Meet the Board of Advocates
TOM AYERS
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER-OFFSHORE BUSINESS UNIT, TECHNIP USA, INC
Tom Ayers has more than twenty years of experience as a proven leader possessing strong project execution and business management experience in the oil and gas industry. Tom is currently the Chief Operating Officer, Offshore Business Unit for the Region North America within the Technip Group, and is responsible for the Engineering, Project Management and Fabrication business units supporting Technip’s offshore business in North America, as well as the Pori Finland fabrication yard which fabricates floating structures for the Offshore market.
Previously, Tom was Vice President of Offshore Projects within Technip Group (July 2012 - October 2013) and was responsible for the overall project execution for EPC projects from the HSES, Quality, Financial, and Schedule perspective. Prior to that, Tom served as Vice President of Business Development, Onshore and Offshore, for Technip Oceanea in Perth, Western Australia (January 2011 - July 2012) where he was responsible for all commercial, tendering, and select operations for the Onshore and Offshore Business Unit. Tom previously held the position of Vice President of Topsides and Fixed Platforms within Technip’s North America Region (2008 – 2011) and prior to that, Project Manager/ Project Engineer (1998 - 2008).
Tom Ayers earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Baylor University in Waco, Texas (1991), and a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas (1993). Tom is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, and is a GOSSTROI of Russia Certified Engineer (non-active). Prior to Technip, Tom held various project positions with Duke Energy (1993 – 1998) in the Pipeline Capital Projects group.
Tom resides in Katy, Texas with his wife, Debbie and their two children, Holly and Joe. Tom and his family are active in Grace Fellowship United Methodist Church in Katy.
JAY D. BATTERSHELL
PARTNER, CLEARVIEW INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Jay Battershell has been providing IT Leadership, Consulting and Managed Services to global businesses for over 25 years. As a current Partner of Clearview, Jay is responsible for leading and growing Clearview IT services including Data Center Hosting services (with 3 data center locations in the DFW and Waco areas), Cloud Services, and IT Consulting. As a senior executive at Clearview, Accenture, LSG Sky Chefs and Uniden America, Jay has demonstrated successful leadership of IT organizations and IT outsourcing teams in the delivery of business results while continuing to decrease the total cost of ownership for IT. He has provided IT leadership and services for businesses of various scope, size and maturity from startups to Fortune 500 firms and has held key roles in sales, planning and delivery of vital business solutions (including ERP, supply chain, back office, and B2B) and the transformation of business functions through organization change, governance and strategic alignment, and sourcing solutions.
On a personal note, Jay and his wife Tara live in Grapevine, Texas, and have three sons, Travis, Garrett, and Luke. Jay is a 1983 graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Computer Science. In 1996, Jay completed the Executive MBA from Baylor in Dallas. Jay and his family are active members of Fellowship Church in Grapevine where they serve in various Children and Adult ministries.
MARK CANNATA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, IPG PHOTONICS
Mark Cannata is director of sales and marketing for IPG Photonics’ telecommunications business. IPG is the world’s leading provider of high power fiber lasers which enable some of the most powerful and compact optical amplifiers for the global telecommunications market.
Mark graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas in 1989. Prior to joining IPG, Mark worked in Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Operations positions in the predecessor companies that ultimately became Tellabs’ Access group.
In December of 1999, Mark re-located with his family to Genoa Italy to form a Product Marketing organization in the Access group of Marconi Communications. The company developed in Genoa one of the first intelligent Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAM) for broadband service delivery. In the mid-1990s, Mark was also instrumental in the standardization of one of the largest fiber-based systems deployment in North America, with over 1.3 million lines deployed to date.
Mark currently resides in Dallas Texas with his wife Edna and their three children – Margaret, Catherine, and John. Mark enjoys spending; time with his family, and playing golf.
BETH CASTEEL
VICE PRESIDENT OF UPSTREAM BUSINESS SERVICES/UPSTREAM CONTROLLER, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION
Beth Casteel has been a finance professional in the energy business since joining Exxon Co. USA in 1986 as an internal auditor in Houston. After several accounting assignments in support of refining, marketing, and oil and gas-producing activities in the U.S. she transferred to ExxonMobil Exploration Co. as financial reporting supervisor in 1998. In 2001, she moved to Exxon Mobil Corp. in Dallas as a financial advisor in the controller’s department. In 2004, she transferred to Bakersfield, Calif., after being appointed CFO of Aera Energy LLC, one of that state’s largest oil and gas producers jointly owned by affiliates of ExxonMobil and Shell. In 2007, she returned to Houston as Assistant Treasurer of ExxonMobil Chemical Company and was named to her current role in 2013.
JOSEPH A. CESTARI
PRESIDENT, TOTAL FACILITY SOLUTIONS (TFS)
In March of 2009, Mr. Cestari joined the M+W Group as President of Total Facility Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary, bringing over 27 years of experience in the semiconductor industry with noted expertise in device design, process and equipment engineering, advanced technology development and supply chain management.
Most recently, he was President and CEO of ILS Technology, a software technology and services company, where he successfully established the ILS secure WISE platform as the standard for remote equipment services in the semiconductor market. Through his efforts the ILS secure Wise product won Semiconductor International’s product of the year in July 2007 and was named by Manufacturing Business Technology as a Top 40 Emerging Software company in October 2007. Mr. Cestari remains a strategic advisor to ILS Technology and is a charter member of their advisory board. Previously, Mr. Cestari held executive level positions at Kinetic Systems, a provider of capital equipment and critical process infrastructure solutions for semiconductor and other regulated industries, where he was instrumental in establishing Kinetics global infrastructure throughout Asia. He served as President of a noted joint venture between Kinetics Electronics and Air Products and Chemicals and held several management and technical positions with Kinetics Electronics, Air Products, Applied Materials, Tylan General and Advanced Micro Devices.
Mr. Cestari’s professional organization involvements include: American Management Association, International Who’s Who, ISPE, Vistage International, and SEMI. He also serves as a member of the Austin STEM Council, the Austin Chamber Education Council, and Chairman of the DFW STEM Council. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in computer engineering from Baylor University and has completed graduate studies in international business and the management of technology. Joe and his wife, Beth (also a Baylor alumna), have three children: Nicholas, Zachary, and Taylor. Nick is a 2013 BU graduate and now attending graduate school at the University of Kansas, Zach is a senior at A&M, and Taylor will be a freshman at Florida Atlantic University.
ARTHUR FICHTNER
VICE PRESIDENT (ENGINEERING), ASSOCIATED AIR CENTER
Chip Fichtner manages and directs the engineering and design efforts of VIP interior completions on narrow and wide body aircraft at Associated Air Center in Dallas Texas. Chip has over 30 years of aviation experience encompassing military and commercial modifications, maintenance repair and overhaul, original equipment manufacturer, and interior completions.
Chip began his career at Grumman Aerospace in Houston, Texas. Chip worked his way through working in a variety of departments including engineering.
In 1989, Chip joined Chrysler Technologies Airborne Systems (CTAS) (known as L3 Communications) in Waco, Texas. Chip’s experience encompasses a multitude of “heavy iron” USAF aircraft, US Navy Aircraft, and commercial narrow and wide body aircraft. Chip worked his way into engineering management and eventually managed the Operations support organizations and the VIP Interior Completions work force.
In 1997, Chip left CTAS to form a new company in Northwest Arkansas called Ozark Aircraft Systems (OAS). Chip, and a team of three other aviation professionals, raised over $30M and opened an Aircraft Modification and Completion Center. The company grew to over 500 employees and exceeded $100M in sales per year.
Chip later joined Gore Design Completions in San Antonio, Texas where he oversaw engineering and operations.
Chip and his wife Laurie of 25 years reside in Trophy Club, Texas, and attend 121 Community Church of Southlake. Their son, Austin, is a senior at Baylor University in the School of Business. Their daughter, Madison, is a sophomore at Abilene Christian University studying Interior Design. Chip enjoys golf and yard work.
ROMELIA FLORES
IBM DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER & MASTER INVENTOR
IBM ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY MEMBER
Romelia is an IBM Distinguished Engineer (one of IBM’s top 500 engineers) working in IBM’s Global Solution Center (GSC) in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. As a member of the GSC and a certified IT Architect, she works with clients in designing Smarter Planet solutions. She has led projects for clients in Public, (Smarter Cities) Distribution (Travel and Transportation, Rail) and Communications (Energy and Utilities) Sector. Examples of her projects include 311/911 Image and Video Integration with City Systems, Beijing Global Rail Innovation Center and Energy Emissions Dashboard. Romelia is also an IBM Master Inventor and has contributed significant intellectual capital including 22 U.S. Patents.
Romelia graduated with honors obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982. She was honored as a Baylor Alumni by Choice in 2014. Romelia has worked for IBM over 31 years
THOMAS A. GILMAN
GLOBAL PROJECTS DECOMMISSIONING COMPLIANCE MANAGER, BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, INC.
Tom Gilman currently works as the Global Projects Decommissioning Compliance Manager for BP. He is a Chemical Engineer/MBA with 33 years of experience in the energy and petrochemical industry. His career has included Project Engineering, Process Engineering, Operations, Economic Analysis, Finance, Business Development, Planning, and Strategy. His diverse background has been comprised of domestic and international assignments in Oil and Gas, Refining, and Petrochemicals.
Tom sees Baylor ECS as a great source of engineers for the energy industry. He initiated Baylor engineer hiring at BP and is working with Baylor ECS to inform students of career opportunities in the energy industry while simultaneously working with BP to increase their involvement with Baylor, including on-campus recruitment.
Tom is a Baylor Alumni by Choice. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1981 and got his MBA (while working as a Process Engineer) from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1984. In his career, he has supported the Gulf of Mexico (including the Houston and New Orleans areas), the Chicago area, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, and Canada and as well as overseas (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan). While his assignments have been far-reaching, he has always maintained his home base in Houston to provide stability for his family.
Tom and his wife Tina reside in Houston and have two daughters, Britany (BU BS 2013) and Ashley (BU BS 2017).
One of Tom’s main hobbies is running and he has run 14 marathons. He also enjoys music and was a worship leader for several years. Although now retired from leading worship, Tom continues to enjoy contributing to the worship teams as needed.
FRED LOGAN, PE
TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Fred has thirty years of experience in the chemical industry. He started his career in 1965 as a process engineer at the E.I duPont deNemours and Co. Old Hickory Works in Tennessee. In 1967 he returned to Texas to work for Dow Chemical Company in Freeport. While working for Dow over the next 28 years, he enjoyed a multi-faceted career that included research, operations, design, engineering, construction, and support services. He had the unique opportunity of supervising the pilot plant that defined the unit operations of a manufacturing process for a commercial chemical product. He then joined the team that designed the plant in Texas, engineered it in Rotterdam, Holland, and constructed it in Stade, Germany. After construction was completed, he participated in the start-up and operation of the plant to produce 300 million pounds/year of the product.
After returning to Freeport, he served as the superintendent of a manufacturing plant, manager of the Dow world-wide maintenance information system, and was responsible for organizing, staffing, training, and managing a 250-man mobile, self-managed maintenance unit serving the entire Dow site at Freeport. Immediately prior to his retirement from Dow, he organized and trained an international cadre of reliability engineers to significantly reduce maintenance costs while increasing manufacturing plant reliability. In 1995 Fred retired from Dow and returned to Waco. Since returning to Waco he has worked at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center as Safety and Environmental Coordinator. Currently he is working at TCEQ.
Fred was born and raised in Waco. He earned a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering (Ch.E.) from Texas A. & M. After graduation in 1963, he spent two years on active duty in the U.S. Army. While working at Dow, Fred earned an ME Degree in Ch.E. from Texas A. & M. His wife, daughter, and son are Baylor graduates. He and Nancy have two grandchildren. In Brazoria County, Fred participated in youth and public service activities, serving on the charter boards of Habitat for Humanity and Community Foundation. He has also served on the boards of the Waco Symphony and Stilwell Retirement Center. Fred is a Baylor Alumni by Choice and a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
HECTOR MARTINEZ
CHIEF STRATEGY AND PROCESS OFFICER, PARIVEDA SOLUTIONS
Hector is responsible for ensuring Pariveda’s processes, both client-facing and internal, align with and effectively execute its business strategy. He drives the activities from the development of Pariveda’s business strategy to its effective execution, determining the best process disciplines to utilize that maximize the collective value of the firm’s strategic functions across its nine offices. Hector leads the development and utilization of the roadmaps and governance frameworks for strategy and process excellence within Pariveda
Before joining Pariveda Solutions, he was President of Sibridge Consulting. Prior to Sibridge, Hector was a Senior Vice President at Level 3 Communications, where he led several IT organizations including those responsible for systems strategy and planning, software development, technical architecture, and data center operations. Before working at Level 3, he was an IT Director at Sprint and a Manager at Accenture.
Hector earned a both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Baylor University in 1985 and 1987, respectively.
He currently lives in Colleyville, Texas with his wife (Jennifer), daughter (Samantha) and son (Tito).
DOUGLAS L. MCBRIDE, PE
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MORNING STAR CONSULTANTS
Dr. McErlean received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering (Fluid Dynamics Major and Applied Mathematics Minor) from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Business/Management from the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T.
Dr. McErlean received his PhD. in Aerospace Engineering (Fluid Dynamics Major and Applied Mathematics Minor) from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Business/Management from the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T.
Dr. McErlean performed military service in the USAF as an Aerospace Engineering Officer, Air Force Systems Command from 1969 to 1973. He joined the Air Force Aeropropulsion Laboratory in 1973 as an aerospace engineer. He continued his career with the Laboratory with supervisory positions in both systems engineering and test and evaluation.
In 1979 he was promoted to Systems Engineering Manager for tactical aircraft engine programs. In 1982 he was selected as a Sloan Fellow and returned to M.I.T. for a Masters in Management. Upon completing that he was appointed as System Program Office (SPO) Director for propulsion programs serving F-15, F-16, B-1, B-2, and Joint Cruise Missile.
Selected for promotion to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 1987, Dr. McErlean joined the Naval Air Development Center, being appointed Director of the Air Vehicle and Crew Systems Technology Department. In 1994, Dr. McErlean was jointly selected by both the Naval Air Systems Command and Air Force Aeronautical Systems Division to be Head of Technology for the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) / Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. From 1997 to 2005 he held sequential assignments as Head Air Vehicle Engineering.
Division, Head Test and Evaluation Group, Executive Director Naval Air Warfare Center, Deputy Assistant Commander for Logistics, and finally Deputy Assistant Commander Research and Engineering. Leaving Federal Service after 35 years, he then joined the staff of The Patuxent Partnership, a not-for-profit consortium of Industry, Government, and Academia as the President and CEO of the Center for Strategic Analysis (CSA).
In 2007, Dr. McErlean joined the staff of L-3 communications, Integrated Systems Group, as the Senior Director for Federal Programs. This business segment consists of aircraft modification, structural inspection and depot level maintenance of the Navy’s P-3, EP-3, and E-6b aircraft. In 2009, he was appointed an L-3 Engineering Fellow and took over managing and directing the Waco Independent Research and Development Program and serves as the senior Air Sciences engineer on the staff of the VP of Engineering.
Dr. McErlean is married to the former Sally Shindell. They enjoy sailing, skiing, gardening, and their grandchildren, Isabel and Michael. Dr. McErlean is a three time recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, the Air Force and Navy Superior Service Medal and the Navy’s Distinguished Service Medal. He was honored by his fellow engineers with the rank of NAVAIR Emeritus Fellow.
WILLIAM E. (BILL) MEARSE
RETIRED
Bill received his BBA (magna cum laude) in 1978 and MBA in 1979 from the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.
After graduating from Baylor, Bill started his career with Accenture in February 1980 and remained with the company until his retirement in November 2013. During his 33+year career, Bill consulted with domestic and international companies across the energy, chemicals, utilities, mining and metal industries including assignments in Anchorage, Alaska and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bill held positions with Accenture including Quality Managing Director and Group Operating Officer for the Resources global business and Senior Managing Director for the Houston office.
Married in 1988, Bill and Tanya remain active members at Second Baptist Church in Houston. Bill has taught an adult Bible study class for more than 25 years and currently serves as Deacon Chairman. Previously, he has served on the boards of the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) and the Executive Services Corps of Houston (ESCH). A former elementary education teacher, Tanya has taught children’s Bible study and has participated in several organizations such as the Chi Omega Alumnae Association.
Bill and Tanya have endowed a student scholarship for the School of Engineering and Computer Science. They are also involved with the Baylor Bear Foundation, the Baylor Business Network and the Baylor Angel Network and have previously served on the President’s Scholarship Committee.
CRAIG NICKELL
PRESIDENT, THE MARCO COMPANY
Craig Nickell is currently serving as CEO and President of the Marco Company, a diversified designer and manufacturer of displays and fixtures for the grocery and supermarket industry. Before joining the Marco Company as Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 2001, Craig was President of Super Sack Bag, Inc. S.S.B.I. is a leading manufacturer and reconditioner of flexible intermediate bulk packaging and its associated fill, discharge, and handling equipment. He is a regular presenter at retail conferences on trends in retail decor and fixturing.
He served as President of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Texoma Chapter from 1988-1990.
From 1991-1994, he was certified as a Quality Engineer by the American Society for Quality Control and from 1992-1995 was certified as a Quality Auditor. In 1995, he became Director of Product Development and in 1996, Vice President of Engineering. From 1996-1998, he served as a board member and President of the Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association. He holds over thirty patents for bulk packaging.
Craig graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Sciences. He and his wife Mary have three kids in high school. Craig is a deacon at First Baptist Church in Aledo, Texas.
HAROLD E. RAFUSE
Dr. Rafuse currently provides independent and integrated technical and business consulting services to public and private sector clients. He retired in June 2008 from Advanced Concepts and Technologies International (ACT I), headquartered in Waco, TX, a U.S. defense and aerospace science, research, and engineering services firm. He co-founded ACT I in 1998 and was the firm’s owner and Managing Director. At ACT I he managed scientific, engineering, logistics, test and evaluation, enterprise modeling and simulation, static and dynamic modeling and simulation, and technology assessment projects in support to both public and private sector clients. He also recently retired from Aurora Aviation and Aurora Avionics (ACT I subsidiaries), both FAA certified repair stations. Aurora Aviation’s operations include aircraft maintenance, Flight School, and FBO services. Aurora Avionics is a dealer and service center for 15 different avionics and autopilot firms.
Dr. Rafuse has 47 years of experience in aviation, aerospace, scientific, engineering, technology, educational, senior program management, information resource management, and administrative positions. Prior to founding ACT I, he was a Vice President with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for eight years where he managed multiple DOD systems engineering and technical assistance programs.
A United States Air Force (USAF) career officer, Dr. Rafuse served 12 years as a Federal Government Senior Program Manager on two major satellite programs and an intercontinental ballistic missile program. His USAF career also involved extensive aviation and space operational assignments and senior positions at Headquarters Air Force Systems Command and Headquarters USAF in the Pentagon. He was a Research Associate in the USAF’s Executive Management Program and was a senior science advisor to the Office of the President of the United States. He also served for 5 years as team leader and chief negotiator for the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency in the dismantling and destruction of nuclear intercontinental and sea launched ballistic missile systems in the states of the former Soviet Union. He is a graduate of the Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the Defense Systems Management College, Program Manager’s Course. In the Air Force, he was rated as a Senior Pilot, Senior Space Operations Commander, Space Surveillance Expert, Command Missileer, Master Acquisition Manager, and Master Instructor. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Management, a MBA, and undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Technology.
Dr. Rafuse is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce; is a member of the Greater Waco Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense Industries Alliance; is a member of the Waco Business League; and was Past President of the Heart of Texas Chapter, Military Officers Association of America. His other professional affiliations include the National Defense Industrial Association, Air Force Association, Military Operations Research Society, American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Scientific Research Society of America. Dr. Rafuse and his wife, Patricia, reside in Crawford, Texas.
DON M. ROBERTS
LM FELLOW – AIRWORTHINESS AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION, LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICS COMPANY
As a Lockheed Martin Fellow, Don provides Airworthiness and Airworthiness Certification expertise within LM Aeronautics, other LM divisions, and partner companies. He represents Lockheed Martin to certifying authorities including the US Air Force, NAVAIR (Navy & Marines), the Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration and teaches Airworthiness classes throughout the company and to LM partners and customers. Don serves on the Senior Corporate Airworthiness Representative to the Airworthiness Defense Industry Advisory Group advising the US Air Force in Airworthiness Certification. Since joining LM Aero in 2002, Don has supported various programs including F-35, F-16, F-22, C-5, C-130 and multiple advanced developmental programs.
Prior to Don’s service to LM Aero, he served 15 years in the commercial division of The Boeing Company working in Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Assurance Engineering, and as the interface between his Boeing division and the Federal Aviation Administration. Don began his career at Halliburton Services in the early 1980’s.
Don and Marcie met while attending Texas Tech and married in 1981. They have two married children who live in the DFW area. Don graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering followed by a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. Don and Marcie currently live in North Richland Hills.
SHAWN SEDATE
INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT
Shawn is a 1985 graduate of Baylor, with a BS degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. He also has an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Shawn began his career with Arthur Andersen in Dallas, where he worked as a systems development consultant. Shawn joined H.E. Butt Grocery Company in San Antonio in 1990. He worked for H-E-B for seventeen years in various roles, from store operations to distribution to information systems. Additionally, Shawn was the Vice President for Applications, Business Intelligence, and Project Delivery at PetSmart, Inc., for six years.
Shawn is currently an independent consultant residing in Phoenix, Arizona.
Shawn is married to Julia Connally Sedate, a 1987 graduate of Baylor. They have two children, Claire and Kyle.
EMILE SEVADJIAN
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION MANAGER, HALLIBURTON
Emile is the Technology Application Manager for the Expandable Liner Technology Group at Halliburton’s Carrollton, Texas technology center. He manages one of Halliburton’s fastest growing product lines of which he is responsible for the engineering team, test facilities, design governance and intellectual property for both domestic and international technology centers.
Mr. Sevadjian started his career with Brown & Root, a Halliburton company, in 1995 and has worked in areas ranging from government services (U.S. Military) to the oil and gas industry. Experienced in engineering design, logistics, human resources and leadership, Emile has worked on assignments in Alaska, Canada, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. He currently holds three patents and has published eight technical papers.
Emile graduated from Baylor in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was a four-year Letterman for the Baylor Bears baseball team (1989-1992).
Blessed with an active family, he and his wife, Rebekah, a 1994 graduate of Baylor, and their three sons enjoy a full life together. Emile coaches youth select baseball and enjoys building vintage race cars. He and his family are active members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.
STEPHEN W. SMITH
VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC.
Mr. Smith joined Trinity Industries, Inc., in 1976.When the Railcar Division began to grow rapidly in 1978, Mr. Smith was responsible for recruiting and managing an engineering staff to support that growth. He has served in several engineering positions during his career at Trinity and is currently Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for Trinity Industries, Inc. His primary responsibility is to provide overall engineering leadership, direction and support for Trinity’s businesses. Mr. Smith also serves on the technical patent and intellectual property review team and holds twenty two United States patents and four foreign patents. Prior to joining Trinity Industries, Mr. Smith worked as a consulting structural engineer in the design of commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings.
Mr. Smith has served on several technical committees and organizations in the rail engineering field including Chairman of the Railway Progress Institute Engineering and Technical Subcommittee, member of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Tank Car Committee and member of the American Railway Car Institute (ARCI) Engineering and Design Committee.
Mr. Smith holds a BS in Civil Engineering with honors from SMU and a MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He was selected for several academic honors including Tau Beta Pi (Engineering), Chi Epsilon (Civil Engineering), and Kappa Mu Epsilon (Mathematics). He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.
ANDY SPENCER
PRESIDENT, ENGEDI GROUP
Andy M. Spencer joined the Arthur Valve and Fitting Company in 1987 as a salesperson in San Antonio, Texas. He was named Corpus Christi Area Sales Manager in 1991 and Branch Manager of the Corpus Christi office in 1993. Andy was appointed as the Austin Systems Manager in 1995, and moved back to San Antonio as the Branch Manager in 1997. Two years later, 1999 brought the responsibility of Arthur Valve and Fitting General Manager; a leadership role that encompassed all three branches of Arthur Valve and Fitting. In January of 2002, Andy took over ownership and renamed the company Arthur Fluid System Technologies. In February of 2010, Andy sold the business and began pursuing new interests in consulting and commercial real estate.
Engedi Group is a consulting business that focuses on helping organizations and non-profits flourish in today’s world through consulting, fund-raising, training, volunteering and coaching. Andy currently consults with businesses on sales, sales management, value selling, organizational structure and small business management. Andy also consults with non-profits on fund raising, accountability, organizational structure and coaching. Andy also volunteers at several local outreach organizations.
Andy is continually educating himself and others in areas ranging from basic selling skills to efficiency training, change management and team building. Andy has spoken to classes at Baylor University, Emanuel Baptist University in Romania as well as industry conferences.
Mr. Spencer received a BBA in Entrepreneurship/Marketing from Baylor University in 1987. While at Baylor, Andy served as the Mascot from 1984 - 1987 taking the mascot program from a promotional character for Wendy’s Hamburgers to a member of the Baylor Spirit Squads. Andy competed with 40 other mascots in the summer of 1986 at SMU and was given the “Best Mascot Award” at that competition. He currently serves as a board member for the Baylor Bear Foundation. Andy serves as a Deacon and the Men’s Ministry Coordinator at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. Andy is also the Chairman of the Board for the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center. Andy coaches two non-profits; Ascend Outdoor Adventures and Enlightened Warriors Boot Camp. Andy is on the board of the Don Whitt Evangelistic Association.
Andy’s family includes his wife Kathy and two daughters Deanna and Andrea. They live in northwest Austin and are active in church and community activities.
GREG ST. DENIS
PRESIDENT, TELEVOICE
Greg St. Denis began his career with the Manufacturer Integration group at Universal Computer Systems, where he worked from 1992-1996. In 1996, he began working at TeleVoice, Inc., where he continues to work today as President and COO. Since 1986, TeleVoice Call Center systems have served the needs of hundreds of companies throughout North America. From Fortune 500 giants to small businesses, TeleVoice has delivered customized solutions that get the most out of today’s powerful telephony technologies.
Greg was born in Mission Hills, Kansas, and received his BSE in Computer Engineering from Baylor University in 1991. While attending Baylor, he was involved with the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He lives in Houston, TX with his wife, Amy (Baylor ’91) and his three children.
DEAN O. SWISHER
Dean Swisher is an independent international management consultant. He currently serves as President of Swisher Management Consulting Corporation focused on bringing sustainable and measureable value to clients through Business Process Management and Business Strategy consulting.
Previously, he was Vice President for Technology and Process Integration at MedSynergies maximizing financial and operational performance for healthcare providers. Prior to that he was Vice President and Partner at Cap Gemini Ernst and Young where he served as international consultant for over 21 years. Mr. Swisher was Director of the Global Delivery Center Dallas, a solutions team developing and integrating methodologies and tools development supporting consulting practitioners worldwide. Prior to joining Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, Mr. Swisher was a Partner in the consulting services practice of Ernst & Young LLP. While with Ernst & Young LLP Mr. Swisher also served as Vice President and Director of Ernst & Young CASE Technologies, a joint-venture start-up company in Tokyo responsible for converting and marketing KnowledgeWare’s Integrated Computer Assisted System Engineering (I-CASE) product, the Application Development Workbench (ADW™), to Japanese and Korean. His responsibilities included all phases of marketing, sales, production, support, and development of the double-byte versions of the software. His industry experience includes Computer Software, Petroleum and Gas Distribution, Manufacturing, Government, Banking, Freight Forwarding, and Insurance.
Mr. Swisher has conducted college-level Information Technology courses for City Colleges of Chicago and William Jewell College. Mr. Swisher holds an MBA from Central Missouri State University, an MS in Computer Science from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and a BS in Mathematics and Physics from Missouri Valley College.
RICK TULLIS, PE
PRESIDENT, CAPSTONE MECHANICAL
Rick is the President and a founding partner of Capstone Mechanical. Capstone is an engineering, contracting, and service company that provides products and services for HVAC, piping, plumbing, sheet metal, building automation, and energy in the Central Texas Region.
Rick graduated from Baylor in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He worked in a variety of engineering roles for The Trane Company through 2001 before going to work for a local Waco contracting company. In 2005 Rick helped launch Capstone which has now grown into a multidiscipline organization with over 160 employees. Capstone actively hires Baylor graduates and offers engineering internships where students not only get to apply engineering principles but where they are also mentored in what it means to serve God in the business world.
When not involved raising his four boys, Rick spends time serving in the community through his church, through various roles at the Waco Chamber of Commerce, the Midway ISD Board of Trustees, the business advisory board for the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy, and several other organizations. He is especially proud of his role as co-chairman and founder of TriWaco, an officially sanctioned triathlon held each summer in downtown Waco. He was also honored to be named one of the Outstanding Young Alumni by the Baylor Alumni Association in 2009.
Rick and his wife Elizabeth reside in Woodway, Texas with their four sons Ross, Kyle, Jack, and Cade.
TRENT VOIGT
CEO, JETPAY, LLC
Trent R. Voigt, has been a technology advisor to leading transaction processing companies since 1986. Mr. Voigt manages WLES LP, an angel investment firm specializing in B round capital. Mr. Voigt currently is CEO of JetPay, LLC. a high speed payment processor now 8th largest in the nation and JetPay Merchant Services, LLC, a sales organization specializing in merchant acquisition through technology. JetPay is currently listed on the NASDAQ (JTPY).
Along with his duties as CEO of JetPay, Mr. Voigt runs a European Payments Acquiring company out of Weybridge U.K., the specializes in global clients that need multiple currencies in their business.
He held the position of CEO and President of Triumphant Enterprises, Inc. from 1990 through 1999, and engineered the company’s sale to Dallas-based e-commerce solutions provider Vectrix.com. Other positions held include Executive Vice President of Vectrix.com, Director of Engineering of National Business Systems, and other senior engineering positions. He is a graduate of Baylor University with a BS in Computer Science.
Mr. Voigt has a lovely wife, Sue-Lynn, who graduated from Gonzaga University with a JD, and two girls, Stolle Lane and Reagan Riley. He is an avid baseball fan as well as a licensed race car driver and enjoys most of his free time working their ranch in Van Alstyne TX.
JIM D. WIETHORN, PE
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PRINCIPAL ENGINEER, HAAG ENGINEERING, CO.
Jim D. Wiethorn has been involved in the design, construction, and evaluation of residential, commercial and industrial buildings since 1973. His experience has included evaluation and assessment of damage and failure of all construction types and systems, in particular, crane accidents. His construction background includes involvement as a third generation general contractor in the family business, as well as Certificate of Competency as a General Contractor in Florida, by exam. Mr. Wiethorn has owned and operated cranes while working in the construction industry and has evaluated over 700 crane and rigging failures throughout the United States and abroad, as well as over 100 roof/building collapses. Currently, he serves on the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), Tower Crane Committee, and Rigger Task Force Committee dealing with the testing and certification of crane operators and crane rigging. Additionally, Mr. Wiethorn is a main committee member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B30 Committee Safety Standard for Cableways, Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Hooks, Jacks, and Slings, and also serves on the B30.3, Tower Cranes and B30.29, Self-Erecting Tower Cranes sub-committees.
Mr. Wiethorn joined Haag Engineering Co. in 1987 and has served in a myriad of construction litigation cases involving crane failures, building collapses, foundation failures, damage assessment of wind vs. wave, cost of repairs to structures, and construction defects, as well as product liability of various construction materials. Mr. Wiethorn was selected by the Bonfire Commission to chair the peer review committee dealing with the cause of the Texas A&M bonfire collapse in 1999. Mr. Wiethorn was also invited to participate in the international exchange program with the Republic of China dealing with the legal trial process in the United States through the American Bar Association. Mr. Wiethorn has authored Preserving Evidence with 3D Laser Scanning, ABA Forum Newsletter and Forensic Analysis in 3D, Point of Beginning.
In July 2014, Mr. Wiethorn published, Crane Accidents, A Study of Causes and Trends to Create a Safer Work Environment, 1983-2013, which details findings of his crane accident evaluations spanning his 27 year career with Haag Engineering.
Mr. Wiethorn has been a presenter or speaker at failure and damage related conferences, as well as construction and crane safety conferences throughout the United States and abroad addressing accident analysis and reconstruction. Mr. Wiethorn is often retained to assist in litigation matters and has testified in over 220 depositions and approximately 110 trials during his career. Mr. Wiethorn is licensed in 32 states and currently serves as Chairman of Haag Engineering Co., as well as a Principal Engineer in the Houston, Texas office.