procurement Institute, a non-profit corporation that assisted Wisconsin companies to capture government business.

Prior to an extensive career in industry, his military service extended more than 27 years.  After receiving a commission in the U.S. Army, he served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader and subsequently commanded troops at the company and Battalion levels, culminating in selection as commander of the Army’s only Watercraft Battalion. Prior to retirement from the U.S. Army, he held a number of executive positions, including Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), the Commander of the Defense Contract Management Area Operations, headquartered in St. Louis, and Director of the Procurement Center and Contracting at the Army’s Aviation and Troop Command.

He was a member of and served as the President of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Lighthouse for the Blind Industries and was the Executive Director of the St. Louis Federal Executive Board Small Disadvantage Business Opportunity Council. He was an Adjunct Professor in the Lindenwood University School of Business MBA Program and advised in St. Louis University’s Entrepreneurship Program. He received a BA in Political Science from John Carroll University, an MS in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, and an MA in National Security Planning and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He also participated in the Harvard University Negotiation Project and is a graduate of Defense Acquisition University’s Program Management School. He was selected as a Distinguished Member of the Transportation Corps, was awarded the St. Louis Federal Executive Board Leadership Award, and was chosen as a 1994 Federal Executive of the Year.

Rae Gina and Marc are parents to Matthew Began who began Florida Tech in 2018 and is currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Marc is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Axogen in Tampa Florida. The family has connections and has lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts and now Tampa, FL.

Daniela was an elite gymnast and was awarded a full-ride scholarship from LSU (Louisiana State Univeristy) and then ISU (Iowa State University). She lived and competed in the US for four years in the NCAA division I. Daniela received a MVA (most valuable athlete) award and was a school record holder on the uneven bars. 

She graduated from ISU with a BA in Economics and has a master in Finance from FGV, Brazil's top business school. Daniela lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

She has more than 20 years of experience working in the financial markets in Brazil where she was a senior sell-side analyst. Daniela has a strong track-record in working in IPO offers which includes some of Brazil’s largest and most popular brands and retail chains such as Arezzo, Magazine Luiza, Raia Drogasil, Natura, BRF Foods and Grupo Carrefour Brasil.

Her daughter Isabella is an animal lover. She was an equestrian rider and participated in many horse jumping shows in Brazil, Portugal, Belgium, the US and Israel where she was the youngest rider ever representing Brazil to compete at the World Maccabiah Games in 2017. Isabella began Florida Tech in 2022 and is majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Kay Lynn and Forrest Brumbaugh are the proud parents of Jackson Brumbaugh, a business major in the FIT Class of 2024 and a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Team. Kay Lynn is a native Texan with her undergraduate degree in Honors Business and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Forrest grew up in Southern Indiana and graduated from the University of Evansville with a degree in Political Science. Forrest and Kay Lynn met at the University of Virginia School of Law where they both obtained their law degrees. After over twenty-eight years in private law practice, Forrest recently retired from the partnership of the international law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright. Forrest has come out of retirement, however, to take a government service job. Forrest is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Evansville. Kay Lynn in the Head of Litigation, Group Legal for the London Stock Exchange Group. Forrest and Kay Lynn also have an older son who is a business major at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. 

Corey and Jeri are parents to Kaylee Crispe who began Florida Tech in 2022 as an Aeronautical Science with Flight major. Corey is the Director of Account Management: Whatfix in Denver, CO. The family lives in Elizabeth, Colorado and also has property in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Robert Czincila, D.O. has been practicing Emergency Medicine for over 23 years. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Gannon University and attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) where he obtained his Doctorate. He went on to complete his residency, as the Chief Resident for the program, at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA. Bob has more than 15 years of leadership experience holding positions including, Medical Director, Chair, and Chief of several emergency departments and has trained hundreds of residents from various medical specialties. He has been a board-certified emergency physician for over 19 years and volunteers his time as a board examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Bob is currently the VP and Senior Medical Director for Vybe Urgent Care.

Shannon Czincila has over 23 years experience in the Nuclear power industry and is currently the Director of Engineering for Constellation Nuclear at Limerick Generating Station. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering from Lehigh University. She has held various technical and leadership roles at Constellation and in the industry. Shannon has a wide variety of experience in the power industry including, engineering, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), operations, licensing, security, training, environmental, emergency preparedness, organizational performance, and regulatory. In addition, she holds a Senior Reactor Operations ANSI BWR Certification. Shannon is also the President of the Auxiliary for Albert Einstein Healthcare Network.

Shannon and Bob have a son who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is studying Mechanical Engineering. They live outside of Philadelphia, PA with their other 2 children who are in high school, and have a vacation home on Hutchinson Island, FL. In their spare time, they love to travel with their family and volunteer in their community.

Joseph and Maurine are parents to Robbie Heine who graduated Florida Tech with his BS in May 2023. Robbie will continue his education here at Florida Tech as a graduate student. Joseph has had a successful career in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and food industry at Fortune Global 500 Companies. He has worked for Alcon Laboratories, Novartis, and Abbott and currently is Senior Manager, Microbiology at BD, one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world. BD works on advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. 

Stuart and Dee are parents to Joshua and Nathan Davis who began Florida Tech in 2020 and 2023 respectively. Josh is majoring in Aerospace Engineering and will graduate with his BS in Summer ‘23 and will continue at Florida Tech to earn his Master’s degree. Nathan will be majoring in Aerospace Engineering, as well.  Stuart has degrees from US Military Academy, Old Dominion and Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently works as a Senior Engineer for Applied Research Associates. Dee has a degree from University of Aberdeen. The family lives in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Young Deepak thoroughly grounded into his vernacular roots as an Extempore Speaker, a remarkable Sports Man as University Blue of University Foot Ball Team Member, and a Science Genius took a plunge into his career flaunting his versatile personality and armed with distinguishing Mechanical Engineering Degree and his meritorious first position at a Science Competition held by KSCST @ Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with his Engineering final year project “ The Computer Aided Design N Drafting of Hydraulic Cylinder” in the year 1991.

The MOOG Inc. USA taking note of his project that shined at Science Competition held by KSCST @ Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore recruited him in their MNC that pioneered the technology SERVOCONTROLS. He achieved Excellency in the technology and served in every of their facility spread across the Globe. 

He joined hands with his younger brother Mr. Dinesh Dhadoti and together they endeavored on their entrepreneurial journey from their home garage under the banner,  SERVOCONTROLS. Soon they achieved close contacts with all major business enterprises in the field of Aerospace, Steel, Plastics, Powergen, Mobile Hydraulics, Construction Equipments and etc. SERVOCONTROLS with two state of art facilities in home town Belagavi and a work force of 300+ as well attracted international clients of repute like IAI, RAFAEL, Collins Aerospace, HYDRAFORCE Inc and other giants like GE, Cummins, TATAs, HCL….. 

SERVOCONTROLS takes pride in being a designated Vendor of ISRO in all its world famous missions like MANGALYAAN, CHANDRAYAAN and now having received work orders for GAGANYAAN. 

SERVOCONTROLS also has come up with an innovative and advanced DESKTOP SATELLITE SIMULATION KIT. The kit is aimed at educating students at school and under-graduation levels in building, working and controlling satellites and also space grade satellites to be launched in LEO.

Jyoti his wife as a resourceful Sr. Admin Officer and all along continues to be a dependable colleague. Their elder son Ankur graduated from Florida Tech in 2022 with a degree in Software Engineering. Their younger son, Ankit started Florida Tech in 2021, majoring in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Flight Technology.

Kathy is the parent to Maximo Diaz who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Kathy is an alumni from Florida Tech and earned her degree in 1994 in Business Administration. The family lives in North Miami, FL.

Dr. Brian Boggs and Dr. Olga Emgushov are the proud parents of Indigo Boggs, an Astrobiology Major in the FIT Class of 2024 bound for Mars. Brian graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine after attaining a bachelor’s in mathematics from the University of Virginia. Olga received her medical doctorate and Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaii and her bachelor’s in biochemistry from Temple University.  Brian and Olga met in residency in New Orleans. Brian worked at the US Navy Hospital Guam emergency department and Olga worked at the Guam Department of Health.  As Brian had always wanted to go to Space Camp and Olga insisted on a home unburdened by snow in an area with surfable waves, they moved with their three children to the Space Coast and watched the last 22 shuttle launches. Brian started at Health First in the emergency department in 2005 and is now the Vice President for Medical Affairs for Health First Community Hospitals and the Vice President of Case Management Health First Hospital Division. Olga worked as the Brevard County Health Department Director of Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness and had her own private medical practice in Cocoa Beach.  She now works at NASA as the Occupational Health Physician for the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer.

Ralph and Linda are the parents of Austin Engeler who is a Civil Engineering major, Class of 2024. Austin is also a proud member of the Men’s Lacrosse team. They have two other college-age sons, Brey and Colton. Ralph is self-employed as a real estate investor and Realtor/GRI in the Fort Lauderdale/SFLA area. A veteran with 23 years of service in the US Army, Ralph’s alma mater is The Citadel, and he holds an International MBA from Florida International University. Linda is a retired Nurse Practitioner, ARNP, graduate of Florida State and holds a Masters of Nursing from Barry University. The family spends their time between Davie, Florida and Marco Island, Florida.

Rosie Wells-Fawkes is a real estate professional and has worked several years in the insurance and legal fields. She is an active member in her parish church, St. Christopher's Anglican Church and for many years has been a "School Mom" at Lyford Cay International School. Her hobbies include travelling, meeting interesting people, baking and cooking.

Laura and Matthew are parents to Luca Garratt who began at Florida Tech in 2021 and is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Laura has held the position of Vice President of Product Marketing for Monat and is currently self-employed. Matthew is a Pharma Sales Specialist for Abbvie. The family currently lives in Weston, FL but is originally from Brooklyn, NY.

Marina and John are the proud parents of John Jr., a Computer Science Major whose aspiration are of becoming a Game Designer.

Marina and John are from New York City and both are graduates from Pace University. John in Management Information Systems and Marina in Business Administration.

In 1996 John accepted a position which moved him to Jacksonville, FL. He and Marina married shortly after and in 2001 relocated to Boca Raton, FL.

John spent his entire 40-year career as an Information Technology Executive with broad experience in Operations Support, Corporate Systems Management, Enterprise Portfolio Management and Global Technology Support in both the financial services and automotive industries.

John is retired now but hates to stay still. He is a musician and loves the outdoors which include hiking and backpacking with his family. Their favorite hiking has been in Yosemite and the High Sierras. John enjoys giving back and helping young boys and girls. He spent the last 12 years as a leader with the Boy Scouts where John Jr. received Eagle Scout in March of 2022.

Marina has also spent her career in Information Technology but from the Talent Acquisition side. She currently works for Fluence Energy, a global market leader in energy storage but her experience also spans the healthcare and financial services industries. She is holds certifications in Human Resources and Design for Six Sigma Greenbelt.

Marina was very involved at her son’s schools: room mom, robotics fundraising as well as assisting with Scouting.  She enjoys the Arts, cooking and volunteering.

Azza Ghandour and Dr. Ashraf Abu Affan are parents to Yousef Abu Affan who began Florida Tech in 2023. Yousef is majoring in Business Administration-Entrepreneurship and is also on the Men’s Varsity Rowing Team. Dr. Affan is the Founder and President of Angel Kids Foundation and Pediatrics.  Dr. Affan completed his residency at the Nassau University Medical Center in New York. Dr. Affan has been practicing medicine for over 27 years. After completing his medical degree, he worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization. Azza is the Billing manager for Angel Kids Pediatrics. The family lives in Jacksonville, FL.

Wendy and Jason Griffis are parents to Kyle Griffis who began Florida Tech in 2022. Kyle is majoring in Ocean Engineering. Jason works as a Solutions Development Analyst for Ascension Health Information Services. Wendy is a Licensed Realtor with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate/Lifestyles Realty. The family lives in Jacksonville Beach, FL.

Shelley and Larry are parents to Dylan Arken who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is currently majoring in Aeronautical Science with Flight. Shelley is the Commissioner of Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY. She is also an alumni of Florida Tech and earned her degree in Aviation Management/Flight Technology in 1991. Larry is a pilot for American Airlines. The family lives in Greenlawn, NY.

Lt Col Jak and Jennifer are parents to Hayden Linkel, who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is currently majoring in Ocean Engineering and is a member of the Men’s Rowing team. Jak serves in the Us Air Force Reserves and works for MTSI as a Senior Project Engineer. Jak is also an alumni of Florida Tech and completed his degree online in 2010 in Management and Acquisitions & Contracts. The family lives in Burke, VA.

Lisa and Mark are parents to Brett Lougheed, who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is currently majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Both Lisa and Mark are school teachers. Lisa teaches Elementary Education and Mark teaches Automotive in High School, in the same area that his previous career took him. The family lives in Canton, GA.

Sr. Vice President, Engineering & Technology

Ocean Engineering, B.S. '94
Alpha Phi Omega, College Players

Derek is responsible for the technology team, research and development efforts, advisory services, and global ship systems for the American Bureau of Shipping. ABS’s mission is to promote the security of life, property and the natural environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. It is the second largest class society with a classed fleet of nearly 12,000 commercial vessels and offshore facilities. ABS Rules form the basis for assessing the design and construction of new vessels and the integrity of existing vessels and marine structures.

Karoly and Rami Qader are parents to Layla Qader who began Florida Tech in 2023. Layla is majoring in Aeronautical Science with Flight. Rami is the President and owner of United Garage Doors. Karoly is a graduate of University of Central Florida (UCF) and currently works for the Department of Defense. The family lives in Orlando, FL.

Rick and Gina have lived in Rockledge, Florida since 1992 where they have raised three sons.

Gina moved to Florida in 1990 from Baltimore, Maryland to work at Kennedy Space Center.  She earned her BS in Environmental Management from Rollins College.  She is still working at Kennedy Space Center as an Environmental Manager and is on the Merritt Island Wildlife Association Board for the Refuge. 

Rick grew up in Merritt Island, Florida and has been working at Kennedy Space Center since 1988. He graduated with a BS in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.  He is a past board member of the Citizens Recreation Advisory Board for the city of Rockledge. 

Their youngest son Brett graduated from Florida Tech in 2022 and earned his BS in Ocean Engineering while playing baseball for Florida Tech. He is currently working on his graduate degree. He is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a small group leader in the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Rick and Gina split their free time between watching their two younger sons play baseball and visiting with their grandchildren. 

Ariel and Milena are parents to Marcel Pedrosa who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is majoring in Genomics & Molecular Genetics. Ariel is the President and Owner of Advanced Multi Sign Corp. The family lives in North Miami, FL.

Bryan Pommer BS ’85 and Tatiana Pommer live in Miami, FL

Bryan earned his BS in Ocean Engineering from Florida Tech in 1985. After graduation Bryan served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Propulsion Submarine Officer, and then transitioned his career to financial services.  He is currently an executive at Bayview Asset Management.

Tatiana earned her BA in Interior Design from Kent State University. She has raised two current Panthers, and has her youngest graduating from high school this year.

Their son, Conor, and daughter, Isabella, started in 2019 in Computer Science and Accounting, respectively.

Paula and Robert are parents to Koen Schenck who began Florida Tech in 2022 and is currently majoring in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Paula and Robert own their own business; Animal Instincts, Aquariums and Pet Center, Inc. They have been in business for 33 years. The family lives in Fall River, MA.

Connie Jo and Matt Shanley are parents to Conor Shanley who began Florida Tech in 2023. Conor is majoring in Computer Science and is also on the Men’s Varsity Lacrosse Team. Matt is the Assistant General Counsel for Exxon Mobil Corporation. He is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, University of Maryland-College Park, and George Mason University Law School. Connie Jo is a graduate of Salem College and George Mason University Law School. The family lives in Bellaire, TX.

Dr. Martin and Karen Simpson are the proud parents of Emily Simpson, a Planetary Science major and the 2020 Farmer Scholarship recipient.

Karen and Martin have strong ties to another fine university in the state (the University of Florida), having received their degrees from UF and remained there as faculty.  Martin, originally from Illinois, retired last year from his position as English Professor and as the Director of UF’s Writing Studio. He now spends his time writing humorous political satire, managing their rental properties, and renovating old homes in Gainesville. Karen’s degrees are in health education, and she is the Director of a CDC-funded Tuberculosis Training Center in UF’s College of Medicine and Emerging Pathogens Institute. She’s also a master gardener volunteer for Alachua County and enjoys creating stained glass pieces for their old homes. They enjoy travel and look forward to visiting Emily while she’s studying abroad at Oxford during the summer of 2023.

Ron and Kathy are parents to Dean Simpson who began Florida Tech in 2020 and is currently majoring in  Aerospace Engineering. Ron is recently retired and Kathy is a Senior Vice President for Raymond James. The family lives in Safety Harbor, FL.

Tracy and Robert Strickland are the parents of Tyler Strickland, Nicole Strickland, Zachary Lavoie and grand parents to two year old Grayson and one year old Adeline.

Zachary is a freshman at the Florida Institute of Technology majoring in Computer Science and is interested in Cyber Security.  When not completing school work, Zachary enjoys gaming online with friends and scuba diving.

Tracy is a graduate of The University of Windsor, Ontario with a Bachelor’s of Art in Psychology and Criminology. While in Canada Tracy worked at a Detention Center for Young Offenders and then as Child Protection Worker. When Tracy moved to the United States she obtained her Real Estate License and opened an Interior Design and Home Staging Company. Tracy also volunteers for the Brevard County Aging Matters in the Meals on Wheels program.

Robert is a graduate of Ashland University with a BSBA in Accounting and Finance and is a Certified Public Accountant. Robert is a serial entrepreneur with specialization in wealth management, asset protection and business development. Robert has owned multiple companies across the United States with a concentration in franchise development. On his down time he enjoys the adrenaline rush of racing Dodge Vipers.

Andy White is the Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board at Trilliant, a Network Communication Solutions Company.

He graduated from Bath University, UK in 1981, studying electrical and electronic engineering, specializing in power electronics. He joined GE’s Network Communications Division as an engineer for Europe, Africa, Middle East Operations based in London. He lived and worked in the UK, Congo, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia where he was responsible for major infrastructure and communications projects.

After moving to the United States in 1986, he worked for GE Power Systems & GE Energy. In 1992, he moved to Korea, Singapore and then in Hong Kong as the senior executive for GE Energy, Asia Pacific.

White returned to the U.S. in 1997 as senior executive for several of GE’s businesses. He was named a GE Corporate Officer, CEO at GE Nuclear Energy in 2002, subsequently CEO of GE Energy Ventures before joining Trilliant in 2009.

He has served on 10 boards, 3 active today, also on 2 college advisory committees.

Barbara White has a MBA from Babson College and a BS in Education from Framingham State College. Barbara taught school in Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, MA before pursuing her MBA at Babson.  She spent most of her career working for Arthur D Little Consulting (ADL). Barbara was named Vice President in 1997. At ADL she held various positions including Regional Controller for North America and Regional Controller for the Asia Pacific Region. Barbara lived and worked in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. She also traveled extensively across Asia for work and pleasure. After leaving ADL due to a family relocation, Barbara worked for Ernst & Young in Atlanta as Financial Director of the consulting division’s Coca Cola account.

Barbara stopped working in 2003 to raise triplet boys. Barbara was very involved in the boy’s schools as “room mom” for many years.  She was also team mom and leader of the booster club (501c3) for the high school wrestling team where she organized fundraisers, coordinated parents, and managed finances.  Additionally, Barbara was the Treasurer for the Special Education PTA and leader of the PTA Transition group at the high school. Transition group works on post-12th grade continuum plans for students with special needs.

Barbara and her husband, Andy, spend most of their time in Lexington Massachusetts and Wrightsville Beach, NC. 

Their son Michaels studies Ocean Engineering at Florida Tech

Andy White is the Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board at Trilliant, a Network Communication Solutions Company.

He graduated from Bath University, UK in 1981, studying electrical and electronic engineering, specializing in power electronics. He joined GE’s Network Communications Division as an engineer for Europe, Africa, Middle East Operations based in London. He lived and worked in the UK, Congo, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia where he was responsible for major infrastructure and communications projects.

After moving to the United States in 1986, he worked for GE Power Systems & GE Energy. In 1992, he moved to Korea, Singapore and then in Hong Kong as the senior executive for GE Energy, Asia Pacific.

White returned to the U.S. in 1997 as senior executive for several of GE’s businesses. He was named a GE Corporate Officer, CEO at GE Nuclear Energy in 2002, subsequently CEO of GE Energy Ventures before joining Trilliant in 2009.

He has served on 10 boards, 3 active today, also on 2 college advisory committees.

Andy and Barbara are members of the Parent Leadership Counsel at Florida Tech, where their son Michaels studies Ocean Engineering.  

Kimberly and George Wood are parents to Elaina Wood who began Florida Tech in 2023. Elaina is majoring in Aviation Management with Flight. She is following in her mother’s footsteps as Kimberly is an alum of Florida Tech and currently serves as a Captain for JetBlue Airways. The family lives in Coral Springs, FL.

Justin Ash is a Captain on the A-320 for JetBlue Airways and Owner of D&J Aviation, LLC, a flight school and aviation services provider in Central Florida.

A second-generation pilot, flying comes naturally to Justin. He earned his pilot license and worked as a flight instructor while attending college at the University of Central Florida. Justin has excelled in aviation, from flight instructor to corporate pilot to regional and major airlines. He has held positions in management and training throughout his career, including as an Assistant System Chief Pilot at a regional airline, Director of Operations at a 141 Flight School, and currently an Airline Transport Flight Instructor on the A320 at JetBlue University. Determined to share his passion for aviation, Justin is co-owner of a premier flight school with multiple locations in Central Florida, helping to shape future pilots.

Justin lives in Orlando, Florida, and enjoys spending time with family outdoors on the basketball court, coaching, and playing.

Jim Blackford BS'85 and Stephanie Blackford reside in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Jim serves as the Chair of the Parent Leadership Council. He earned his BS in Aviation Management/Flight Technology from Florida Tech in 1985 and currently works for United Airlines as a 787 Captain.

Stephanie attended the University of Michigan and is helping their younger daughter, Maddy, prepare for college. 

Their daughter, Molly Blackford is a senior in Aeronautical Science. 
 

Sr. Mgr. of Aircraft Asset Mgmt. | Swiss Intl. Air Lines

Clarissa earned her BA in both Aviation Management and Business Administration from Florida Tech in 2009, in 2013 she completed the executive Master of European and International Business Law at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She started her career as a consultant at Swiss Aviation Consultants and currently works at Swiss International Air Lines in the Asset Management department.

Pilot | United Airlines

Jill A. Eanes is a captain for United Airlines on the Airbus 319/320 and serves on the pilot hiring and recruitment teams. She has also served as a flight manager in the SFO Chief Pilot’s Office and facilitated Human Factor Change Review courses and Operational Efficiency training for United. Jill has volunteered for United’s Women Mentoring Women program, the Air Line Pilots Association’s (ALPA) Local Scheduling Committee, and the ALPA United Airlines’ Master Executive Council Legislative Committee.

Jill grew up outside of Washington, DC.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Aviation and her M.B.A. at Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), where she was also an assistant chief flight instructor. In 1995, Jill started flying for Northwest Airlink in Memphis, TN on the BA-3100 and the Saab 340.  She was a captain and check airman on the Saab 340, and she served as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Secretary-Treasurer. In 1999, Jill started her career at United Airlines flying the Boeing 737 and has flown the Airbus A319/320; Boeing 757/767; and the Boeing 777.  

During a three-year furlough from United, Jill flew at USA 3000 Airlines and JetBlue.  As part of the initial cadre check airman at JetBlue for the North American launch of the E190 aircraft, Jill was the first woman to pilot a delivery flight of an Embraer to a customer’s base. Jill lives in Sunnyvale, CA with her wife, Kitty.  They enjoy hiking in our incredible National Parks, as well as biking and running in less wild locations.

Lead Captain / Check Airman Jet Aviation

Nick is currently employed by Jet Aviation, as a Lead Captain on a Global 6000 based in Stuart, FL.  Nick’s first experiences in aviation began at an early age, sitting next to his Dad in a Piper Tri-Pacer.  Fascinated with flying, he began  flying lessons at age 16.  A profession in Aviation grew from these early childhood experiences.  In 1991, Nick earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Aviation Management from Florida Institute of Technology.

His aviation career began the same way as many young aviation enthusiasts, flight instructing and towing banners on the Jersey shore in the summer.  After college, he flew a Learjet for a Med-Evac company out of Clearwater, Florida. Within a few years, he had enough jet time to secure a job with an aviation management company in Connecticut.  In his time at Key Air, Nick flew the Learjet 35 before moving into the Hawker 700 and eventually the Challenger Series aircraft.  His experience in the cabin class aircraft opened up new doors and career opportunities.

Texaco Aviation, based in White Plains, NY, was Nick’s first job with a Fortune 10 company.  Flying a Gulfstream IV, Nick transported executives around the world.  His experiences would make him a perfect fit for a job at General Electric Corporate Air Transport when Texaco closed their aviation department in 1999. 

Nick spent the next eighteen years fulfilling career aspirations at General Electric Co.  A world wide flight department, GE, provided Nick with experiences flying the Challenger 604/605, Gulfstream IV, and Global Express aircraft. His career at GE also allowed for experiences in the management side of aviation for Nick.  During his time with General Electric Co., Nick held a Bombardier Challenger Advisory position, led the Training and Standards for the Challenger aircraft, and was an integral part of the new pilot interview and hiring team. 

In 2015, with General Electric planning a relocation of their aviation department, Nick exited the company for an opportunity at Jet Aviation.  Within his first few years at Jet Aviation he has risen to his current position as lead captain of a Global 6000. In addition to his role as lead captain he is also a check airman and FOQUA gatekeeper.  Recently, Nick has started mentoring college graduates as they begin their aviation careers.

Nick’s current position with Jet Aviation has brought him back to Florida, where he resides in Palm City with his wife, Beth, and three teenagers, Luca, Jaxon, and Cara. In his spare time, Nick enjoys boating, fishing, traveling, and watching his children play sports.

Principal Aviation Consultant | Hovecon

Chris Fernando is an experienced leader, mobility researcher, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. His primary background is in aviation and airport operations with a focus on emerging aviation technologies, policy development, and airport and environmental planning. He is a recognized subject matter expert in these fields and his expertise in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), urban air mobility (UAM), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has resulted in multiple engagements with Federal clients and multiple airports in the U.S. to support integration efforts. He has an extensive network and strategic partnerships with the industry and has leveraged these relationships to plan and host successful workshops, stakeholder engagement roundtables, and conferences related to the future of aviation.

He is currently a Principal at Hovecon in Raleigh, NC, an advisor to the mobility group at Ernst and Young, an AAM consultant to the FAA and NASA, and an adjunct professor at Florida Institute of Technology where he teaches graduate courses on the UAM Ecosystem and Infrastructure Planning for AAM. He is a board member of the Florida Tech Alumni Association, a member of the College of Aero Advisory Council, an advisory board member of the Jet Perfect Foundation, and a founding member and advisor to the Coalition of Advanced Health Mobility. He is also the co-host of the No U-Turn Podcast, which is a podcast focused on the future of transportation, emerging technologies, and the workforce of the future. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Aviation Practice Leader (US) at Marsh

Brian Glod’s career spans over 30 years in the aviation insurance industry. He serves as the US Aviation Practice Leader for MARSH (Marsh McLennan NYSE: MMC). Brian has been involved with designing some of the most innovative aviation insurance programs worldwide. Brian’s career started as an underwriter with USAIG and quickly ascended to brokerages firms such as Johnson & Higgins, Willis, and Marsh where he’s held senior brokering and management positions. The fortunate exposure to intellectual thinking from so many clients around the globe have brought unique and measured thinking to his clients. Brian also has extensive expertise with using wholly owned and protected cell captives as a strategic tool for creating advantages to aviation insurance programs.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 

• Lead negotiator for more than $1.0 BIL of aviation insurance premiums / transactions over last 10 years. 
• Team Leader and strategist for some of the most complex aviation risks in the world, including some of the largest airlines and aviation manufacturers in the world.
• Recipient of 2010 Risk & Insurance Magazine USA Power Brokers top 100 performers in
  the country for all lines of insurance and one of only three recipients in for Aviation.

Brian graduated from FIT in 1990 with a BS in Aviation Management and has spent his entire career in aviation insurance. Brian’s office is in midtown Manhattan and he resides in New Jersey. When he’s not working, he enjoys fishing, ice hockey, pickleball and being on the water with family and friends at his lake house on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains.

Sean McGeough, Head of Airbus Corporate Jets North America

Sean McGeough joined Airbus in 2021 as their Head of Airbus Corporate Jets in North America. Prior to his role at Airbus, Sean was Executive Vice President for North American Corporate Sales with Wheels UP.  An established aircraft sales leader, Mr. McGeough previously served as the Vice President of North American Sales at Aerion Corporation, the first supersonic business jet where he was responsible for a fleet sale to Flex Jet worth over 2.5 billion dollars and 20 aircraft. He also served as the CEO of the pioneering company Nextant Aerospace where he was responsible for developing Nextant into a global, award-winning aviation brand. Mr. McGeough oversaw the company’s growth, international expansion, new product launches, operations and customer support.

Mr. McGeough fostered new relationships with General Electric, Garmin and Jet Aviation to enhance the company’s capabilities and raise its profile in the industry. He orchestrated high profile sales with Purdue University and NASCAR. They boosted global PR coverage by 300%, increasing brand awareness in all regions.

These achievements build on a record of international sales success with Hawker Beechcraft (HBC). Following postings in South Africa and Switzerland, he served in Chester, England as President of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific (EMEA & APAC).

Among other innovations Mr. McGeough established a center of excellence, co-locating the EMEA & APAC headquarters, a customization center and world-class maintenance facility. He set up regional headquarters in Singapore and Beijing, significantly increasing sales to flight departments and doubling the Chinese fleet of turboprops. He also grew special missions business in training, air ambulance and surveillance. In London’s Mayfair, he pioneered the world’s first private aviation sales storefront and built partnerships with Formula 1, the PGA, amfAR and the World Economic Summit.

Mr. McGeough holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology where he wrote his Master’s thesis on the commercialization of supersonic technology for business aircraft. He is an airline transport pilot (ATP) with type ratings on Hawker 400XP, Hawker 800XP and King Air. He was a board member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the Remanufacturers Industries Council (RIC). He is also an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

He lives in Melbourne Beach, FL with his wife Mary and their five children, Ava, Lana, Evita, Finn and Tristan. Sean enjoys playing golf, running and boating when he is not flying.

President, BNP Associates, Inc

David Mecartney, driven by a childhood dream of becoming a pilot and escaping the harsh Chicago winters, matriculated at Florida Institute of Technology in 1978 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Flight Technology & Aviation Management. He obtained all his of his flight ratings including a CFI. Due to an economic recession dampening the prospects of becoming a commercial pilot, he pursued a career as a consultant. After graduating in 1982, Mr. Mecartney was employed as an entry level planner at BNP Associates, Inc., a worldwide consulting firm specializing in the design of baggage handling, cargo handling, security screening, and parcel handling systems related to airports.

When he started at BNP, the company had a single office in Stamford, CT with only 7 employees. After working his way through the company, he became President of BNP in 1995, and has since grown and proliferated the company to employ over 100 personnel across multiple offices around the world. Under David’s leadership, BNP has provided consultancy services to some of the largest airports in the world, including Singapore, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, and Orlando. While President, he continued to pursue his passion for flying, acquiring initially a Skyhawk, moving to a Saratoga, a couple of Meridians, two Mustangs and now flies his own Cessna Citation CJ3+. Along with flying, David also endeavors several philanthropic interests, especially support for Colorado Children’s Hospital. His interests include golf and road biking.

David has three children and currently lives in Jackson Hole, WY.

Chief Executive Officer | Fraport USA, Inc.

At the age of 15 Mike boldly stated in his eighth grade yearbook that he was going to be a pilot.  At that point he had never set foot in an airplane and had never even met a pilot.  His childhood imagination and untapped curiosity about the world outside his backyard was a powerful engine.

For Mike, his path through college and work was not a circuitous one, no changed majors, not a series of different industry jobs.  Since that day in the hot steamy grade school gym his path has been as straight as a runway.  Now celebrating his 31^st year in the aviation industry that he dreamed of being part of as a kid, Mike loves the challenges and adventures that he has the joy to be part of.

Today Mike is the CEO for Fraport, USA, Inc.  Prior to this, he spent 15 years with Hudson leading a team focused on the company’s strategic direction, business development, governmental affairs and business diversity.

His flight path prior to Hudson took him through flight, education, aviation consultancy and airport management experiences; providing him with a uniquely rounded perspective in the aviation industry.

Outside work Mike is an outdoor adventurist (recent trips have included exploring the wilderness of Peru and Laos on motorcycle, cave diving in Mexico and rock climbing in Joshua Tree and Taho) and is an advocate for Organ and Tissue donation.

B767 Captain | FedEx Express

Mary Murphy is currently a B767 Captain for FedEx Express.  Mary first took to the skies in January 1982 in a Piper Tomahawk.  She earned her B.S. in Aviation Management from Florida Tech while working as a flight instructor for FIT Aviation. She then flew as a First Officer and Captain at the regional airline Commutair before beginning her extended career flying for FedEx.  A life-long contributor a with an insatiable desire to gain new perspectives, she has held positions with the FedEx Pilots Association, Flight Training Department, Flight Operations Management and ALPA. Her contributions while managing the B727/B757/B767 fleet of airplanes earned her the prestigious FedEx 5-star award.  She is currently working on the enforcement of the current pilot contract. When Mrs. Murphy isn’t flying around the globe, she spends her time focusing on her most important job as mother to her two children, Analise and Daniel, practicing yoga and playing indoor soccer.  She resides in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband Steven.  She can be contacted at crabbi767@gmail.com.

Paul Rice was a pilot for United Airlines for nearly 44 years, finishing his career as a captain on the Boeing 787. While at United he held numerous leadership positions at both the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), and the International Federation of Air Line Pilot Associations (IFALPA).

During his time at United Airlines, Paul flew as captain for more than 30 years and was an instructor pilot and check airman on numerous aircraft types. During his first 20 years with United, he flew domestically and then flew international routes for the remainder of his career. Between flying and association work, Paul has visited more than 80 countries worldwide.

ALPA represents airline pilots in the US and Canada. Working on behalf of the represented pilots, Paul served at the local level in Washington, DC’s Council 11 as captain representative and chairman. He further served at the international level as Vice President of Administration and later as First Vice President. Coordinating work on strategic planning, improvements to ALPA’s governing structure, election and ballot reforms, union organizing, and labor negotiations were a part of Paul’s duties. Among his accomplishments was the inclusion of the first labor codicil in a US-signed treaty; the US-EU Open Skies Agreement.

IFALPA represents pilot associations in over 100 nations across the globe. At ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the aviation arm of the United Nations, IFALPA is one of only two non-states to hold a seat at the General Assembly. Paul served as IFALPA Executive Vice President of North America and subsequently as IFALPA Deputy President. Areas of focus included the criminal liability of pilots under ICAO Annex 13, strategic planning for airline growth in Africa, China, and the Gulf Region, dealing with low/ultra-low-cost corporate models, and modernization of IFALPA’s structure to include helicopter pilots and airline pilot alliances.

Paul attended Florida Institute of Technology’s School of Aviation from 1975 to 1978 earning an AS in Flight Technology and a BS in Air Commerce.

President & CEO Flight School Association of North America

VP Flight Operations | Breeze Airways

John Russack is the Vice President of Flight Operations at Breeze Airways and has 10,000 hours of airline flight time. He earned his M.S. in Human Factors in Aeronautics from Florida Tech in May of 2021 and has a B.A. in German and Political Science from the University of Arizona. His coursework and professors at Florida Tech provided him technical perspectives and ideas for evaluating and designing processes and procedures for a strong safety culture.

John began his career with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA)/Delta Connection on the ATR 72 and has flown various aircraft at airlines in Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Australia, His management experience has been both overseas and here at home and includes being on the start-up team for Air Mekong in Vietnam.

John lives in Salt Lake City and enjoys hiking and exploring all that Utah and the surrounding area have to offer outdoors.  

Ms. Schatz is currently an Executive Recruiter placing C-Suite executives in the airport industry. “Sia” has over 40 years of diverse experience in the Aviation industry, including airline to airport positions at The Port Authority of NY&NJ in a variety of Supervisory and Managerial positions throughout the Aviation Department, including airport operations, administration, and property management at JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia Airports. Her most recent experience was as a Senior Program Officer in the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) at the Transportation Research Board under The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, D.C., where she managed a variety of current, applied research projects geared to finding current, practical solutions to airport issues in research topics ranging from operations, environmental, business and finance, human resources, safety, policy and planning. 

Ms. Schatz is an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), a member of the Northeast Chapter, and a Board member of the International American Association of Airport Executives (IAAE). She is also a member of the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA) and is active on the Career Growth and Cargo committees. Ms. Schatz was an Adjunct Professor at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in New York.

 In addition, Ms. Schatz has worked for Lufthansa German Airlines at its North American headquarters, JFK International Airport, and trained at their headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as an FBO at Republic Airport, NY, and completed an internship at NYC Aviation Consulting Firm. She holds FAA Private Pilot and Flight Dispatcher Certificates. 

She holds an MBA from Baruch College, City University of New York, a B.S. in Aviation Management from Florida Institute of Technology, and an A.A.S in Aerospace Technology from Farmingdale College, State University of New York, where she was recently inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame.

Sia resides primarily in South Central PA, where she owns a farm with her husband, Michael, and their rescue pup, Adelaide. They have two adult children, Erich and Michele.

Executive Director – Investment Promotion and Marketing at CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd.

Shalaka Wijeyaratne resides in Colombo, Sri Lanka and holds a MBA (specialization in Marketing) from the University of Bedfordshire (UK) and a BSc in Aeronautical Science without flight (summa cum laude) from Florida Institute of Technology (USA). He is currently the Executive Director – Investment Promotion and Marketing at CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd.; the master developer of the 269 hectare reclaimed land development, which is an extension of the existing CBD and positioned to be a world class city in South Asia. Prior to joining CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd. he served as the Business Development Manager of AECOM in Sri Lanka; an USA based integrated infrastructure consulting firm that is a Fortune 500 listed company and one of Fortune magazines “World’s Most Admired Companies”.

In addition, Wijeyaratne was a consultant to Selendiva Investments Ltd., state owned real estate and property development company, assisting the leadership with Investment and Business promotion activities. He is also an Independent/Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Canwill Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sinolanka Hotels & Spa Pvt. Ltd. (developer of the proposed Grand Hyatt Colombo Hotel) and Helanco Hotels & Spa Pvt. Ltd. (developer of the proposed Hyatt Hambantota Hotel). In the immediate past, he also served as the Managing Director of the aforementioned companies.

He presently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Aeronautics at Florida Institute of Technology (USA) and holds professional memberships with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and Association of Business Executives (UK).

Shalaka is also an active philanthropist and social welfare proponent. He is the President of Heal Lanka Society Limited that he Co-Founded in the immediate aftermath of the Easter Sunday Bombings of 2019 to help provide assistance and sustainable long-term relief to the victims. Currently, the organisation has further expanded to champion campaigns and efforts to elevate and empower the marginalized and underprivileged citizens of Sri Lanka’s society. Wijeyaratne is also an active alumni member of Oxford College of Business, Sri Lanka where he has participated in several CSR initiatives, namely “Out of Darkness” that won the Social Empowerment award at the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards and International CSR Summit in 2016.

With F.I.T. as his alma mater, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Ragnar can look back to many years of experience in top executive positions of well-reputed multinational insurance and reinsurance companies as well as entrepreneurial and management experience related to international marketing and branding consulting activities, in addition to sourcing and construction machinery projects and businesses. Ragnar, who lives in Norway, is known for his trans-national background, having lived in 7 countries and established successful business relationships in more than 50 countries. His native-level fluency in various languages, and advanced or working knowledge in others, have been key assets in helping him create and nurture these international relationships. He is currently engaged in research and writing projects. He has over the years also enjoyed being an occasional lecturer in congresses or in special management-related courses and is also an occasional writer on various topics, mostly related to marketing, economic or social issues.

Ryan Brown is the Founder and Managing Director of Patriot Investment Partners (PIP) - a mission-focused Veteran-Owned and led private equity firm. Ryan has over a decade of experience managing, leading, and motivating teams. After serving as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Air Force with missions in Iraq, Ryan entered the food and beverage industry managing a restaurant and bar. Shortly after being promoted, Ryan was recruited by a private investment firm as an operating partner for the company’s growing franchise business. Ryan holds an AS and AA degree in Business Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management with a minor in Finance from Eastern Florida State College. Ryan also has an MBA with a minor in finance from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management. Ryan holds an executive entrepreneurship certification from The Hotel School at Cornell University and is a Licensed Real Estate Agent in Florida. 

Short Business Bio: Patriot Investment Partners (PIP) is a mission-focused Veteran-Owned and led middle market private equity and advisory firm focusing on control transactions in the lower middle market. PIP is more than just an investment firm. We pride ourselves on establishing true collaborative partnerships with business owners and management teams that will create substantial value over a long-term investment horizon. Our strategy centers around the core pillars of operating excellence, investment expertise, and policy insights. We are focused on delivering both financial returns and societal impact. We are laying the foundation and proving that we can provide attractive returns while achieving positive outcomes for our portfolio companies and the lives and livelihoods they support.

Eugene S. (Gene) Cavallucci was formerly vice president and general counsel of Harris Corporation.

Before retiring in December 2010, he led a twenty-lawyer legal department and was responsible for all the legal affairs of this Fortune 500 public company. Before becoming general counsel Mr. Cavallucci served as vice president and legal counsel of Harris’ federal government, aerospace and defense business units and for five years was Harris's director of business conduct. In this role, he was responsible for the compliance and business conduct program of this five-billion-dollar, sixteen-thousand-employee company.

Prior to joining Harris in June 1990, he was vice president, corporate secretary and general counsel of DBA Systems, Inc., headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. Prior to joining DBA in December 1985, he was a partner in the law firm of Nabors, Potter, McClelland, Griffith and Jones, P. A., with offices in Melbourne and Titusville, Florida.

Before entering the private practice of law in 1980, he spent seven years on active duty with the U. S. Air Force. In his last assignment he served as chief of contracts and patents at the Eastern Space and Missile Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. 

Mr. Cavallucci received his B.A. degree from Penn State University, his J.D. degree from Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law, and his LL.M. degree in government procurement law from the George Washington University Law Center.

Mr. Cavallucci is admitted to practice in Florida and Pennsylvania. He has served as Florida state co-chairperson of the public contract law section of the American Bar Association and co-chairperson of the public contract law committee of the Florida Bar. He has been a member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) since 1978 and was elected an NCMA fellow in May 1992.

Mr. Cavallucci was an adjunct professor at Florida Tech where he taught graduate courses in government contract administration and contract negotiations. He is also a member of the board of overseers of Bisk College of Business and serves on the executive committee of the Bisk College of Business Center for Ethics and Leadership.

He has also served on the legal committee of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and was chair of the government contracts council of the Manufacturer’s Alliance.

Corey Cook serves as the Senior Program Manager and Solution Architect for Advanced Technology Concepts for Lockheed Martin Corporation. In that capacity, he is responsible for logistics and sustainment strategic planning; technology innovation, integration, and development; and cross-corporate business initiatives.  His programs include Global Supply Chain, Autonomous Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Analytics, Radio Frequency Identification and Automated Identification Technologies, Additive Manufacturing, and associated strategic partnerships.   In addition, he serves as the Senior Program Manager for Corporate Automated Management, Movement, and Tracking (AMMT) Digital Transformation robotic implementation. 

Mr. Cook served more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy initially serving in the Navy Nuclear Program before receiving his commission as a Naval Supply Corps Officer.  He received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Christopher Newport University, an M.B. A., and a master's degree in Project Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.  He currently resides in Winter Park, FL.

Christine Deveney is currently a Director with KPMG’s Washington National Tax Practice where she assists clients and KPMG’s global professionals analyzing complex international tax issues in connection with business decisions. Christine relocated back to the U.S. in March 2017 after spending the past 24 years in Australia where she served as Partner in Charge of KPMG’s International Executive Services Practice for the state of Victoria and also held roles with Mercer Australia as a member of Mercer’s Asia Pacific Leadership team and National Business Leader for Mercer’s Mergers and Acquisition Business and prior to that Mercer’s Board and Executive Advisory Business. 

Christine is passionate about education and economic empowerment for women and whilst in Australia served as a board member for the non-profit organization The LBW Trust - Learning for a Better World which provides transformational educational opportunities for students in the developing world. Here in Florida she is a mentor with weVenture at Florida Tech, working to raise the profile of women in business within the community. In 2015, she founded her own ecommerce business, TapaReef LLC, which manufacturers personal care products for the water sports industry and works with professional athletes to profile and help raise funds for women competing internationally.

Christine received a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology in 1987 and went on to study for a Masters in Taxation at University of Central Florida.  She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Australian Institute of CPAs, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mike’s major practice areas at Berman Hopkins include closely held corporations, employee benefit
plans, government contractors and not-for-profit organizations. He has experience with due diligence for
purchasing or selling a business and analysis of buy/sell agreements. He also works with clients through
employee benefit plan and not-for-profit audits who have investments (assets ranging from $5 million to
$300 million) including significant experience auditing alternative investments with complex valuation
considerations.

Mike enjoys helping clients have financial success while at the same time giving value added advice
which is well beyond the standard accounting and tax services.

EXPERTISE INCLUDES

• Employee benefit plan audits
• Closely held businesses
• Government contractors
• Non-profit organizations
• Commercial audits

EDUCATION

• B.A., Accounting, State University of New York at
  Plattsburgh – 1989

CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified Public Accountant, State of Florida – 2006
• Certified Public Accountant, State of New York – 1993

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA)
• LEAD Brevard
• PrimeGlobal

CIVIC ACTIVITIES

• Space Coast Early Intervention Center
• Florida Institute of Technology Autism Advisory Board
• Early Childhood Learning Coalition of Brevard County, Inc.

Peter Dyson is the Chief Executive Officer of Modus Operandi, a technology company that helps our customers harness data to empower smarter decisions by providing innovative software orchestrating the power of human and machine analysis.

Peter has more than 30 years of experience in leading the development and application of advanced computing technologies to solve the complex problems of commercial and government clients. From his earliest career assignments, Peter has been passionate about finding better ways to harness data for improving situational understanding and decision making in order to achieve better outcomes. His primary focus has been on solving the unique and urgent challenges of national defense and intelligence organizations. In addition, over his career he delivered data intensive software solutions to address challenges ranging from telephone billing fraud, quality and service improvement (multiple clients including high tech, telecommunications, financial services, government, energy, and non-profits), and cost and cycle time reduction (media industry, logistics).

Affiliations

Peter is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society and of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

Volunteer Activities

Peter's community volunteer and non-profit activities include service as a board member, delegate, advisor or trustee to multiple 501(c)(3) organizations. These include current service on the Florida Tech Bisk College of Business Advisory Board, the Board of Delegates (as Alternate) of the US Chess Federation, and as Trustee for the US Chess Life Membership Asset Trust and the US Chess Endowment Fund Trust. He is a founding Board member of the Space Coast Chess Foundation, and previously served for nine years as Treasurer of the Florida Chess Association.

Education

Peter holds an MBA from Florida Tech, where the co-developed the original business plan for his company as part of his coursework, and holds a BS in Computer Science from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Personal

Peter enjoys spending time with his wife, Karen, a fellow FL tech grad. He also enjoys sailing and is a competitive chess player, having attained the title of National Master.

Michael G. Gaich, CCIM, graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He developed an intense interest in the Space Program working for The Boeing Company. He earned a Master’s Degree in Systems Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. It wasn’t long before his interests turned to commercial real estate in 1973. In November of 1978 Michael was recognized by the CCIM Institute of the National Association of Realtors for earning the CCIM Institutes designation for Commercial Real Estate. The requirements for this designation are five (5) Commercial Real Estate courses, each followed by a written test. Upon completion of the 5 courses the applicant has a final test lasting 2-3 hours. Michaels’ certification number is 849 and
he was the first recipient of the CCIM designation in Brevard County. Currently the number of CCIM’s worldwide is 8,600.

Under his expertise and guidance, the Michael Gaich Company has performed as real estate consultants for the acquisition or liquidation of investment properties and the development of triple net lease retail projects for long term appreciation. His retail development ventures included Build to Suit for Eckerd’s, CVS, Publix, Winn Dixie, Staples and a list of national and local retail tenants spanning more than 25 years. The training and experience of The Michael Gaich Company has also provided the opportunity to represent major developers and owners of office buildings, shopping centers, medical buildings and industrial development.

As a buyer’s broker, Michael has represented numerous parties in the acquisition of vacant land, improved commercial real estate and industrial facilities. His experience ranges from single-site representation to multi-sites, including such areas as retail, fast food, medical, office and industrial.

His consulting experience included two Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) for a planned corporate park with his involvement from the acquisition, planning and development to the marketing of the property. His list of corporate clients is extensive including, Boeing, Hughes Aerospace, McDonell Douglas, U.S. Space Camp, Brinker International, TICO Airport Authority, Florida Space Authority, State of Florida, Brunswick (Sea Ray Boats), Airborne Express, Hanor-Camdevco Assoc., VectorSpace Associates, Clark-Gaich Enterprises, Galleria Partners, SunTrust Bank, Bank of America and many more notable entities. His involvement and devotion to his community is well-known and appreciated. He is currently serving on the Maxwell King Center for Performing Arts Board. He has served on the Canine Companions for
Independence Southeast Board of Directors as President and board member for 19 years. He now serves on the Canine Companions for Independence Advisory Board. He currently serves on the Suntree Country Club Strategic Planning Committee. He previously served on the SunTrust Bank Administrative Board, was Past President of the Brevard Community College Foundation Board (now Eastern Florida State College), Rollins College Brevard Advisory Board, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and many more.

Michael and Carol Ann Gaich are longtime residents of Brevard County and currently reside in the Wyndham community at Viera. Michael enjoys golf, exercise, photography and travel.

Brian Lightle, CCIM, SIOR, CRE just completed his 35^th year in Commercial Real Estate and 27^th year as Founder of Lightle Beckner Robison, Inc. CRES (Team LBR).

With extensive experience and expertise in all facets of Commercial Real Estate including Office, Retail and Industrial disciplines, Brian has personally completed over 2,500 transactions/engagements and can add significant value to any commercial real estate transaction or engagement.

 From Tenant Representation to Consulting and from Leasing to Sales, Brian’s goal is to exceed his client’s expectations in every situation.

Brian understands and applies the Consulting Process to every engagement which begins with the evaluation of the need to fully understand the goal and then orchestrating a process to accomplish the client goals.

While being a “Space Coast Expert”, Brian is licensed in Florida, Georgia and Alabama and can provide Full Service Brokerage and Corporate Services throughout this region for your company or firm.

Brian has earned the prestigious CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member, 1996),  SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, 2013) and CRE (Counselors of Real Estate, 2022) Designations all requiring extensive education, high levels of   production, many years of successful experience and unquestionable ethics.

Brian is also very involved in his community and industry in leadership positions as evidenced by the list  below:

Organizations (Past and Present)

• SIOR Florida Chapter – President 2020 and 2021, Board of Directors, Independent Broker Group (IBG) Chairman
• SIOR Foundation – Board of Trustees
• CRE Florida Chapter – Vice Chairman – Central Florida
• Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) – Leadership Council
• Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast - Past Chair, Executive Committee, Board of Directors
• Circles of Care – Chairman, Board of Directors
• Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors
• Melbourne / Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce – Past Chairman
• My Community Cares, Inc – Board of Directors
• International Conference of Shopping Centers – Member Since 1989
• Florida Institute of Technology – Bisk School of Business Advisory Board, Guest Lecturer School of Business
• TRUIST - Community Advisory Board
• NAR-National Association of Realtors - Affiliate 
• Rotary Club of Indialantic, Florida - Past President
• Founders Forum – Past Board of Directors
• U.E.L. Men’s Ministry – Co-Founder, Past Leader

Awards and Distinctions

• Small Businessperson of the Year (1993)
• Founders Forum – Founder of the Year 2020

As an Army officer, corporate executive and consultant, Mike Kelleher has been active in the military, logistics and general business communities for more than 40 years. 

Following a 28-year career in the U.S. Army where he commanded and directed tactical and strategic logistics activities on three continents, in 1993 he joined the largest heavy and specialized trucking firm in North America as executive vice president of sales and marketing and as president of its international logistics subsidiary. In 1995 he moved on to a series of relationships and engagements as an independent business and logistics consultant that have involved him with industries as diverse as agribusiness, manufacturing, railroads, facilities management, high technology electronics and international logistics. Currently he is particularly involved in the sustainment of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the related challenges that accompany the extrication of U.S. forces and equipment from that landlocked country.

He holds an B.A. in economics from Lafayette College, an M.S. in systems management from Florida Tech and an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and has completed the program for manager development at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He resides in Atlanta.

Jim grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida. He attended The Florida Institute of Technology, where he received a B.S. in finance in 1992, and was a member of the basketball team.

After graduation, Jim started his career at what was then called The Community Educators’ Credit Union. Following a 3 year stint at C.E.C.U., he moved to Atlanta to get into the financial service business. Jim started at Merrill Lynch in 1996 where he built a successful wealth management business over the course of 21 years. While easygoing by nature, his leadership and ability to optimize performance and growth, led him to become one of the top producers at one of Merrill Lynch’s top offices. Recently Jim founded The Avalon Group at Morgan Stanley and is a Senior Vice President. With a genuine passion for financial planning and investment strategy, he always focuses on the big picture in helping clients achieve their goals.

Jim enjoys the beach and returns often. Additionally, he is an avid skier and a frequent visitor to Park City, Utah. He has two children, Brady and Kendall, 13 year old twins. On the weekends, you can find Jim coaching his kids' basketball teams or playing golf and tennis. Previously, Jim was on the board of directors at Brookfield Country Club and is looking forward to giving back to Florida Tech.

Mike Marks co-founded IRCG in April 1987. He began his consulting practice after working in distribution management for more than 20 years. Over the years his narrow focus in B2B channel-driven markets has created an extensive number of deep executive relationships within virtually every business vertical in construction, industrial, OEM, agriculture and healthcare.

Mike has led project teams that improve market access by aligning resources to growth opportunities serving manufacturers, dealers and distributors. Clients have ranged from small privately owned firms to many of the industry’s market share leaders. Ownership structures have included owner-operators, private equity, ESOPs and publicly traded firms. Mike is proud of the team’s work and the confidence clients have shown with additional project work.

He has written extensively and is frequently quoted on many industry issues. He has substantial board experience on both public and private distribution firms. His contributions to the field include serving multiple terms as a research fellow with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, permanent faculty at Purdue University’s University of Industrial Distribution, eight years as graduate adjunct faculty in the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A & M University and rendering several precedent-setting expert opinions in contract disputes between manufacturers and distributors.

Prior to forming IRCG, Mike held the position of Executive Vice President at Lex Electronics, an $800 million vertically integrated electronics distributor in Stamford, Connecticut. Mike's path to management in his early career was through increasing responsibilities in sales and sales management. He also completed a tour of duty as a manufacturer's representative.

Global Executive: Product, Tech Strategy, & Server Operations at Google 

Monique oversees server-floor operations, data center planning, and staffing across Google’s global data center fleet.

Prior to this, Monique was Senior VP, Chief Strategy & Supply Chain Officer for Sam's Club where she was responsible for leading strategy, supply chain, and contact centers for the Sam’s Club business.  

Monique has more than 25 years of experience, having served in leadership roles in both developed and developing countries.  She has led multiple segments working across various business units within Procter & Gamble’s Product Supply organization.

Proctor & Gamble; Operations Manager, 1989-1999

Proctor & Gamble; Millstone Supply Chain, 2000-2003

Proctor & Gamble; Global Corporate Functions, 2003-2005

Proctor & Gamble; Plant Manager, 2005-2008

Proctor & Gamble; Supply Network Operations, 2008-2010

Proctor & Gamble; United Kingdom & Ireland MDO Director, 2010-2012

Proctor & Gamble; European Director, 2012-2014

Proctor & Gamble; Global Innovations Director, 2014-2016

Proctor & Gamble; Vice President – Product Supply Global Health Care, 2016-2017

Private Equity Owned Company; Chief Operation Officer, 2017-2018

Walmart, Senior Vice President, Flow, Fashion, Imports & Reverse Networks, US Supply Chain, 2018-2020

Monique’s sat on the Board of Directors for United Way, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, GS1 UK, and the Cranfield University Advisory Board.  She was a state-appointed Board Director for Workforce Development and Families with Dependence and a member of the State Economic Development Board.  Picou holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern University and an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Monique is currently on the College of Business Advisory Board at Florida Institute of Technology and the Network of Executive Women.

She is married with three children.

Background and experience

I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with a BS and MBA in Business. I worked in management at Harris Corporation for 14 years before making an industry change and becoming a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch. I was an Advisor there for 7 years, for 10 years at Smith Barney and recently retired after 14 years with Wells Fargo Advisors. My team and I focused on Retirement and Estate Planning. We helped individuals and couples create and execute plans to accumulate wealth through saving and investing. We also helped them by structuring the investments to provide life long income to complement other income sources during retirement. We reviewed their Estate Planning desires and advised our clients with appropriate asset titles and products to meet their desires. My client base was about 150 clients with about $100 million in assets.

AWAY FROM THE OFFICE

I am active in several community organizations including Health First and Florida Institute of Technology. I am active in my church, Calvary Chapel of Melbourne. My hobbies include watching action movies, ballroom dancing, eating at great restaurants, listening to jazz music, walking in the neighborhood and traveling the United States and abroad with family and friends.

Family

My wife, Katie, retired from a career of acting and modeling. Now she enjoys decorating and counseling. My daughter, Dana, is VP of Value Based Care with Health First. She lives in Viera with her husband Aaron and son Anderson. My son, Jason, is a Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors. We were in partnership prior to my retirement. He is now the sole proprietor of the practice.

Current responsibilities

Sanjay leads the Americas team dedicated to helping clients create, shape and manage the future of work by enhancing the performance of their workplaces, real estate portfolios and people.

As part of a thriving global business supporting enterprise clients, his team across the U.S., Canada and Latin America innovates and delivers a full suite of products and services that blend human, digital and experiential elements to build, manage and improve spaces that transform how people work every day. Together with the team, Sanjay helps corporates and public institutions create and maintain safer, more sustainable and more inspiring environments that drive innovation, and ultimately advance their purpose and enable transformation. They do this by building diverse teams and an inclusive culture that emphasizes JLL’s values of teamwork, ethics and excellence.

Sanjay is also a member of JLL’s Americas Executive Committee, which sets the direction and strategy for JLL in the region.

Experience

For 25 years, Sanjay has helped large, global businesses leverage technology to achieve their ambitions. He has deep expertise in complex businesses, transformational change and the development of disruptive technologies.

Sanjay joined JLL in 2018 from IBM, where he ran the Cloud Consulting Services business. Prior to that, he was Chief Information Officer and Group Vice President of Strategic Planning for Johnson Controls Automotive. He has also held roles as a Partner for PwC and Vice President for IBM Global Strategy.

Education and affiliations

Sanjay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, a master of science degree in management systems and a doctorate in management. He currently serves on the board of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Outside of JLL, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys golf, is a hiker and considers high-altitude hiking in the Himalayas as one of his greatest adventures.

John has thirty years of experience in the cable TV and internet industry. Starting out at AT&T, John has successfully established substantial market share with new cable TV and Internet technologies in a highly competitive market. It was there that he gained invaluable expertise in financial analysis of internal rate of returns, payback periods and net present values for capital investments. At Florida Cable, Inc., a small rural franchise cable company located in a Central Florida, he served as Chief Operation Officer. This day to day operational experience in the cable television, internet, satellite, and telephone industry compliments, updates, and solidifies Johns expertise and knowledge to serve as the CEO of BBCG. This separates BBCG from other consultants, as John is a cable television; high speed Internet, and digital television operator vs. just a consultant. In 2000, John founded the Broadband Consulting Group (BBCG) offering expert management skills in Negotiations, Operations and Mergers & Acquisitions of cable television, high speed Internet, and telephone contracts in apartments, condominiums, and private home subdivisions throughout the United States. BBCG has recently become one of the nations largest technology firms that touches virtually all service providers in the sectors of cable television, telecommunications, wireless and high-speed internet, Direct Broadcast Satellite, and cellular phone companies throughout the country. BBCG completes over 150,000 housing units per year in contract negotiations. With high level contacts with the largest cable and phone companies, technological, and regulatory expertise consistently delivers significant savings and revenue opportunities to all clients. Other clients leverage his Sales, Management and Operations experience to broker sales & purchases of telecommunication companies.

Tyler Sloan is a published scientist, entrepreneur, and emerging technology evangelist. Mr. Sloan is currently the Vice President, Product & Marketing of SportBLX based in New York City. SportBLX is an innovative financial technology company that has developed a marketplace for sports investments. Fans can buy shares representing equity in teams or revenue share interests with professional athletes. SportBLX’s NBA and Triple Crown horse racing related offerings have been featured in press such as The New York Post, Cheddar, Sports Illustrated, The Jim Rome Show, Fox Business, and many more.

Prior to SportBLX, Mr. Sloan was the Director of Business Development for Clarke Global, a consulting and marketing firm that assists global fintech and blockchain companies. Before that he was Co-Founder of Real Estate Chain, a real estate blockchain startup focused on property data. During this time, Mr. Sloan also co-founded the Boston Cryptotalks Meetup group, which had 800+ members and brought in top names in the blockchain/crypto space. Mr. Sloan previously served as a Teaching and Research Associate for St. John’s University, New York focusing on applications of new technologies and social media for business management.

Mr. Sloan received a B.S. from Florida Institute of Technology and spent three additional years studying as a Ph.D. student in the Biological Sciences program before transitioning to technology and business. During his time at Florida Tech Mr. Sloan produced five peer-reviewed publications, presented his research at 15 national and international scientific conferences, won 13 awards, and received three research grants.

Mr. Sloan attributes his career trajectory to a very impactful and formative experience at the College of Business, his participation in the Student Business Incubator’s pitch competition. From representing a San Francisco augmented reality company at Tech Crunch Disrupt Berlin, to participating in the MIT Media Labs’ competitive VR/AR hackathon, to conducting a capital raising roadshow spanning North American tech hubs, Tyler’s diverse startup experiences are what he looks forward to sharing with Florida Tech’s College of Business.

Janell Smith has more than 15 years of working in healthcare operations and management across a variety of healthcare settings.  Currently, she is the Chief Compliance Officer for Comprehensive Health Services, in Cape Canaveral, which specialized in tailored pre-employment and annual physicals for commercial companies, international customers, and the U.S. Government. Previously, she was the Director of Quality and Risk Management for HealthSouth Melbourne and Vero Beach, Florida.  Prior she worked at Health First Health Plans and Wuesthoff Health Systems as the Director of Quality, Risk Management and Compliance.

She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Organizational Communication and a Master of Science in Executive Health Service Administration from the University of Central Florida.

Mr. Thomas is a partner and intellectual property (IP) attorney with the Lowndes law firm.  Mr. Thomas is a licensed patent attorney and practices in the areas of patent and trademark prosecution, infringement litigation, technology law, licensing strategies and agreements, branding and business law. Mr. Thomas founded and has chaired from inception the Business and Intellectual Property Law Division of the law firm, advising clients in the above areas of practice and providing general counsel regarding business partnerships, business development, branding and marketing, IP portfolio development, market development and company asset acquisition and development. Mr. Thomas is engaged in prosecuting numerous patent applications in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and internationally. He operates as IP counsel for business and academic clients and provides a full spectrum of guidance regarding IP licensing and royalty strategy, IP acquisition strategies, building and maintaining an enforceable IP asset portfolio, IP docket management, teaming and partnering strategies and related matters. Mr. Thomas is licensed to practice in the courts of Florida, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Federal District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the Federal Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).

Mr. Thomas is lead counsel for the firm’s litigated IP and business matters. As such, Mr. Thomas has litigated and resolved matters for corporate and individual clients including patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secret, contracts and other litigation in both state and federal courts in Florida, Massachusetts and California. Mr. Thomas has also been accepted as an expert witness in the field of patent claim interpretation and electrical engineering. Mr. Thomas' independent opinion has also been relied upon for findings of infringement/non-infringement by other Central Florida IP counsel prior to initiating patent infringement lawsuits.

Prior to joining Hayworth, Chaney & Thomas, Mr. Thomas was employed by defense contractor Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida, in program management, technology development, design engineering and systems engineering capacities on government programs. These programs were technology development programs that included hardware and software design for commercial, military and NASA platforms such as F-16, F-18 E/F, F-22, F-35, Comanche helicopter, National Aerospace Plane, the International Space Station, air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons systems and numerous other technologies and programs.

Mr. Thomas actively engages in service to the local community. He is a member and past chair of the Florida Tech Women's Business Center (WBC) advisory board of directors and a member of the Founder’s Forum board of directors, the Government Contract Advisory Team (GCAT), the Space Coast Energy Consortium board of directors, the Boy Scouts of America and the Florida Tech Nathan M. Bisk College of Business advisory board.

Mr. Thomas is an active speaker regarding intellectual property law, technology law, entrepreneurship and general business law matters and often speaks as a community service in general forums such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the WBC at Florida Tech, the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and local engineer and entrepreneur groups. He is a proud Florida Tech alumnus with a B.S. in electrical engineering and also graduated as valedictorian of his law school class at Barry University.

Randall Thompson grew up in Orlando.  The game of baseball became a large part of his life and through hard work and ethics, he earned opportunities to play the game at the collegiate and professional levels.  Back in 2014, the inspiration for his product “THE DUGOUT MUG” struck while coaching at Florida Tech. He was sitting in the dugout and listening to the hitting coach tell the guys to “focus on the hands.” To emphasize his point, he cut off the top of a baseball bat and left the barrel sitting on the bench.  The idea hit Randall like a 12^th inning walk-off home run. “I could definitely drink from a bat!” he told himself.  The rest is history.

Shortly after, he began pursuing his vision by sketching the very first Bat Mug on a scrap piece of paper.  After he left baseball he poured his creativity into this passionate idea and the result was the Thompson Mug Company and the Dug Out Mug ^TM  baseball bat mug!

Frank Tricomi has held progressively responsible executive positions in the military and in public, private and non-profit enterprises.  His experience includes the management of complex organizations, strategic planning, Congressional interface, operations, manufacturing, program management, contracting, procurement, finance, turn-around strategies, entrepreneurship, mergers and acquisitions and e-commerce.  His diverse background spans supply chain, logistics, and marketing management.  Presently, he is the Chief Operating Officer for Conley and Associates, Inc., and has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of a multi-divisional product support company with business units and offices located throughout the U.S. and the Middle East.  He manages all aspects of the business, including business development, P&L, finance and accounting, purchasing, contracting, personnel management, customer relationships, strategic planning, organizational and structural decisions and capital investment strategies. Prior to coming to Conley, he created, launched and was President of ESSIbuy.com, Inc., a subsidiary of a publically held corporation, Engineered Support Systems, Inc. (ESSI).  ESSIbuy delivered supply chain management, web-based purchasing and sourcing, inventory, warehousing, training, software solutions, technical and field services, and other technology, logistics, and product support services to both military and commercial customers around the world.

Before starting ESSIbuy, he was the Director of Program Management at Engineered Air Systems, another ESSI subsidiary, and was responsible for the management of major programs, directing all aspects of program development, engineering, design, prototyping, testing, transition to production, manufacturing, performance, schedule, and P&L. Immediately after retirement from the military, he held the position of Executive Director of the Wisconsin Procurement Institute, a non-profit corporation which assisted Wisconsin companies to capture government business. WPI provided marketing, proposal preparation, grant writing, government contracting, quality assurance and finance and accounting consulting services to companies state-wide.  One of his primary responsibilities was to act as a liaison between Wisconsin companies, the Wisconsin Congressional delegation, and government purchasing activities to resolve various contract issues.

Prior to an extensive career in industry, his military service extended more than 27 years.  After receiving a commission in the U.S. Army, he served in Viet Nam as an infantry platoon leader and subsequently commanded troops at the company and Battalion levels, culminating in selection as commander of the Army’s only Watercraft Battalion.  Prior to retirement from the U.S. Army, he held a number of executive positions, including Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), the Commander of the Defense Contract Management Area Operations, headquartered in St. Louis, and Director of the Procurement Center and Contracting at the Army’s Aviation and Troop Command.

He was a member of and served as the President of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Lighthouse for the Blind Industries and was the Executive Director of St. Louis Federal Executive Board Small Disadvantage Business Opportunity Council.  He was an Adjunct Professor in the Lindenwood University School of Business MBA Program and advised in the St. Louis University’s Entrepreneurship Program. He received a BA in Political Science from John Carroll University, an MS in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and an MA in National Security Planning and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.  He also participated in the Harvard University Negotiation Project and is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University’s Program Management School. He was selected as a Distinguished Member of the Transportation Corps, was awarded the St. Louis Federal Executive Board Leadership Award and chosen as a 1994 Federal Executive of the Year.

Scottie Davis Winslow, MHA, MBA is a Vice President within Finance at United Healthcare.  Scottie earned an MBA from Duke University and a BSPH and MHA from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Her corporate career has been largely focused on healthcare management consulting with experience at Ernst & Young, CapGemini, and Optum.  As a management consultant, her clients included Fortune 500 companies across the country.   She possesses a keen knowledge of organizational process improvement, financial strategy, competitive and market analysis, and business planning and strategy. 

Scottie recently co-founded BeWell and Healthy, LLC, a wellness company focused on improving the health of aging women through nutrition, exercise, and stress management.   As a licensed personal trainer and nutrition coach, she creates programs to integrate wellness into the daily lives of women seeking to improve their overall health.

Since moving to Melbourne in 2004, Scottie has been involved with numerous local organizations including Junior League of South Brevard, Junior Achievement, Club Esteem Board of Directors (former Board President), weVenture Board of Advisors, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and FIT Business School Board of Directors.

Scottie and her husband, Dr. Paul L. Winslow, III have two children, Shelbi (19) and Lawrence (16).

James  Wong

Executive Director

The Chinney Group

Hon Kwok Land Investment Co. Ltd.

James Wong is the Executive Director of the Chinney Group. The Group’s four publicly listed Hong Kong subsidiaries: Hon Kwok Land (0160.hk), Chinney Investments (0216.hk), Chinney Alliance (0385.hk), and Chinney Kin Wing (1556.hk) are focused on high-tech Engineering and Real Estate. The businesses range from building their own 80-storey Hon Kwok Tower in Shenzhen to developing and operating Hong Kong’s largest data center to installing the air traffic control radar at the Hong Kong Airport. This 2900+ person family business was founded by his great grandfather in Nanjing in the 1920’s to build China’s railway system.

He split his childhood between the US, Canada, and Hong Kong. After graduating from the University of Washington, he went on to earn a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in Information Systems Engineering as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. He is a Phi Kappa Phi member and an advocate for Lifelong Learning. Professionally, he is a member of the California Bar as well as a licensed California Real Estate Broker. He is also a LEED Green Associate and Well AP.

Before joining his family business in 2010, James held positions variously as a lawyer on Toyota’s eDiscovery team in Torrance, California, and as a tax lawyer at Baker and McKenzie (Los Angeles/Hong Kong) and Price Waterhouse Coopers (San Francisco).

He served as a delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference for Jiangsu Province until 2018. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Florida Institute of Technology (otherwise called NASA U) where he is also an adjunct professor teaching Business and Healthcare Law and was the 2018 Outstanding Alumni Award winner. Currently he serves as a Global Governing Trustee for the Urban Land Institute, as well as on the International Advisory Board of the Essec Business School in Paris. He is one of the founders of the Seattle I-District Asian Street Fair (now in its 35th Season) and created Seattle’s first-ever Computer Dating Dance in 1983. His MENSA membership dates from 1980. He has published and spoken widely on subjects including eDiscovery, Social Media Policy in the workplace, China for newbies, and more recently, China and the One Belt One Road Initiative. An opinionated traveller, James ranked among the top 1% of reviewers on TripAdvisor.com

System Engineering

B.S. Electrical Engineering '87
Tau Beta Pi

Kim develops computing systems that aggregate sensor data for various IoT (Internet of Things) applications, focused on retail industries. With more than 20 years at Intel, Kim has led several silicon development efforts for use in the embedded and communications industry.  Prior to Intel, he spent 9 years with Honeywell in Clearwater, Fla. where he did reliability and systems engineering for Intertial Navigation Systems that flew on Atlas and Titan rockets. Kim currently serves on the Florida Tech Alumni Association as the vice president and resides in Chandler, Arizona. He graduated from Florida Tech in 1987 with a degree in electrical engineering, and is a member of Tau Beta Pi.

Company | LinkedIn

Thanks to the Delaware Valley Science Fair, where he won the opportunity to view a shuttle launch, Joe Bussenger learned about Florida Tech. He went on to choose Florida Tech to earn his bachelor of science in aerospace engineering in 2013 and is planning further graduate degrees at the university as well.

As a standout student, Joe won several awards, including the Northrop Grumman Best in Engineering Award and the United Technologies Award for Top Student in Engineering.   With such promising, young talent, Joe secured a position with SpaceX before he completed his degree.

He started as the lead engineer for recovery and landing operations, and he is now manager of offshore and landing operations engineering. Recovery, refurbishment, and reuse of orbital rocket boosters are critical to SpaceX’s goal of reducing the cost of access to space and ultimately enabling humans to live on other planets. “The project-based learning I received Florida Tech helped prepare me for my role today,” Bussenger said.

Amanda Buie, DDS, MS | Texas A&M School of Dentistry | Buie Clinic

General Dentist, Clinical Associate Professor

Biological Sciences ’08 (B.S.)

FIT Women’s Basketball ’04-‘08 

Dr. Amanda Buie received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida Institute of Technology in 2008, her D.D.S. degree from Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry in 2012, and her M.S. in Education for Healthcare Professionals from Texas A&M University College of Medicine in 2016. Dr. Buie is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at Texas A&M School of Dentistry. She teaches in first and second year preclinical dental courses and integrated CAD/CAM dentistry into the preclinical curriculum. Dr. Buie also helps manage Buie Clinic with her husband, Dr. John Buie, who is a prosthodontist in their hometown of Midlothian, TX. They have two boys, James (3) and Wesley (1), and are expecting a baby girl in April of 2023.  

Dr. Josh Bruckmeyer is the Vice President of Engineering Technology & Strategy for Space and Airborne Systems (SAS). In this role he also serves as chief engineer for the Agile Development Group (ADG) and leads the Multi-Domain Architecture Group (MDAG). He is focused on advancing L3Harris’ capabilities to provide customers with comprehensive mission and system solutions. He reports directly to the Vice President Business Development and Strategy for SAS, indirectly to the Vice President of Engineering for SAS, and indirectly to the President of ADG.

Bruckmeyer assumed the role of Senior Director in 2020. In his previous role he oversaw and managed engineering for the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the F-35 Technical Refresh 3 Integrated Core program.

Previously, functionally lead System Integration & Test for the F-35 Technical Refresh 3 mission computer infrastructure. Prior he set the strategic vision and managed the Space & Airborne Systems (SAS) system engineering organization of over 1600 employees.

Prior to joining SAS, Bruckmeyer was a fellow in the Technical Strategy office, reporting to the Chief Technology Officer. He led L3Harris’ technology exchange forum, influenced L3Harris’ R&D investment plan, promoted internal collaboration and innovation, architected and lead technology initiatives, and facilitated senior-level engagements.

Previously, Bruckmeyer served as a chief technologist for Harris’ Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance business. In this role, he led the technical strategy behind Harris’ pivot to be a small satellite prime contractor. He also architected the second-generation Harris AppSTAR™ multi-mission payload family, for which he received the Harris Board of Directors Technology Innovation Award.

Bruckmeyer was the principal architect of the Aireon Hosted Payload (AHP), a spaceborne, software-defined, elemental digital beam former phased array antenna for air traffic management on board the Iridium NEXT constellation. He also architected the signal processing chain of a high-performance wideband ELINT that has been successfully transferred to multiple ELINT systems.

Bruckmeyer began his career at L3Harris with responsibility for the detailed electrical digital design, system engineering and signal chain integration of a high-performance imager.

Bruckmeyer serves as the L3Harris University of Florida Executive Champion, is an external advisory board member for the University of Florida College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Bruckmeyer is also a member of the Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering and Science Advisory Board. He has published several papers and delivered multiple workshop sessions. He holds several patents in high-speed electronics and space communications.

Bruckmeyer has bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering from the University of Florida. He also has a Master of Science in electrical and electronics engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical and electronics engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.

L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across space, air, land, sea and cyber domains. L3Harris has more than $17 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com.

VP, Design Enablement at ON Semiconductor

Electrical Engineering, B.S. '80
Electrical Engineering, M.S. '82
Applied Mathematics, M.S. '84

Mojy has a rich blend of private and public company senior executive management experience, business acumen, customer relationships, and hands on technical experience in Integrated Circuits product design, software development, process technology, design infrastructure, and wafer manufacturing. He has provided consulting services for new business development, strategy for adjacent markets, System-On-Chip development strategy in leading edge process technologies, and engineering and business modeling to Qualcomm and CSR.

Company | LinkedIn

President (Retired)

Ocean Engineering, B.S. '76
Ocean Engineering, M.S. '81
Chi Phi, Baseball, Crew

John worked for thirty years in offshore engineering and design of deep water hull forms such as Tension Leg Platforms, Semisubmersibles, Spars, and other offshore facilities. He’s directed many offshore projects and helped develop Industry standards and practices. Founding Houston Offshore Engineering in the early 1980’s, his team eventually merged with Han-Padron Associates and was later acquired by ABB Lummus Global in 1998.  Many of this team reformed HOE at the end of 2004. John has published over 30 technical papers, has been awarded US Patents for deep water facilities and operations, and serves as Editorial Advisor to Offshore Engineer Magazine.

LinkedIn

Founder and CEO

Carol has grown her company from one person in 1999 to over 440 associates today across 20 states. She is a selfdescribed accidental entrepreneur and Unconventional CEO™. Craig Technologies was listed as one of Florida’s Best Companies to Work For by Florida Trend magazine. Carol oversees corporate operations, offering multi-disciplinary engineering and integration, software development, training and courseware development, information technology, modeling and simulation, logistics, and launch support. She has extensive military experience and is pursuing a PhD in Systems Engineering at Florida Tech. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work as a small business owner, executive and entrepreneur.

Company | LinkedIn

Former Chief Executive Officer

Engineering Mgt.,M.S. '84

Jean has more than thirty years of industry experience and leads the testing and evaluation phase of the carrier aircraft. He is a seasoned aerospace professional who has led air launched space vehicle, launch operations, and spacecraft programs. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy, his legacy in space began on active duty in the Air Force and continued as the program manager for Orbital's Pegasus system. Most recently, Floyd was vice president and general manager for the civil and defense division at Orbital ATK, where he managed P&L responsibilities of Human Space Systems, National Security Space, Science and Environmental, and Advanced Flight Systems.

Company | LinkedIn

Program Manager 

Contract Mgt., M.S.M. '95

Ron is an aerospace professional in the development of technologies and solutions to complex, technical issues. Interested in space system development, integration, test and launch operations for manned and unmanned space missions. He participates in research and agile development of software solutions for national space and military initiatives. He is an adjunct professor, guest lecturer on space systems and software development, and a program evaluator for software engineering for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). He has been published, patented and is a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Company | LinkedIn

Division Director, Engineering & Construction

Oceanography, B.S. '72
Environmental Eng., M.S. '77

Don implements Gwinnett County’s CIP program for linear, vertical, and storm water type projects. He manages 60 plus project managers and inspectors and is responsible for the designs and construction of the Department of Water Resources pipeline and treatment facility projects. Current CIP project budgets exceed $100,000,000 per year. Don has 40+ years of experience in facilities and environmental engineering and permitting, utilizing alternative and traditional project delivery systems. He’s managed and designed water and wastewater treatment facilities, from concept development to final design and startup, for industry, federal government, and municipalities.

Company  

V.P. Enterprise. Communication Systems

Marine Biology, B.S. '94
Sigma Kappa sorority

Gretchen is a dynamic IT professional with over 20 years of experience guiding major communications organizations to meet and exceed corporate goals. As VP in the IT organization at Charter Communications, her team integrates and supports communication systems, file services and collaboration tools. She manages large portfolios of highly impactful technical projects, ensures adherence to best practices and promotes overall operational excellence. She is a board member for the Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Midwest Chapter and has led the Careers in Action program for the Women in Technology Leadership (WIT) Foundations.

Company | LinkedIn

Summerpal Kahlon, MD, MS has held numerous positions in healthcare and health information technology fields encompassing strategy and business development, innovation, services, operations, and executive leadership at multi-billion dollar-revenue organizations including McKesson, Oracle, Steward Health Care, and Change Healthcare (now UnitedHealth Group/Optum). He has a history of product conception, development, launch, and growth across the spectrum of healthcare. In addition, he has served on a number of boards and committees for non-profit groups, professional societies, trade associations, standards bodies, and government entities over the years.

He is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases, continuing to practice medicine locally in Florida with the Veterans Health Administration. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University, the University of Alabama School of Medicine, and University of Central Florida, Dr. Kahlon holds degrees in economics, medicine, and health informatics while actively pursuing new knowledge as an avowed lifelong learner.

CEO and President

Psychology '99 (B.S.)

Misty oversees business operations, development and growth for Novel, a certified Woman Owned Small Business. She is a member of the Space Coast Tech Council, and Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, and Groundswell. Novel is an engineering service provider to the software and electronic industry. Their engineering team is comprised of software, electrical, systems and FPGA & PLD firmware engineers. They serve businesses in the aerospace, defense, space, healthcare, scientific, and industrial manufacturing sectors.

Company | LinkedIn

Founder and CEO

Computer Sciences, M.S. '92
Computer Sciences, Ph.D. '95

Ernest is a thought leader in the area of Cybersecurity awareness, education, training and workforce development. He is the CEO of The Global McDuffie Group (TGMG) and has 44 years of experiences, leadership and service. TGMG is focused on the assessment and evaluation of cybersecurity, awareness, education, training, and workforce development. He previously headed the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, (NICE) where he led the government national campaign designed to improve the cyber behavior, skills, and knowledge of every segment of the population, enabling a safer cyberspace.

Company | LinkedIn

Consultant

Operations Research, '94 (Ph.D.)
Business Administration, '96 (M.B.A.)

David serves as the President of the Chinese-American Scholars and Professionals Association of Florida (CASPAF).  He retired in 2013 from Northrop Grumman Corporation after 28 years of service as an Engineering Fellow. Since then, he has provided consulting services to industry through Gray Wolf Technical Services.

LinkedIn

Sr. Vice President, Engineering & Technology

Ocean Engineering, B.S. '94
Alpha Phi Omega, College Players

Derek is responsible for the technology team, research and development efforts, advisory services, and global ship systems for the American Bureau of Shipping. ABS’s mission is to promote the security of life, property and the natural environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. It is the second largest class society with a classed fleet of nearly 12,000 commercial vessels and offshore facilities. ABS Rules form the basis for assessing the design and construction of new vessels and the integrity of existing vessels and marine structures.

Company | LinkedIn

Rob Nunn

Chairman and CEO, Park West Holdings

Rob founded Park West in 2018 as a way to bring parties together in order to help develop new intellectual property and service companies. Park West has since grown into an international holdings company with interests, active deals and equity holdings in a variety of sectors including renewable energy and new technology exploration.

Rob is an early supporter of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative. He is an Ambassador of the Prince’s Trust, which supports young people into work and entrepreneurial endeavours. He is also a Patron of the world-renowned Royal Institute in London. 

President (Retired)
 
Al Nuttall earned his B.S.E. (1967) and M.S.E. (1970), in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He served in the U.S. Army at it’s Chemical Center, Edgewood Arsenal, MD and then launched his career as a development engineer for Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis. In his next role, he managed manufacturing, engineering, quality control, and support groups for three plant sites of PCR, Inc., producing silanes, organofluorine compounds, and other fine organics and pharmaceuticals. In 1984, he moved to Palm Bay to help found FAR Research, Inc., a profitable fine organic chemical manufacturing firm. From 1992-2015, he served in several roles culminating as the President/CEO of FAR and orchestrated an acquisition, bridged the ownership change and, ultimately, oversaw divestiture of the firm. Since retiring, Al has become involved in Florida Tech.  He and his wife have provided for an endowed scholarship fund, he has been a speaker on campus and has coached students in interviewing to better prepare them for launching their careers.

Larry Pollack received a Master of Science in Environmental Science (1985) from The Florida Institute of Technology; his Bachelor of Science degree in Botany was earned at the University of Maryland, College Park (1980).  He returned to Melbourne in September 2022 soon after retiring from a 23-year career with the U.S. Department of Defense; most recently he had been the Program Manager for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs at the Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JSTO-CBD). This office is located in the Chemical/Biological Technologies Department at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  The Chemical and Biological Defense Program was established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide next-generation state-of-the-art defense capabilities to allow military forces of the United States to operate and successfully complete missions in chemical and biological warfare environments.

He was recognized in 2015 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with a distinguished Tibbetts Award for his continuing contributions to the SBIR and STTR small business programs.  The Department of Defense’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award was presented to Mr. Pollack in 2018.

The Larry P. Pollack Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment at Florida Tech will provide financial assistance to environmental science majors.  The scholarship was endowed in 2023. A Fellowship designated for environmental science graduate students is also in progress.  He has funded the Larry Pollack Terrace at the Folliard Alumni Center to signify his enjoyment of the outdoors.

In his spare time, Larry enjoys swimming, gardening (especially growing things to eat), and scuba diving – initially becoming a certified diver while attending The Florida Institute of Technology; he put that training to good use as a diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore (now the National Aquarium) during 21-years of volunteer service.

Director - Engineering

Physics '78 (B.S.)
Pi Kappa Alpha

Jeff began his career with Grumman Aerospace Systems in 1985 as a Structural Engineer upon graduating from
Fairleigh Dickinson University with a BS in Civil Engineering. He later earned an MBA from Florida Tech. Jeff led a
Vehicle Engineering department and managed development efforts on many Aerospace programs. In 2007, he began working with Software Suppliers to develop, deploy and support Engineering tools and applications used throughout Northrop Grumman. Jeff is now the Aerospace Systems Sector Director of Engineering Applications with his role primarily focusing on Product Lifecycle Management and Computer Aided Design tools.

Company | LinkedIn

CEO

Wild Manta, LLC is a product development company and business factory focused on creating startup businesses along the Space Coast. Leveraging his 30+ years in product and systems development, Mr. Reynolds has been involved in the startup community in Brevard County since 1995. He has participated in the founding of numerous high-tech startups across a broad range of industries including his own, Soneticom in 1998. Mr. Reynolds grew Soneticom, an applied research company, from its three founders to a successful sale to DRS Technologies in 2009. Upon the sale, he became the VP General Manager and oversaw tactical systems development. Along the way, Soneticom made the INC 500 fastest growing companies, was named Entrepreneur of the Year from the Founder’s Forum and won numerous EDC job creation awards. Mr. Reynolds currently serves on the board of Avancen MOD Corporation and is a founding board member of the Legacy Angel Network, focused on raising seed capital to emerging local businesses. Mr. Reynolds has a strong passion for growing businesses in Brevard County and regularly mentors startup businesses across a broad range of industries.

COO and VP U.S. Operations & Sales

Physics, B.S. '78

Pi Kappa Alpha

Bob provides leadership for MLDesign Technologies, Inc. an international company dedicated to improving the effectiveness of the design process all the way from concept to implementation. MLDesigner is the first standardized platform that unifies the system-level design process across development sites and design technologies. It integrates the "islands of automation" that have prevented comprehensive system design and validation. MLDesigner is aimed at providing a strategic tool for every engineer's desktop and to provide significant productivity improvements for both individual designers and teams.

Company | LinkedIn

Senior Instrument & Controls Engineer

Electrical Engineering, B.S. '72
Management, M.S. '91

Doug is a senior controls engineer and computer control specialist for Westinghouse Corp. in Canton, Massachusetts. He has worked on projects in the United States, Canada, Algeria and China, where next generation nuclear plants are being constructed. In 2013, Doug established the Douglas M. Schuler Endowment to provide scholarships to electrical and computer engineer majors at Florida Tech. He has invested in senior design projects and supports the Student Design Center, providing funds for equipment. He resides in the Boston area.

Company | LinkedIn

BS, Ocean Engineering 1989

Alpha Omega, Sailing Team, WFIT

Peter Sack is the founder and principal partner of Sound Oceanics, a multi-discipline marine survey company based in Houston, Texas. Sound Oceanics performs marine Geophysical, Geotechnical, and Oceanographic surveys worldwide. Before founding Sound Oceanics, Peter worked for Compagnie Générale de Géophysique for 20 years as Manager of Engineering and in various engineering and management roles.

Peter is also co-founder of Technical Marketplace Services, which develops web-based sharing platforms for sharing technical and industrial equipment.

Along with Houston, Peter has lived and worked in Bergen, Norway, Baku, Azerbaijan, and Singapore. He resides in Vancouver, BC, with his wife and two children.

After earning his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Florida Tech., Dr. Ted Batlas received his Neuropsychology Fellowship training at JFK Medical Center. He is an Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, at Seton Hall-Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, and a Clinical Instructor, Dept. of Psychiatry, at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine.

For 14 years, he served as the Chief of Psychology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and as the Director of Neuropsychology for the Meridian Neuroscience line, as well as Neuropsychology Intern supervisor at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He has served as a consultant for the New Jersey Brain Injury Alliance and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

He had previously taught at the College of New Jersey and has served as a supervisor for students at many of the local universities. He is the Director of Neuropsychology and Counseling Associates, LLC—one of the largest private behavioral health practices in the state of New Jersey. Neuropsychology & Counseling Associates, LLC, is a multidisciplinary practice with five offices in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, and Burlington counties.

David Carus is a Shareholder and Registered Patent Attorney at Allen Dyer P.A. based in Orlando, Florida, and practices in the areas of patent prosecution and portfolio management. As a computer engineer, Dave has obtained patents for Fortune 100 companies in the areas of electrical and electronic equipment including, for example, mobile wireless communications devices, antennas, finger biometric sensing devices, and haptics.  Dave's patent experience also includes the areas e-commerce, digital couponing, and Internet of Things (IOT) systems.

Dave also currently serves and the President and CEO of D&J Aviation, LLC, an aircraft leasing and flight services company based out of Apopka, Florida.  

Dave's professional experience includes Test and Evaluation for defense contractor Northrop Grumman. As part of the flight test crew at Northrop Grumman, Dave designed and tested aerial ground surveillance and battle management systems on the Joint Stars E8-C Aircraft platform. 

Dave is a private pilot, and enjoys flying for breakfast, ice hockey, and spending time with his family.

Paul Cecala (BS-Psy ’85, AS-Av Mgt/Flt Tech ’85) is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator, work search author, and founder of Cecala Career Consultants. He has been coaching since 1999 and has assisted over 3000 people in either changing careers or starting their professional lives.  He specializes in creating a project plan for a job search. He is recognized for his listening skills and ability to help clients find work fast. He has been commended for his networking skills, interview techniques, and resume writing prowess. 

Paul has helmed the adult continuing professional education programs for Fairleigh Dickenson University and the County College of Morris where he was responsible for organizing and facilitating their departmental industry advisory boards. Additionally, he has worked in Workforce Development through his local Chamber of Commerce and One-Stop Career Center. 

Paul has published a job search booklet, “WORK SEARCH BUDDIES, Finding A Job With A Little Help From A Friend,” and multiple print articles on job search related topics.

 Prior to career coaching, he spent 12 years in corporate aviation working for FlightSafety International, K-C Aviation, Jet Aviation, and ending as Vice President of Aircraft Charter Sales for Atlantic Aviation. 

Paul was a board member of the FIT Alumni Association from 1991 to 1998 holding positions as President (1996-1998), Vice President (1994-1996) and Alumni Admissions Recruiting Cmte Chair (1991-1994). While at Fla Tech, Paul was student athletic trainer to the men’s soccer and basketball teams, held part-time jobs at an ice cream shop and the university mailroom, was leader of the Catholic Campus Ministries Newman Club, and was a student ambassador for the Admission Dept. 

Paul has been a board member for his church (8 years) and a community development corporation (2 years). He also spent 25 years in the USAF Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol working his way to Lt Colonel and Vice Commander for New Jersey. 

Paul lives in Lake Parsippany, NJ with his husband since 1996 and FIT grad, Dan Nazzaro (BS-Psy ’95) and their teenage son.

John Gorvin is a Massachusetts native, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree (Stonehill College) and Master’s Degree (Boston College) before completing his Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at Florida Tech in 1990. 

John returned to Massachusetts and became licensed as a Psychologist in 1992, and has subsequently worked in various outpatient and inpatient clinical settings, evaluating and treating adolescents and adults.  John later completed a Neuropsychology Recertification through the Fielding Graduate University in 2005. He is presently employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities.  

John is a volunteer for the Stonehill College Alumni Association, past chair of the Stonehill College Annual Fund, and past member of the Stonehill College Alumni Council.    He also serves on the Board of the New England Chapter of the Florida Tech Alumni Association. 

John also has taken up distance running, trains with a local running club near Boston, and volunteers annually at the Boston Marathon. 

Kyle Graham

Dixie Chemical

Vice President of Operations

Kyle Graham is a 2006 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.   Additionally, Kyle graduated from Florida Tech in 2011 with an MBA concentrated in Finance and Accounting.

Kyle is a United States Army Veteran where he attained the rank of Captain while serving from 2006 to 2011.   During this time Kyle had one deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom V.  During this deployment Kyle distinguished himself earning both a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor. 

After Kyle completed his military service, he entered the petrochemical industry where he has been a manufacturing leader since 2011 holding positions such as Maintenance Manager, Operations Manager, Logistics Manager, and Plant Manager for both Dow Chemical and Covestro.   In 2022, Kyle joined Dixie Chemical as their Vice President of Operations.  

Kyle resides in Houston, TX with his fiancé Hailey, their two children, and their dog Bourbon.

President, CEO, and Board Member

Food Industry

Kyle is a consummate professional and trusted President, CEO, and Board member; relied upon to deliver results. He is best known for influencing culture change built on trust, resulting in high-performing teams that drive momentum behind aggressive turnarounds and next-level productivity.

He is branded as having a servant leadership style that is resilient in the face of challenges. Kyle’s background as a United States Marine serves as an unerring compass to this date, strengthening his strategic and tactical approach to resolving complex business opportunities.

Kyle has assumed senior charter of a series of strategic business transformations—from converting teams into top producing revenue engines to consolidating operations for maximum profit while revamping business models to protect returns. He has held P&L accountability of as much as $1B and delivered triple-digit growth exceeding $100M. His career is comprised of the highest-level leadership as President and CEO within the public and private sectors.

Kyle started his Food Manufacturing and Executive Leadership career as a sought-after Food Industry Management Consultant. Kyle has assisted more than 300, food, beverage and CPG companies to transform their culture, attain operational excellence, and generate growth. From there he went on to serve in a multitude of leadership roles across the food industry to include his past three roles as a successful president and CEO of Rembrandt Foods, Trilliant Food and Beverage and TNT Crust, LLC.

In his spare time Kyle is spending time with family, teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a 1^st degree black belt, skydiving, scuba diving, flying airplanes or fulfilling his charitable endeavors and community giving.   

Kyle holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from National University and a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology. He and his wife Nicole reside in St. Charles, MO with their two children.

Ansley received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from Flagler College and a Master of Science (2005) and Ph.D. (2020) in ABA from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT).

Ansley has had a variety of clinical work experiences, including founding an ABA-based school, running an early intervention clinic, working with adults in group homes and community settings, consulting nationally and internationally, and teaching.  

For the last seven years, Ansley has served as Nemours Children’s Hospital first lead behavior analyst with the goal of embedding behavior analysis in a hospital setting. At Nemours, she is part of a multi-disciplinary assessment team for children with complex medical conditions and intellectual disabilities; she also leads an ABA team in providing services to children and parents. As part of her role, Ansley uses ABA and OBM in training the administrative teams, medical residents, medical students, and other medical divisions on the utility and value of our science. 

Finally, she has published over 17 articles and book chapters and secured over $4.5 million in grant funding.

Dr. Hodges is a retired Army Officer and Decorated Combat Veteran.  As a Career Army Officer, Dwayne was a Communications and Electronics officer, Information Security Officer, Logistics Officer, and Transportation Officer.  During his enlisted tenure, he was a Military Police Officer and Transportation Specialist.

Dr. Hodges has almost 20 years’ experience in Higher Education as Professor, consultant, and serving on various advisories boards and committees, and he was a Key contributor to the Cybersecurity Curricula in 2017 guidelines for Post-Secondary Degree programs in Cybersecurity working with George Washington University and other industry partners.

Dr. Hodges is extremely active and passionate about Higher Education, He has taught and developed courses in several academic disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate levels to include criminal  justice, criminal law, Homeland Security Preparedness, and Deterrence , Information Assurance ,  Computer Network Security, Penetration Testing, Incident handling, Topics in information assurance, Cryptography, Internet and Data Web Wecurity, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning, Organization Management and Business administration (MBA), Cryptography, Forensics Investigation , Digital Forensics and Technology Practices.

Dr. Hodges was the Technical Editor for the popular CISSP Exam Cram for Pearson Education North America, for the global premier cybersecurity certification that covers all major domains in cybersecurity.

Dr Hodges is also a 5 Star Cybersecurity Instructor for Udemy for Business collection, developing and teaching courses in Advanced Cryptography Concepts.

Dr. Hodges, has author of several cybersecurity publications, to include an Executive Position in Military Leadership, leadership is a passion for Dwayne, while always strives to improve leadership and encourages for inclusion, while including the right people in the room to make leadership decisions.  “Rank is often confused with the right people.”

Dr. Hodges holds a Doctor of Education: Organizational leadership (Ed.D.), Master of Science- Information Systems Technologies: Management Information Systems, and a Master of Science- Public Administration, and a BA Bachelor of Arts- Sociology: Criminal Justice

He is a 2023 Global Top 100 Awardee C|EH Hall of Fame Author, featured TedX speaker, featured speaker for State of Cyber Security during Cyber awareness month, and has contributed to the National Institute of Standard Technology NIST on topics of PKI, with experience testifying in front of the National Academy of Science on cybersecurity threats. 

Dwayne’s military tenure was highlife by success, he was and ensiled Soldier and a Commissioned officer. As an honor graduate of the Basic Non-Commission Officer Course, he was selected for promotion to E-6/ SSG, prior to being appointed to 2LT.

During his tenure, he graduated from several services schools, to include, but not limited to Joint Professional Military education, Army United States Army Command and General Staff College, United States Army Combined Logistics Captains Career Course, Signal Communications School/School Information Technology, United States Army Signal Center, United States Army Transportation School, United States Army Military Police School, United States Army Airborne School, and United States Army Pathfinder School.

Dwayne’s deployments include Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, Multination Force and Observers, with Numerous awards and badges to include, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, NDS, ACM, Expert German Infantry Badge, US Paratrooper Badge, and US Pathfinder Badge.

Dr. Hodges held various vantage point positions in his military career, to include, but not limited to S3, S4, XO, commanding troops, and supporting the US Ambassador to Iraq directly during OIF for military air operations and working directing with host nations to develop cybersecurity programs.

Dr. Hodes has vast experience and knowledge working with several agencies, to include, but not limited to the joint staff at the United States Pentagon, U.S. Pentagon, CERDEC, SSA, DISA, SAIC, Leidos, DoE, DoD, USAF, USA, NSA.

Dr. Hodges was the founder and owner for Wellsprings Services, where his company provided services and products to include, Cybersecurity consulting, PPE, medical devices, specialty medical instruments, and surgical devices, medical disposables, and Class VIII and V IX parts with continued growth in sales for 8 consecutive years straight while in business.

Dr. Hodges is a Devoted husband, father, and family man, and currently resides in Melbourne, FL with his wife Marisol, where they recently located to the area to transition into their “good” years, and slow down a bit.

 Dwayne now works for AT&T Cybersecurity, where is supports the strategic business initiatives for the AT&T Cybersecurity Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in areas of GRC.

Dwayne and Marisol have three adult kids, and one grandson.  They love to travel, especially to visit their college age kids, their son attends the University of Miami and Daughter attends the University of Tampa, and they enjoy going to Disney with their grandson in between.

Dwayne Loves to read daily, fishing, and to be outdoors as much as possible.

Jimmy Jenkins

President and General Manager

Defense Sector

Blue Halo 

Colonel (Retired) James H. Jenkins III (Jimmy) is the President and General Manager of the AMD C4ISR Sector at Blue Halo.  Prior to that, he was the Director of Strategic Programs Strategy and Capture for Dynetics working hypersonics, high energy lasers, Indirect Fire Protection Capabilities (IFPC), space systems, sensors, and other areas.  He previously spent 5 years at Northrop Grumman culminating as the Operating Unit Director for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems where he had profit and loss responsibility over multiple programs including the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) and Joint Tactical Ground Stations (JTAGS) in the Missile Defense and Protective Systems Division, Mission Systems Sector in Huntsville, Alabama.  During his first years, he performed Business Development duties across all services and in the international market and was the Capture Manager for the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces C4I Modernization pursuit. 

COL(R) Jenkins retired from the Army in Jan 2014 after nearly 28 years of service.  His last assignment in the Army was as Deputy Commander for Operations for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC).  In this role, he was responsible for the Nation’s forces that defend the U.S. from rogue ICBM attacks and subordinate Space enabler and Satellite Communications units.  His previous assignment was as the Chief of Staff for SMDC.  Before coming to SMDC, he was the Brigade Commander of the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood, TX. He deployed his brigade headquarters his last year of command to command and control most of the air defense forces in the Central Command area of operations throughout the Middle East.

His first career assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas. He served in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 5-52 ADA (Chaparral/Vulcan/Stinger), 11th ADA Brigade. During this tour, he served in four platoon leader positions, as battery executive officer, and as assistant S3. He graduated early from the Air Defense Advance Course to serve with 2-3 ADA (Vulcan/Stinger), 1st Infantry Division in Desert Storm. He was the battalion planner during the war and later commanded B/2-3 ADA. After    Fort Riley, KS, he served as an Operations Research Systems Analyst and test parachutist with the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate at Ft. Bragg, NC. Highlights of this tour were his duties as a test parachutist for C-5 formation drops and the new C-17. In addition, he led the first

GPS-guided parachute delivery system development and testing. In 1996, he moved to Washington, D.C., and served as an aide-de-camp for the Operational Testing and Evaluation Commanding General and later as the assignment officer for Operation Research and Systems Analyst in Personnel Command (PERSCOM). During his tour at PERSCOM, he led the efforts to develop and implement the Career Field Designation board process for the Army. After Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, he served in 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, as the Assistant Division Air Defense Officer and Operations Officer for 4-5 ADA (Linebacker/Avenger/Stinger). In 2001, he returned to PERSCOM as the major and lieutenant colonel assignment officer in Air Defense Branch. COL(R) Jenkins commanded 3-2 ADA (PATRIOT), 31st ADA Brigade, III CORPS from 2003-2005. During command, his battalion deployed to Washington in support of a Joint Task Force-North operational mission. They also organized, developed the doctrine, and trained the nation’s first Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar Battery for deployment to Iraq. After command, he was the Director, Office of the Chief of Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss. He attended the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, PA, in 2006-07 and was subsequently assigned to Joint Task Force-North. During this tour, he led efforts to partner JTF-N with the Joint IED Defeat Organization applying their information sharing architecture and tools to JTF-Ns mission and its partners.

COL(R) Jenkins’ awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal (7th award), Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (4th award), Volunteerism Medal (3rd award), other service and deployment awards, Space Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Australian Airborne Wings, and German Armed Force Proficiency Badge (Gold).

COL(R) Jenkins graduated from West Point in 1986 with BS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Management.  He also has an MS in Operations Research and Systems Management from Florida Institute of Technology and an MA in Strategic Art from the U.S. Army War College.

Thomas “TJ” Jones, LMHC | Lionrock Recovery

Thomas "TJ" Jones was born and raised in Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where in 1988 he earned a BA in Political Science and a commission as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry from the Army ROTC program.

TJ spent 20 years in the Army and retired in 2008 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. TJ’s unit assignments included 3^rd Armored Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 2^nd Armored Calvary Regiment, the Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO), and the 7^th Transportation Group. TJ’s deployments include; Operation Desert Shield/Storm,  Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operation Joint Endeavour in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In 1997, TJ was selected to attend the Logistics Executive Development Course with follow on to Florida Institute of Technology (LEDC/FIT). In 1998 he earned a MS in Logistics Management from Florida Tech.

In 2010, TJ earned a M.Ed. in Community and Addictions Counseling from the College of William and Mary. He completed his counseling residency in Virginia and became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP). TJ worked both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs while in Virginia. In 2016, TJ and his family moved to Jupiter, Florida where he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and employed as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor with Lionrock Recovery.

When he’s not working, TJ is an avid master’s level swimmer. He competes year round in both pool and open water events as a member of the Palm Beach Masters Swim Team.

Leadership & Organizational Development Consultant, Cox Communications

Twenty years of professional corporate experience in the fields of Leadership Development, Consulting and Talent Management. Corporate experience includes executive coaching, leadership development and assessment, strategic planning, organizational needs assessment and interventions, leading organizational change, and succession planning.  Designed and delivered enterprise wide Leadership Development Programs to 3000+ leaders. 

Elizabeth McChrystal, Ph.D.

Accent Technologies

Vice President of Revenue Science

Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Ph.D. 2004

Fifteen years of professional experience in revenue enablement, professional services, business process analysis and change management. Lead client consultations and successful implementation of Revenue Enablement programs and technology for Fortune 1000 companies with sales teams ranging from 25 sellers to 10,000 sellers. This includes the scoping, deployment, adoption and analysis of each program’s key sales improvement metrics.

Publisher, Al Dia Today 

Communication, BS'81 | Global Strategic Communication, MS'13 

Javier Molinares came to the United States in 1991. His first job was as a cargo handler. He then drove trucks for 4 years before joining the US Army as a paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division. During his time in the 82nd Airborne, he completed his Associate in Arts, moved back to Palm Bay and enrolled in the communication program of Florida Institute of Technology. In 2003, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and recorded his own music CD, Vallecumbia. He later wrote for Florida Today’s business section and ultimately started the bilingual newspaper Al Día Today eight years ago.

Gaye Montgomery is an attorney and mom to two adult children. She is also the founding member of Montgomery Compliance Law PLLC (www.montgomerycompliance.com), a risk and compliance advisory practice, and a member of the Board of Managers of Grubb Properties LLC, where she chairs the firm’s Audit Committee.

Gaye’s passion, however, is building and nurturing The Women’s Compliance Collective, a global group of (currently 1000+) women in organizational compliance roles.

During her 20-year career with Altria, she spent more than ten years on the law department’s leadership team and led a number of law department practice groups, including Global Compliance; International Sales & Marketing; Sales; Sales & Marketing; Marketing, Communications & Corporate Responsibility; and Employment. 

Prior to joining Altria, Gaye was an associate at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City, which she joined after a judicial clerkship with a U.S. District Court Judge.

Gaye received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, after which she worked for three years as a Systems Engineer before leaving to attend Yale Law School from which she received her J.D. degree.

Gaye holds professional certifications in cyber security oversight, information management, and European data protection and is admitted to practice law in the United States (New York, Virginia, and the District of Columbia) and the United Kingdom. Gaye is also a Board Certified Coach, having completed executive coaching programs at the College of Executive Coaching and Case Western University’s Weatherhead School of Management, among others.

Gaye brings more than twenty years’ experience on nonprofit boards across a broad range of industries and sectors: financial, education, hospital hospitality, legal, business, civic, religious, and philanthropic). 

Gaye lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she taught as an Adjunct Professor (Antitrust) at the University of Richmond Law School and currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Richmond Ballet.

U.S. Army Fellow, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 

Michael Olsen is assigned to the National Guard Bureau (NGB) in Arlington, Virginia and holds the rank of Major. He obtained his commission as a communications officer through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Delaware in 2005. Michael is a native of Staten Island, New York. 

Michael has worked at NGB, the federal headquarters of the Army National Guard, since 2009, following a one-year combat deployment to Iraq. Throughout his tenure, Michael has held a number of high visibility positions managing national-level programs critical to the mission of providing oversight, funding and support to the 54 States and Territories of the Army National Guard. 

At NGB, Michael initially served as a data analyst providing quantitative and qualitative analysis, strategically forecasting future requirements to inform senior leader strategic decisions on Army National Guard personnel and resources. From 2013 to 2015, Michael concurrently served as a Company Commander with the Army National Guard in Yonkers, New York. In this role, he was responsible for the health, welfare and training of 134 soldiers and communications equipment worth $25 million. Following Michael’s command position, he served at NGB as a Program Manager responsible for the Army National Guard’s Basic Training program. In this role, he was accountable for the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of $620 million annually. 

In 2016, Michael began his position as a Congressional Liaison with duty at the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. In this role, he was responsible for formulating, coordinating, and executing the National Guard's congressional policy and strategy. Michael developed comprehensive congressional engagement strategies for senior military leaders, and disseminated critical information on all major congressional activities. Michael returned to his role as a data analyst in 2019, serving in a supervisory position with the NGB Strength Maintenance Division to provide quantitative and qualitative analysis on all matters relating to Army National Guard recruiting and retention. 

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in U.S. Foreign Policy from the University of Delaware, and a Master of Science in Project Management/Operations Research from the Florida Institute of Technology. He also holds a Certificate in Legislative Studies from the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. 

Michael currently resides in Washington, DC with his wife Erica, son James, and daughter Olivia. 

Melissa Parker came to Brevard County through the military after her father was transferred to Patrick Airforce Base in 1987. A graduate from Satellite High School, she later obtained her degree as a Registered Nurse from Eastern Florida State College and worked in the Acute Care settings at Holmes Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital, specializing in Orthopedics, Neurology and Trauma. She keeps her RN license active and is currently President of Precision Screening, Inc. a boutique, pre-employment background screening and verification service provider which she founded in 2008.

Melissa and her husband Ted live in Indialantic, FL, and have two children, son Brendan and daughter Carson. Their son was diagnosed with autism in 2010 and attended The Scott Center for Autism to receive early intervention ABA Therapy.  In 2015 Melissa and Ted founded their non-profit, The Parker Foundation for Autism and Child Development, to provide free resources to children and families impacted by autism and special needs through three fully funded programs specializing in education, sports, and the arts. Melissa also serves on the Board of Directors for the Senior Resource Alliance and is an active volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School where their children attend.

Melissa is an artist, a sports enthusiast, and educator who has a genuine love for bringing people together; she developed The Parker Foundation’s “Be a Buddy” initiative as a platform for bullying prevention and to empower young peer volunteers to connect with special needs children in hopes of crushing barriers and encouraging young leaders to embrace diversity to help build a kinder, more understanding and inclusive world for all.

Joel Thomas is the president/CEO of the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation. His academic background includes an MBA/HA from the Florida Institute of Technology, a MA from Rollins College, and a BS from Florida State University. He is a past member of the Florida Tech Alumni Association board of directors. The WHH Foundation has recently conveyed a major multi-year grant to the Florida Tech College of Psychology. The grant allows Florida Tech clinical psychology doctoral students to train at the FSU College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program in Winter Haven.

US Army Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Tony Davila is the founder and CEO/President of Knight Technical Solutions, LLC (KTS). He brings a wealth of experience from an extensive career in the Army, and expertise with Special and Conventional Operations in Military Intelligence, Maneuver Warfare, Psychological Operations, Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, Technical Operations, Aviation, Cyber, and Space. His 33-year career in the Army begin as an enlisted recruit and was later promoted to the Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) ranks. He was then selected for the Army’s Green-to-Gold program with Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) where he earned his commission as a Lieutenant. His distinguished military career in peacetime and in combat has earned him numerous accolades, awards, special assignments and positions, and promotions. 

As the Founder, CEO/President of Knight Technical Solutions (KTS), Tony relies on his extensive experiences, education, and leadership skills to innovate new disruptive technologies such as novel combustion engine research and development, recoil reduction systems production, solar power pack designs, among several other technologies. His life experiences and education have enabled his company to innovate with new technologies that will improve both military and civilian lives in the future. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Huntsville Special Operation Forces Network where he reaches out to multiple local communities as the Outreach Director for STEM and Technology. 

As a commander and program manager, Tony has extensive experience in managing the Army’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) – Gray Eagle and Hunter, with experiences in acquisition, testing, research and development, and operational integration of multiple unmanned systems in the Department of Defense to include manned and unmanned teaming (MUM-T) 

Tony received his B.S. in Computer Science from Christopher Newport University at Newport News, Virginia in 1991. His M.S. in Systems Management/Information Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida in 1999. 

Kenny Watts, Madison, AL

Kenny Watts graduated from FIT in 1971 with a BSEE and a student number #979.  In 1968, he was one of the original 9 members of the of the first ever FIT Rowing Team and the team captain and first alumni. As an original crew member, Kenny was a personal acquaintance of Dr. Jerome Keuper who was the team’s greatest fan. At FIT, he was the Vice President of the Student Government Association and an EE Lab Assistant for Dr. Walter Nunn (a fellow Marine) for whom the FIT Endowed Chair in Electromagnetics is dedicated.

With the Vietnam war in full swing in 1971 and with a low draft number, after graduating from FIT, Kenny joined the Marine Corps, was commissioned via the Officer Candidate School, and trained as an Airborne Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO) flying missions in the EA-6A and RF-4B aircraft aboard the USS Midway and USS Coral Sea. In 1975, from the USS Coral Sea, Kenny flew the last Marine Corps fixed-wing aircraft out of Vietnam at the completion of the Saigon evacuation where he provided radar jamming from his EA-6A to protect the helicopters performing the evacuation.

Kenny then attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA where in 1977 he received a MSEE.  He then served as a flight test engineer for an aircraft C3 system and worked in-plant with the engineering team at Hughes Aircraft Company in Fullerton, CA. He left active duty in 1981 and continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve until 2001, rising to the rank of Colonel. His Marine Corps Reserve assignments included tours as a Forward Air Controller, Artillery Battery Commander, Battalion Intelligence Officer, Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) Intelligence Officer, Deputy Director of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, and Faculty Member at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

In his civilian career, Kenny worked for Raytheon Company in Huntsville, AL as a Senior Systems Engineer and Senior Business Development Manager.  Kenny received two business development awards from Raytheon for his leadership in fielding near-term threat response systems. The first award was for his role in the first 72 hours after the 911 terrorist attacks, for deploying Raytheon radars, C3 systems and missiles to the National Capital Region to create an air defense umbrella.  The second award was for his role in adapting the Raytheon shipborne Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for land use in Iraq to detect and destroy incoming mortar and rocket weapons.

Kenny retired from Raytheon in 2013 and still works as a part time consultant for Huntsville aerospace-defense companies.  He is working with the FIT College of Engineering and Science to help pursue DoD, DoJ, and NASA research programs in Huntsville, AL.

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Dr. Andrew McGregor is a native of Florida. Born and raised in Port St. Lucie, FL, Dr. McGregor loves serving his Floridian community with the utmost high standards of medical care.  Dr. McGregor graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Microbiology and Cell Science. He went to medical school at Ross University where he graduated with highest honors. Dr. McGregor completed a full general surgery residency at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT, and a full plastic surgery residency at  Nassau University Medical Center/Stony Brook University program. He has received many awards in both residencies and has authored multiple peer-reviewed papers for medical journals. Dr. McGregor is a full-time plastic surgeon at Clevens Face and Body Specialists. He loves serving the Brevard community through education platforms and mentorship.

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