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Annual Conference 2011

 

Speaker Bios

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MANUFACTURING VELOCITY: SME Annual Conference  

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

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Neil Ball Ball, Neil
Biography not available.
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Chih-hung Chang   Chang, Chih-hung
Chih-hung "Alex" Chang received a bachelor of science from the National Taiwan University, Department of Chemical Engineering, in June 1991. He received his doctor of philosophy in chemical engineering from University of Florida in December 1999. Chang's dissertation research concerned development of a manufacturing process for the growth of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cells using rapid thermal processing (RTP) under Professor Timothy J. Anderson. He joined Oregon State University in January 2000. He is currently a professor of chemical engineering at Oregon State University.

Chang is a SHARP Labs of America scholar and a recipient of AVS Graduate Research Award, National Science Foundation's CAREER Award, and an awardee of the W.M. Keck Foundation. His group has studied solution-based thin-film deposition processes, ink jet printing, microreaction technology, and X-ray absorption fine structure. He has more than 60-refereed publications, 3 issued patents, and 9 pending patents in these areas.
 
Andrew Christensen   Christensen, Andrew
Andrew Christensen has been in the medical device industry since 1992 and is currently the president of Medical Modelical, a medical rapid manufacturing service bureau. He has been involved in several thousand patient cases where tactile imaging models have been used for surgical planning, implant design, and surgical navigation in the U.S. and around the globe. Christensen has authored two book chapters and numerous articles on the use of advanced medical imaging combined with additive fabrication technology. He is a contributor to the Rapid Prototyping and Tooling State of the Industry Report published annually by Wohlers Associates. Christensen has an active interest in medical applications of RP&M, biomaterials research, conjoined twins and strategies for surgical separation, image processing, and prosthetic design.
 
Jim Curry   Curry, Jim
Jim Curry is the current chairperson of the Automated Manufacturing Committee's Simulation Technical Group. He is the founder and CEO of OpStat Group, and operations management improvement firm. Curry is an adjunct professor in the graduate school of engineering program at Fairfield University.
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Adil Dalal   Dalal, Adil
Adil Dalal is the CEO of Pinnacle Process Solutions Intl.®, and an internationally recognized expert and thought leader in flow/lean manufacturing and project leadership. He is a prominent keynote speaker, workshop provider, and webinar instructor at several professional conferences organized by Project Management Institute, American Society of Quality, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, National Association of Purchasing Management, IIE Operational Excellence, Texas Comptroller's Office, LCRA, and other leading global corporations.

As a lean sensei and project leader, Adil has led billion dollar acquisition projects and coached several executives and teams in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia implement successful strategies. Adil is the author of the upcoming books 12 Pillars of Project Excellence™ and Lean Project Leadership™. He holds MS in Engineering Management and in Mechanical Engineering and a BS in Automotive Engineering. He is a certified lean professional, certified project manager (PMP), certified quality engineer (CQE) and a certified executive coach.

Adil also holds the following positions as a volunteer leader including Chair, Human Development & Leadership; Chair-Elect, SME Austin; Vice-Chair Education, Lean Enterprise Division, ASQ; Chair Education, ASQ Austin; and Board Member, Lean Certification Committee, SME, ASQ, AME, and Shingo alliance.
 
David Davidson   Davidson, David
David A. Davidson is a deburring/surface finishing specialist with several years of experience, including positions at Kearsarge Peg Co. Inc., PEGCO Process Laboratories, and Turbo-Finish Corp. He joined SME in 2004, is the current chair of the MMR Community and is an advisor for the Deburring, Edge Finishing & Surface Conditioning Tech Group.
 
Louis C. Dorworth   Dorworth, Louis C.
Louis C. (Lou) Dorworth has been working in the advanced composites industry since 1978. He has been associated with Abaris since its inception in 1983 and has been employed by Abaris Training since 1989. His background includes many years of education and experience in composite materials research and development, manufacturing engineering, material and process engineering, and tool design and fabrication. Dorworth's aerospace composite background includes work on programs such as the Lear Fan 2100, Beechcraft Starship 1, B-2 bomber, C-17 transport, MD-11, Boeing 777, Airbus A-330/340, as well as many other projects and programs. In addition, he has been involved with a number of non-aerospace programs, ranging from wind blades to snowboards to marine vessels to submersibles.

Dorworth has been a professional member of the Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering (SAMPE) since 1982, having published a variety of technical papers over the years. He is also a senior member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and is currently a member of the Plastics, Composites, and Coatings (PCC) technical community and the Composite Technical Committee. Dorworth, along with other members of the Abaris staff, co-authored the recently released Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication & Repair, a new textbook published by Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. (ASA).
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Paul Ericksen   Ericksen, Paul
Paul D. Ericksen retired from John Deere in 2006 after 30 years experience in increasingly responsible positions. He was a founding father of Deere's supplier development function, having developed and launched the order fulfillment focused process that was later adopted across Deere. Ericksen is considered the architect of the Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division's Supply Chain Flexibility Initiative that facilitated Deere marketing of lawn mowing equipment through mass merchandiser channels. After leaving Deere, Ericksen served a stint as chief procurement officer for an S&P 500 corporation. He is currently program manager of MEP Supply Chain Advantage, a U.S. Defense Logistics Agency funded supply chain improvement initiative.

Ericksen is a well-known advocate, writer, and speaker on OEM leveraged economic development and lean supply chain performance. He has past speaking engagements with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, the MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation, the Ohio State University Fisher School of Business, the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing, and the Wisconsin Economic Summit. He has authored articles published in the Association for Operations Management, Purchasing Today and Target. In addition, articles related to his work have appeared in the IIE Solutions magazine, Purchasing, Industry Week, iSource, Managing Automation and other engineering and supply management related publications.
 
William Estrem   Estrem, William
William A. Estrem, PhD, is president of Metaplexity Associates LLC. Metaplexity Associates is an education and consulting firm that focuses on enterprise architecture using The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) and related disciplines that align and integrate technologies to meet the needs of business. He is a contributor and technical editor for the development of TOGAF.

Estrem is an adjunct associate professor at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota where he teaches courses related to international operations management. He previously served as an associate professor in the College of Business at the University of St. Thomas where he held the Honeywell Endowed Chair in global technology management in the MBA program. He has several years of industrial experience, including an industry analyst with D.H. Brown Associates and an enterprise information architect in 3M's Information Technology division.

Estrem has been an active SME member since 1988. He served as an advisor on the former Computer and Automated Systems Association of SME (CASA/SME) and was the association's chair in 2000. Estrem is currently a community advisor for SME's Product & Process Design and Management Community.
F
Scott Faris   Faris, Scott
Scott Faris is the founder and CEO of Planar Energy Devices, a privately held, venture backed technology company dedicated to the development and manufacture of high energy density "solid state" thin-film and large format batteries for commercial and OEM applications. Located in Orlando, Florida, Planar's core technology enables a new generation of lithium metal batteries that are safe, compact, and can be deployed in very flexible arrangements.

Additionally, Faris is the founder and managing partner of Astralis Group LLC, a strategic and financial group, which partners with technology companies to develop and implement business and capital strategies.

He is serial entrepreneur with over 17 years of VC and operating experience spanning a number of technology companies. Faris was previously a partner with Corporate IP Ventures, an early stage venture fund that commercialized defense technologies. He was also a founding director and the chief operating officer at Ocean Optics, a precision optical component and fiber-optic instrument company.

Prior to Ocean Optics, Faris was the founder and CEO of Enterprise Corporation, a technology accelerator organization that raised over $50 million in capital to new and existing technology firms through a private investment forum. He has served as director of the Florida State Capital Fund and the director of technology commercialization at the Center for Microelectronics Research. Faris started his career with Zero Stage Capital in Pennsylvania where he was involved in analyzing spin-off opportunities from technologies developed at Penn State and other Pennsylvania research universities.
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  Gartenlaub, Marshall
Marshall Gartenlaub is managing director of QIEDU Associates in the greater Los Angeles area and formerly director, Applied Competitive Technologies of the California Community Colleges and director, economic development at North Orange Community College. Gartenlaub is a nationally recognized leader in technical education and economic development with community colleges with degrees from the University of Dallas, University of Oklahoma, and University of Southern California.
 
Gary Gathen   Gathen, Gary
Gary W. Gathen is chief technology officer of G Corp, an international tool and die industry consultant firm focused on tooling lead-time and cost reduction. As a member of the National Tooling & Machining Association, he is a past service life member and served as Detroit chapter president. Gathen, an SME member since 1985, is vice-chair of the Forming & Fabricating Community, and founder and co-chair of the Lean Tool & Die Making Tech Group. He participated in the SME Lean Blitz Week, which began the SME Lean Certification Program. His experience in the die and stamping field dates back to 1952.
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John Janicki   Janicki, John
John Janicki is president of Janicki Industries (JI), co-founded JI with his brother, and has been actively involved since it began in 1993. He is responsible for all JI operations including engineering, production, sales, marketing, and administration. Janicki maintains direct involvement in JI's aerospace and defense sales activities. Prior to founding JI, he was an architect and owned a firm that served both commercial and residential clients. His experience managing large, complex, multi-million dollar projects has enabled JI to develop one of its core competencies: sophisticated project management.
 
Ron Jewell   Jewell, Ron
Ron Jewell has 25 years experience in computer modeling for scientific and engineering applications, with a specific focus on fluid mechanics and structural analysis. His background includes the design and development of commercial engineering software tools, application for studies in high-speed aerodynamics, and sales and marketing in engineering software and high-performance computing.
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William King   King, William
William P. King, PhD, is professor and Willett Faculty Scholar in the departments of mechanical science and engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2002, he received doctoral in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. During 1999-2001, he worked in the Micro/NanoMechanics Group of the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory. During the years 2002-2006 he was on the faculty at Georgia Tech. King is the winner of the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (2003), the PECASE award from the Department of Energy (2005), and the Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research (2007). He was named Young Manufacturing Engineer by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 2006. Technology Review Magazine named him to the TR35, one of the people under the age of 35 whose innovations are likely to change the world. He is the winner of the 2009 ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Award for Young Investigator in Heat Transfer. King has twice won the R&D 100 award. He has authored over 110 journal articles and 20 patents, is co-founder of two companies, and is a member of the Defense Sciences Research Council.
 
Nikhil Koratkar   Koratkar, Nikhil
Nikhil Koratkar joined the faculty of the mechanical engineering department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2001 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2006 and to full professor in 2009. His research is focused on development of nanomaterials and nanodevices. He is a winner of the NSF CAREER Award (2003), AHS Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Award (2004), RPI Early Career Award (2005), and the Electrochemical Society's SES Young Investigator Award (2009). He has published over 70 archival papers in top ranked journals including Nature, Nature Materials, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Advanced Materials, and Small. These papers have been cited over 1200 times. In September 2010, Professor Koratkar was appointed editor of CARBON (Elsevier).
L
Pete Lohr    >Lohr, Pete
Pete Lohr is the director of flight test maintenance, Boeing Test and Evaluation, Engineering Operations and Technology. In this position, he is responsible for all maintenance and quality operations for Boeing flight test airplanes based in the northwest region — both commercial and military programs. His team is responsible for preparing the flight test aircraft for test, starting with installing flight configurations and instrumentation in the initial production build, maintaining them throughout the test program operations, and refurbing the aircraft for delivery. Prior to this assignment, Lohr was the customer introduction leader and airplane integration co-leader on the 787, responsible for leading the integration of the airplane design across the life cycle product teams. His responsibilities included concurrent product definition, customer introduction process development, and engineering operations. In previous assignments at Boeing, he led production engineering for the 747 and 767 programs and had leadership assignments in manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering tooling engineering, and manufacturing research and development.

Prior to joining Boeing, Lohr served nine years active duty in the U.S. Navy. He retired as a captain in the Naval Reserve in 2006. His navy experience ranged from nuclear engineering leadership positions on the USS Carl Vinson and USS California to commanding three naval reserve units. Lohr received bachelor degrees in ceramic engineering and economics from the University of Washington and a master's in business administration from the University of LaVerne.
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Laural Manegre   Manegre, Laural
Laural Manegre is a partner with Inside Results, LLC. She has 19 years experience as a highly-trained master facilitator and public speaker. She has an exceptionally broad base of experience, which makes it possible for her clients to set and achieve goals that are bigger than they ever dreamed possible. Manegre works with corporations, large and small, government organizations, community associations, colleges, and schools. As a master facilitator, she has delivered programs internationally in Brazil, India, Japan, Indonesia, and the UK. Some of her more recent clients include Caterpillar, Canon Financial Services, Midland States Bank, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Fresenius, Spectra Labs, Airline Hotels, AT&T, Toyota, Sprint PCS, Boston Edison, City of Tempe, Arizona State University, Edmonton Public Schools, First Calgary Savings, Jr. Achievement, and United Way.
 
  Martin, Mark
Mark Martin is the California CTE director for manufacturing and engineering K-14 outreach. His role is to get more kids interested in technology careers. He has been involved in manufacturing and engineering for over 20 years, and has become increasingly involved in educational outreach in these areas. As the founder of Design4X, he developed courses in design and manufacturing, including the award-winning site How Everyday Things Are Made. He has worked for or consulted with a number of companies throughout his career including Texas Instruments, Marlow Industries, Hewlett-Packard, ABB, Toshiba, In-Focus, Agilent, Raytheon, and others. He earned his doctoral in mechanical engineering at Stanford, his master's in management and mechanical engineering at MIT, and his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at the University of Oklahoma.
 
Maite Mauri   Mauri, Maite
As an operations development leader for C&D Zodiac, worldwide manufacturer of aircraft interiors, Mauri is responsible for assisting to define the long-term vision and direction of the company through strategic deployment; developing employees of all levels to improve operations, processes and systems; directing and executing improvement activities and training efforts at divisions in Washington, California, and Canada. Prior to joining C&D Zodiac, she worked as a manufacturing engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp., where she filled multiple roles including manufacturing technology engineer for the F/A-18 program and manufacturing process engineer for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Mauri received a bachelor of science in engineering technology from California State University Long Beach, where she served as president of the SME student chapter. She led the team through the WESTEC Manufacturing Challenge Competition in 2006, where they earned third place and was awarded the William B. Johnson Leadership in Manufacturing Award.
 
Stewart McMillan   McMillan, Stewart
Stewart McMillan is president of Task Force Tips, a worldwide leader in the manufacture of agent delivery solutions for firefighters. The company itself was the result of serendipitous innovation back in 1968 when McMillan's father, Clyde McMillan, combined his engineering background with his role as a volunteer firefighter. From an idea he sketched on a paper napkin with red felt pen, Task Force Tips has grown to having a sales force that spans the globe, conducting business in more than 60 countries. Along the way, a passion for innovation, sometimes beyond reason, has been a driving force.
 
Egils Milbergs   Milbergs, Egils
Egils Milbergs is the executive director of the Economic Development Commission of the state of Washington. The commission is charged with developing a long-term economic development strategy and making the state the most innovative region in the world. He was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire on January 23, 2008 after a nation-wide search. He is a noted thought leader in competitiveness policy and champions the vital importance of U.S. technological, manufacturing, and innovation leadership to long-term prosperity. In Washington, he is advancing the concept and practice of regional innovation ecosystems. He held previous positions as president and founder of the Center for Accelerating Innovation, president of the National Council for Advanced Manufacturing, president of the Institute for Illinois, deputy assistant secretary for productivity, technology, and innovation for the U.S. Commerce Department, and executive director to the President's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness. Milbergs is a graduate of Harvard College.
 
  Moore, Nigel
Nigel Moore joined Impact Washington in December 1999. He is vice president and chief operating officer responsible for fiscal oversight, day-to-day company management, planning, and execution. Prior to joining Impact Washington he was an independent management consultant for nine years helping companies develop, improve, diversify, and expand their business and markets. Moore is a veteran of the food processing industry, having spent many years in engineering, sales, and general management working for a European food equipment company as engineering manager progressing to vp & general manager and for two manufacturing companies as vp sales and marketing and president.

Moore has a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. He studied business and economics at Oxford University and has an executive MBA from Northwestern. During his tenure at Impact Washington, he has developed a business model from single point delivery engagements to an enterprise transformation model encompassing all aspects of a client's business. More than simply helping clients improve their business operations or remain viable in the marketplace, transformation is about assisting clients and their value chains compete more successfully in the global marketplace.
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Mike Nelson   Nelson, Mike
As the senior vice president of engineering at NanoInk, Mike Nelson directs the science and engineering teams that develop hardware and software systems used for nanofabrication. In addition to new product design and development, he also manages several of the operational aspects of NanoInk's business including manufacturing and information technology. Prior to joining NanoInk, Nelson served as the senior vice president of engineering at Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. At Molecular Diagnostics, Nelson directed the design and development of in-vitro diagnostic screening systems to assist in the early detection of cancer. Other previous assignments include vice president, systems development for AccuMed International, Inc., director of technology for Caremark, director of systems engineering for Baxter International, and director of engineering for the Perkin-Elmer Corporation. He earned his master of science in computer science and his master of business administration from DePaul University in Chicago.
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Dean Phillips   Phillips, Dean
Dean Phillips has over 20 years experience in managing sales staffs and manufacturing managers for OEM's of the manufacturing industry. He is a specialist in implementation of green manufacturing, lean enhancement, and automation. His experience includes being a service engineer and manager for Niagara, Bliss and Clearing manufacturing companies as well as product sales manager with Tennsmith, Piranha/Allsteel, and a national sales manager with SEYI. Currently, Phillips is the chairman for SME Chapter 43 Nashville.
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Venkitaswamy Raju   Raju, Venkitaswamy
Venkitaswamy Raju, PhD, is the vice chancellor of VIT University, Vellore, India. He is currently on leave from the State University of New York. Raju has long been engaged in the development and promotion of manufacturing education through SME and the American Society for Engineering Education. He has also been actively involved in the accreditation of manufacturing programs and is currently on the executive committee of the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET. Raju's primary interests are in engineering and technology education, electronics manufacturing processes, nanofabrication, enterprise management, software applications in industry and technology, and policy research. He holds advanced degrees in physics, industrial engineering, and management. Raju has been an SME member since 2002 and is the current chair of the Manufacturing Education & Research Community.
 
Frank Rath   Rath, Frank
Frank Rath has been with the University of Wisconsin for the past 22 years. He has worked with many companies helping them reduce lead time, improve processes, and reduce cost . He is currently leading an effort to reduce the overall lead time to go from discovery to product in the biotech world.
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Richard Schaller   Schaller, Richard
Richard Schaller is a staff scientist at Argonne National Lab in the Center for Nanoscale Materials, Nanophotonics Group with a joint position in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. He focuses on time-resolved optical measurements of condensed phase nanomaterials. From 2002 to 2010, he performed research at Los Alamos National Lab as a Reines Postdoctoral Fellow and staff scientist in the Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy Group.
 
Andrew Schmit   Schmit, Andrew
Andrew Schmit earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University, Cum Laude (1989), a master of business administration from Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, and a master of science in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2006). His experience includes almost 20 years in operations and finance for Corning, Universal Instruments Corporation (a Dover Corporation subsidiary spun-off in 2005), and LeCroy. He has also been a guest lecturer at Columbia University.
 
Brock Strunk   Strunk, Brock
Brock Strunk is currently a senior structures engineer at Erickson Air-Crane Helicopter's Inc. Previously, he worked as a level three stress engineer at Spirit AeroSystems, an engineering manager at Adam Aircraft, and as a senior structures engineer at Columbia Aircraft. At Adam Aircraft, he directed a team of engineers and manufacturing technicians who worked to improve the aircrafts' fuselage manufacturing process time and reduce the part's weight.

Strunk has developed numerous composite repair techniques and structural testing procedures for aircraft structures for both Adam and Columbia Aircraft. During his tenure at Adam and Columbia Aircraft, he played a key role in helping these companies certify the Adam 500 and Columbia 300, 350, and 400 aircrafts with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Strunk earned a bachelor of science in manufacturing engineering and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology. He joined SME in 1999 and is a current member of the SME Member Council in addition to vice-chair of SME's Plastics, Composites & Coatings Community. In 2008, he was awarded SME's Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award.
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Jim Tetreault   Tetreault, Jim
James Tetreault was appointed vice president, North America Manufacturing, on December 1, 2008. In this role, Tetreault leads Ford's North America Manufacturing operations and drives the company's continued efforts to improve manufacturing flexibility and efficiency in North America as it retools several truck factories to launch a host of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Just prior to this position, Tetreault served as vice president, manufacturing, Ford of Europe, a position he held since 2005. In Europe, he was responsible for all European vehicle and power train manufacturing operations including manufacturing planning and logistics and the European Ford Land facility management for Ford plants in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and the UK.

Tetreault has held several management positions in Ford North American manufacturing facilities, including plant manager in three assembly plants and one stamping plant. From 2000 until 2002, he was vehicle operations director of quality, and from 2002 until 2005, he was director of manufacturing, vehicle operations.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Tetreault joined Ford Motor Company in 1988 after spending the early part of his career at Chrysler Corporation, where he worked in management positions in production and engineering. He earned a bachelor of science in environmental sciences from the University of Michigan in 1978.
 
Lou Tice   Tice, Lou
He may have started out as a high school teacher and football coach, but a belief in "no limits" has led Lou Tice to become one of the most highly respected educators in the world today. His singular style of teaching — taking the complex concepts and current research results from the fields of cognitive psychology and social learning theory, and making them easy to understand and even easier to use — has brought him students from all over the globe. Tice believes that excellence is a process — an achievable, continuous process that inevitably results when we learn to control how we think, what we expect and what we believe. International business, political and military leaders consult with him on how to do more with less and bring out the best in those with whom they work. Top athletes come to him for help with mastering the psychological aspects of peak performance. He works with educators on strategies that motivate both staff and students to set and achieve meaningful goals.

Tice's experience in working with Fortune 1000 companies spans over 35 years. When working with organizations, he translates his message into practical applications that impact corporate culture and group performance. He is a much sought after speaker because of his practical approach and commitment to high performance. Tice's ability as a consummate teacher and mentor has brought him to some of the world's hot spots:

  • to the leaders of Northern Ireland, where he has worked since the mid-80's;
  • to Guatemala, where he has worked since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1995; and
  • to South Africa, from before the end of the era of apartheid to this very day.
In 2004, Tice brought his considerable talents to bear in an on-going partnership with University of Southern California head football coach, Pete Carroll, to make a positive difference in South Los Angeles.

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington where he and his wife still make their home, Tice received his bachelor's degree from Seattle University. He went on to earn an MA in education from the University of Washington, with a major focus in the mental health sciences. He is the internationally recognized author of the popular books, Smart Talk for Achieving Your Potential and Personal Coaching for Results. In the final analysis, Tice is a masterful business leader, teacher, and educator, who is remarkably successful at empowering individuals to achieve their full potential.
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Gabe Wing   Wing, Gabe
Biography not available.
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Tao Xie Xie, Tao
Tao Xie obtained his BS and MS degrees in polymer chemistry from Zhejiang University in 1993 and 1996, respectively. From University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he received his PhD in polymer science & engineering in 2001 and was a recipient of the Omnova Solution award for his research work. He is currently a staff research scientist at the Chemical Sciences & Materials Systems Lab of General Motors Research & Development Center in Warren, Michigan. Xie leads two research projects with focuses on both fundamental and applied aspects of bioinspired material systems and smart and/or functional polymers. His recent work has been highlighted by multiple news media including MIT Tech Review, C&EN, MRS Materials360, Chemistry World, and Science Daily.