Glen Mandigo, Executive Director, United States Advanced Ceramics Association
Mandigo is the executive director of USACA and the president of Strategic Marketing Innovations (SMI), which is a leading federal affairs firm in Washington in the area of advanced materials. SMI serves as the executive agent for USACA, and the firm represents over 90 other clients with interests in advanced materials and technology. Mandigo has over 25 years of experience working in Washington, DC on advanced materials and technology issues with federal agencies, Congress, companies, universities and associations.
Prior to joining SMI in 1995, Mandigo was manager, technology policy and planning, for an engineering and management consulting firm working with NASA. He worked with NASA on commercial space policy and technology transfer after working as a staff assistant to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in 1991. Mandigo earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1988. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, he worked as an engineer in California on materials and structures for the F-22 fighter aircraft at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems, and on a six-passenger business aircraft for an aerospace manufacturing start up, Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures, Inc.
Jon Riley, Senior Vice President of Technology, National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
Riley is nationally recognized for his relentless support of the national strategy to make advanced manufacturing tools and technologies available to manufacturers of all sizes. He has extensive experience in the areas of R&D, virtual technologies, design methodologies, business development and strategic planning along with a clear vision and strong understanding of the benefits that advanced manufacturing technologies will bring in the coming years. He brings more than 25 years of defense, aerospace and automotive experience in the areas of collaboration, program management, virtual and physical product development, design and validation.
Riley is currently the senior vice president of technology at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) and a member of the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) board of directors. He provides strategic leadership for NCMS personnel and all of the technological collaborations with industry, academia and government partners which leverage innovations to address a wide variety of critical needs. In this role Riley is responsible for identifying partnerships and alliance opportunities to help U.S. manufacturers remain competitive in the global market.
He holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois.
Marc-Antoine Thermitus, Senior Application Scientist, NETZSCH Instruments North America
Dr. Thermitus currently works as a senior applications specialist at NETZSCH Instruments North America. Prior to joining NETZSCH, he worked as a senior engineer for Anter Corporation. Thermitus earned his Ph.D and Master of Science degree in Thermal Science and Energetics from the National Institute for Applied Science. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Engineering School of Munich.
Daniel J. Gisser, Business Advisor, AdviCoach
Gisser and AdviCoach help leaders of small businesses develop great habits to run their businesses more effectively. They provide tools and resources to address challenges of time, team, and money, and help implement short and long-term strategies to achieve their goals. Gisser was Director of Corporate Marketing and Sales at Eaton from 2006-15. Eaton is a Fortune 100 global, diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial equipment. At Eaton he coached numerous entrepreneurial product line and business unit teams, and mentored several rising managers. He designed and delivered training programs in marketing, sales, pricing, and other topics.
Gisser has unique capabilities with engineering and technology-centered, B2B industries. His academic background crosses typical boundaries: He has an MBA (marketing, strategy, and entrepreneurship) from the University of Rochester, PhD (polymer chemistry) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and BA (chemistry) from Dartmouth College.
Jono Starr, President, StarrTrax
Starr started the company StarrTrax Recruiting, a boutique Search Firm, in 2010 to specialize in finding talent for clients in the high-tech manufacturing industries. With a background in Applied Psychology and passion for manufacturing, he has years of success finding and placing technical talent into the manufacturing sector. He has over 10 years of recruiting experience with a team of nine specialized individuals to help adapt to the ever changing manufacturing environment.