Engineering Focus Sessions

Don Fisher, CEO/President
Fisher-Nickel, Inc.
How to Squeeze Value and Really Capitalize on ASTM Test Methods

Back by popular demand, Don will go into depth on ASTM, latest on Energy Star and more. 

Don has a comprehensive background in energy conservation, energy-efficient facility design and equipment research that is specific to the foodservice sector. He has over twenty-five years of experience managing foodservice related energy-efficiency programs for utilities and government. Don Fisher was the 2006 recipient of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy [ACEEE] Champion of Energy Efficiency Award. He is a popular speaker at industry forums and is the author of numerous industry research papers and articles.

Don received a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering in 1972 and a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering in 1974 from the University of Manitoba.

Ivy Hooks, CEO
Requirements Experts
Customer Centric Design

Ivy will discuss how to improve your new product design through requirements gathering, writing, and management training. This includes Customer Centric Design techniques that put the customer at the focal point of the process.

Ivy is an internationally-recognized requirement expert and author. She has published numerous papers and spoken to diverse audiences worldwide on the subjects of requirements engineering and requirement management.

Ivy was a founder of the Requirements Experts and former CEO/President. Ivy now serves as Senior Instructor/Consultant. Her experience is in both large and small programs, government and commercial enterprises, and in systems, hardware, and software.

Prior to founding RE, Ivy was President of Bruce G. Jackson & Associates (1985 -1993) where Ivy's work included consulting with major aerospace contractors that were bidding on NASA contracts. Having identified that NASA requirements were not at the quality she remembered from her NASA career, she became involved in the development of tools and training to improve requirement processes across NASA and other government agencies. This led to working with government contractors and ultimately to the spinoff of RE to focus on requirement best practices.

Ivy's 20-year plus NASA career included being a member of the original Space Shuttle design team and a number of management jobs related to the Space Shuttle, including Separation System Integration Manager and Manager of Flight Software Verification. She also served on the staff of the Johnson Space Center Director and the Director of Engineering.
Ivy is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and a charter member of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE). Ivy was the leader of the Texas Section of SWE when it morphed into three sections and is currently a member of the Southwest Texas Section. Ivy was a founder of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of INCOSE and is currently supporting the formation of the Alamo Chapter.

Ivy has provided seminars and speeches for non-profit organizations including INCOSE, SWE, Project Management Institute (PMI), International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA) and the Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN). Ivy is a member of the Continuing Education Faculty at Villanova University, Villanova, PA.

Ivy is the recipient of a number of awards, including the NASA Outstanding Public Speaker Award, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the Arthur S. Flemming Award for Outstanding Young Civil Servant. Ivy holds bachelor and master of science degrees in mathematics from the University of Houston.

Mark D. Gehlsen, Ph. D., Technology Solutions Manager, Industrial Adhesives & Tapes Division
3M Company
Adhesive Science Design Considerations: Building Confidence in Your Design

Dr. Gehlsen is the innovative guru of the 3M new product development lab. His 3M experiences include invention/creativity, commercialization, Six Sigma, and customer engagement.

Mark holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University and completed his Ph.D. work in Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the University of Minnesota. Mark’s career started in the 3M Corporate Process Technology Laboratory where he initiated and built a Foam Materials & Process Technology Platform resulting in a new adhesive foam process technology that has been commercialized in multiple 3M Division businesses.

In 2001, Mark became a Six Sigma Black Belt and completed numerous projects related to manufacturing process improvements. Mark joined the Optical Systems Division Laboratory and led the LCD-TV product commercialization laboratory that resulted in the implementation of multiple new technology platforms that have been commercialized into 3M products. In 2008, Mark joined the Industrial Adhesives & Tapes Division in a new role as Technology Solutions Manager.

In this role Mark has focused on building new tools and driving End User technical relationships.

Mark’s career at 3M spans a wide variety of experiences that include invention/creativity, commercialization, Six Sigma, and customer engagement. Mark has won the Corporate Technical Circle of Excellence Award for Technical Championing and is the recipient of 26 U.S. Patents.

Jason Pfeiffer, President
Informative Design Partners, Inc. (IDP)
Computational Fluid Dynamics: Innovation Through Insight

Jason Pfeiffer and Ryan Stamm of Informative Design Partners will discuss how leveraging Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in collaborative consulting business model empowers engineers to create designs faster and more reliably without distractions to current development processes.

Jason is a veteran leader in the CAE industry with a track-record of leading strategic initiatives that improve the way simulation tools are leveraged in product development.  Aside from a brief start in the manufacturing world as a process engineer at Philip Morris USA, Jason’s entire career has been concentrated in the CAE industry.  At Altair Engineering, he was a structural FEA consultant primarily for the automotive industry.

Jason’s CFD know-how was cultivated while serving in many technical positions early on during his 10 years at Blue Ridge Numerics, where he continuously initiated and executed new ideas and improvements with passion and focus.  This quickly earned him an executive role as the Global VP of Engineering. 

He spearheaded the creation of the engineering services arm of the organization that engaged more than 1200 satisfied customers in a wide range of industries.  Jason holds a BSME from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Ryan Stamm, Vice President Sales and Marketing
Informative Design Partners, Inc. (IDP)
Computational Fluid Dynamics: Innovation through Insight

Ryan is an established business leader who brings a deep understanding of the relationship between effective product design and business strategy.  He loves the product engineering process and is fascinated by learning from the hundreds of companies he has helped in his career. 

Before starting IDP he was VP, North America Sales for Blue Ridge Numerics where he spent 8 years growing the CFdesign software and services business.  He started his career while attending West Virginia State University and working full time as a mechanical designer.  He spent 6 years driving and implementing CAE tools. His drive to have a wider impact in business took him into CAE consulting for 3 years where he designed and implemented enterprise CAE systems around the globe.  Throughout his career Ryan has established a track record of providing value to his clients and maintaining an intense customer focus. 

Austin Butler, Account Manager
Midwest Prototyping, LLC
Additive Manufacturing - A Competitive Edge To Product Design

With nearly 10 years in the industry, Austin has extensive experience in working with design based companies in fulfilling their prototyping and product development needs.  Austin brings creative and innovative energy to business partners through consideration and education of various types of materials, structures and designs.  Industries such as aerospace, automotive, architectural and health care product companies are just a few of the types of organizations he has partnered with to develop solutions. 

Austin was exposed to the rapid prototyping industry during his time at Purdue University while studying Mechanical Engineering Technology.  While focused on more traditional methods of machining, he continued to develop and grow his knowledge surrounding additive manufacturing.  His depth of understanding has expanded to include various methods of prototyping including Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Cast Urethane, Metal Castings and 3D Printing.  Through his presentation, Austin will be speaking to the unique advantages of each of these types of technologies and processes.

Matt Quinn, Business Development Manager - Green Services
Health and Environmental Services, Intertek Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
Environmental Compliance - RoHS2 to REACH and Beyond

Matt Quinn from Intertek will be discussing Green Requirements for Manufacturers and how to best go about meeting these requirements and showing compliance.  This includes topics on RoHS2, China RoHS, Korea RoHS, REACH, Reach SVAC, and California Proposition 65.  

Matt Quinn is the Business Development Manager of Regulatory Services for Health, Environment and Regulatory at Intertek, the leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world.

Mr. Quinn’s team includes over 200 individuals in the Health, Environment, and Regulatory Services delivering world leading regulatory compliance support for RoHS, REACH, E-waste, Global Chemical Notification, Food Contact Notifications, and other topics within the realm of environmental compliance. 

Since joining Intertek in 2005, Mr. Quinn has played a key role in creating, delivering and implementing global regulatory compliance programs for companies locally, regionally, and globally.  Mr. Quinn is focused on helping businesses mitigate risk and convert expenses into competitive advantages through solutions including education, strategy, consulting, and testing.