Industry Advisors
Encompassing industry leaders from throughout Minnesota, the Center for Excellence Advisory Board advances engineering and manufacturing education programs by helping educational partners offer dynamic, relevant curricula that keeps pace with current and future technological trends. The Advisory Board helps strengthen relationships between the Center and Minnesota industry to ensure that student and existing workers are ready to keep pace with evolving technologies.
- Gives input about future engineering and manufacturing trends
- Suggests the depth and direction of Center goals to build relevant curricula and strengthen engineering and manufacturing careers for future economic growth
- Provides support in recruiting and retaining students, with special emphasis on women and minorities
- Assists in identifying and establishing applied industry research and customized training projects
- Seeks resources from public and private sectors to promote robust engineering and manufacturing programs
- Identifies notable engineers and scientists to advise faculty of industry trends and to teach within various educational partner institutions
- Offers professional influence to achieve national recognition and visibility for the Center
- Proposes significant authors and topics for inclusion in the Journal of Applied Engineering and Manufacturing, a Center of Excellence publication
- Contributes time to review Center proposals to advance curriculum quality and programming at partner institutions
- Participates in an annual internal evaluation
Advisory Board Chair
Dennis Siemer
President
V-tek Inc.
Dennis Siemer is President of V-Tek Inc., an international pioneer in the development and manufacturing of electronic component packaging and processing solutions. Committed to the growth of engineering and manufacturing careers, he has advised both university and college engineering and manufacturing technology programs. Under Mr. Siemer’s leadership the Center has forged new relationships with industry and impacted educational programs.
Advisory Board Members
| Eric Ajax Vice President E.J. Ajax and Sons |
Jason Murray Executive Director Alexandria Area Economic Development |
| Naomi Brill Representative Society of Women Engineers |
Mutombo Muvundamina Research Chemist H.B. Fuller Company |
| Jeff Brown Senior Sales Engineer Rockwell Automation |
Jaime Nolan Executive Director MN Precision Manufacturing Assoc. |
| Debra Bultnick Manufacturing Industry Liaison MN Manufacturing Workforce Development |
Scott Pedersen Manufacturing Engineering Manager Brady Corporation |
| Mark Gillaspey Prototype Lab Manager ATK Ordinance Systems |
Tony Ramunno Director, Engineering & Project Manager Great River Energy |
| Mike Gramse President MRG Tool and Die |
Bob Ricci Vice President of Technology Werner Electric Supply |
| Anita Hall Program Manager General Mills Inc. |
Bruce Siebold President Rusk Prairie Consulting Group |
| Dennis Harvey Ph.D. P.E. Mechanical Engineering Manager MTS Systems Corporation |
Roy Smith Workforce Development Coordinator Northeast Higher Education Dist. |
| Surya Iyer Process Development Manager Polar Semiconductor, Inc. |
Katie L. Staub Senior Manager MR & D Lab, Seagate Technology |
| Tom Jamar Sales Jasper Engineering |
Chris Sturm Vacuum Engineer, & HR Manager Thin Film Technology |
| Robert Kill President Enterprise Minnesota |
Jamshid Vayghan DE-CTO Sales Transformation IBM |
| Jeff Madsen Director of Operations The Toro Company |
Dr. Eric Wieben Director, Mayo Genomics Research Ctr. Mayo Clinic |
| Kevin Moore Engineering Leader, Commercial Control Systems Honeywell |
Tom Wiegele Vice President, Research & Development Goodrich Aerospace |
| Brian Moyer Process Development Engineer Lake Region Medical |
Jonathan Zierdt President & CEO Greater Mankato Growth Inc. |
