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Our advisory board consists of business leaders, entrepreneurs and educators who are committed to advancing the mission of the Bisk College of Business. The advisory board plays an active role in support of the college's values, vision and goals and provides a structure for student, alumni and community engagement in Bisk College of Business activities and events.
Kenneth Acampora, CRC ®, CRPC ®, President DURABLE Wealth Management, LLC has over twenty-eight (28) years of experience in the financial services industry including more than 15 years as an advisor to the public and 13 years as an Investment Specialist where he taught other financial advisors in the Southwest the finer techniques of retirement planning and distribution. In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Ken was named a prestigious FiveStar Professionals Wealth Manager* of the Year and noted in Denver’s 5280 Magazine. Ken has served as a keynote and featured speaker to legal, accounting and financial professionals, speaking on topics as varied as Managing Money in the Capital Markets, IRA Distribution Strategies, Use of Annuities in Estate Planning and others. Ken was certified to teach state required Continued Education courses for Accountants and Financial Advisors in 6 (six) states. Kenneth holds board certifications in Retirement Consulting from the College of Financial Planning as well as the International Foundation for Retirement Education.
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
EDUCATION
CERTIFICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
CIVIC ACTIVITIES
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.
Chief Human Resources Officer, Health First
Paula is accountable to maximize the contributions of every Health First team and associate through the effective and efficient recruitment, employment, assessment, development, engagement, collaboration, and retention of committed, high-performing team members. Her direct responsibilities include human resources operations, talent management, employee relations, education and training, and pastoral care at Health First.
Paula has 27 years of experience in healthcare human resources. She previously served as Network Vice President of Human Resource Effectiveness at SSM Health Care Corporation in St. Louis. Paula began her career at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center as a Compensation and Benefits Analyst in 1986. Since that time, she has held the position of Manager of Compensation & Benefits, Human Resource Director and Regional Recruitment Director. In addition to St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, she also worked for established health systems such as Tenet Healthcare and Missouri Baptist Medical Center, and as an adjunct professor for Webster University.
Paula earned her Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has a Green Belt Certification in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). She is also a certified CQI coach and facilitator and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.
Vice President Import & Export Sales, Marketing, Business Development
International Speaker & Consultant
Managing Director - International Sales
Country Manager, USA
North American Business Manager
Vice President Export Sales & Marketing
University of Illinois
Florida Institute of Technology
Cornell University
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.
As qualifying broker for Lightle Beckner Robison, Inc., Brian currently oversees all aspects of the commercial real estate brokerage firm including sales, corporate services, leasing, asset and property management services LBR offers; beginning in August 1996 to the present.
Commercial Real Estate Broker/Leasing Agent from March 1988 to August 1996 with Corporate Property Group, Inc., Melbourne, Florida, Vice-President/Partner – January 1991 – December 1994. Prior to joining Corporate Property Group, Inc. in 1988, spent five (5) years in the Financial Services field with Merrill Lynch, Thomson McKinnon and Sun Bank.
Expert Broker and Commercial Real Estate Advisor with over twenty-seven years experience leasing, selling and consulting for office, industrial and shopping center related real estate throughout the State of Florida and Georgia. Professional services include Marketing of Commercial Properties including Direct Canvassing and Prospecting, Tenant/Buyer Representation Service, Consulting and Receivership services for all aspects of commercial real estate.
Over the last twenty-eight years, Brian has personally leased or sold over 6,500,000 square feet of office, industrial and retail space. Brian has completed over $250,000,000 in transactions throughout his career.
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.
Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy & Supply Chain Officer
Monique is responsible for leading strategy, supply chain, and contact centers for the Sam’s Club business. Her strategy role expands the entire Sam’s Club enterprise. From a supply chain perspective, she is responsible for driving efficient product movement from supplier to member, which includes more than 17 distribution and fulfillment centers. The Sam’s Club contact centers comprise a 3rd-party footprint in three countries focused on providing a great member resolution experience. A proponent of diversity and inclusion, Monique emphasizes the importance of Women in the Supply Chain and People of Color in the workplace. She leads a diverse steering committee of men and women supporting both causes.
Monique has more than 25 years of experience, having served in leadership roles in both developed and developing countries. Prior to joining Walmart, she 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jeff Shuman is a global CHRO with over 38 years’ experience leading major transformations and driving shareholder value within multi-national, publicly traded consumer (Avon), industrial (Honeywell/Allied Signal), aerospace / defense (Northrop Grumman, Harris Corporation) and healthcare (Quest Diagnostics) companies. Shuman retired as Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer for Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), a global diagnostic information services business, with responsibility across human capital strategy and corporate social responsibility. Jeff has been a leader in human resources, operations and general management and has established a strong reputation in maximizing the value of acquired entities, digitalizing the workforce and leading transformations that accelerate growth, drive operations excellence and significantly enhance organizational effectiveness. Shuman possess an informed, reasoned approach to addressing complex business problems and has established a wide array of governance experiences.
Jeff was recruited to Quest Diagnostics in 2012 and was an integral member of the executive leadership team working closely with the Board of Directors to successfully transform the company. He has implemented an organizational redesign, led the human capital integration of over a dozen acquisitions, and managed in excess of $800 million of divestitures. This has enabled organic growth and generated in excess of a billion dollars in annual value creation; and total shareholder return appreciation of 85% over a four-year period. As the Chief Human Resources Officer, Shuman established a high performing culture and created a Human Capital strategy to insure sustainable organic growth, including key leadership succession processes and the implementation of a global Leadership Academy to dramatically increase the organizations capabilities. He has also worked with the Compensation Committee of the Board to align executive compensation with shareholders’ interests.
Prior to joining Quest Diagnostics in 2012, Shuman served as Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer with Harris Corporation (now L3Harris) an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 100 countries. As CHRO and Chief Administrative Officer he held responsibility across government affairs, real estate, EHS, Communications, the fleet and human resources. Over his nearly eight years with Harris Corporation, Shuman successfully led the company though a significant transformation focused on driving innovation and market diversification, resulting in new businesses in healthcare and satellite communications, and maximizing adjacent markets. He also worked closely with the Board of Directors on a successful CEO succession.
Before joining Harris in August 2005, Shuman was Vice President of Human Resources and Administration for Northrop Grumman’s Information Technology business, and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Litton Information Systems Group, acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2001. Previously, he was Vice President of Human Resources for AlliedSignal’s / Honeywell’s technical service business. He began his commercial career at Avon, where he spent 14 years in roles of increasing responsibility across Operations, General Management and Human Resources.
Shuman has served as Chairman of the Greater Baltimore-Washington, DC, chapter of INROADS and has supported the Private Sector Council in key initiatives as an advisor with the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security. He was an active member of the Human Resources Policy Association and served on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of New Jersey and the American Red Cross in NJ. He received a Stevie ® during the American Business Awards in 2007 for “Best Human Resources Executive” and was the 2011 recipient of the “HR Executive of the Year”.
Shuman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Citadel. Following graduation, he served as a Medical Service Corps officer in the U.S. Army. He resides in Florida with his wife and has two grown daughters who are growing their careers.
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 12th 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.
