KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS

SUMMARY LIST

(Bios Listed Below)

Keynote Speakers:

• Lisa Cassis, Ph.D., Vice President for Research, University of Kentucky
• Secretary Jeff Noel, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
• Dean Rudolph Buchheit, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky

Presenters:

• Matt Bedingfield, President of Recycling, Wieland North America, Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2)
• Mike Buckentin, President and CEO, Logan Aluminum Inc., Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2)
• Wells Bullard, President and CEO, Bullard
• Twyman Clements, CEO, President and Co-Founder, Space Tango
• Brian Cobb, Chief Innovation Officer, CVG
• John Gagel, Chief Sustainability Officer, Lexmark
• Shane Kosinski, Deputy Director of Operations, COO, ARPA-E
• Adam Layman, Director of Systems Integration Engineering, Holley
• Walker Mattox, Founder and CEO, Gray Solutions
• Gracie Narcho, Deputy Assistant Director of the NSF TIP
• Vinny Nimmagadda, EVP Corporate Development and New Ventures, Holley
• Aron Patrick, Director of R&D, PPL
• Brandon Shirley, President, Houchens Industries, Inc
• Eric Wang, CEO and Managing Director, EcoFibre
• Dr. Deborah Whitis, Executive Chief Consulting Engineer, GE Aerospace

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Lisa Cassis, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research

University of Kentucky

Dr. Lisa Cassis has served as the University of Kentucky's Vice President for Research since June 2015. As VP for Research, she leads the university’s research enterprise and oversees research proposal development, grants and contracts administration, human subjects protection, 13 multidisciplinary research centers and institutes, and seven service core facilities. She has provided leadership on the UK Strategic Plan and for the new $265 million research building—which focuses UK research efforts on Kentucky’s most pressing health challenges in the areas of cancer, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and substance abuse. She is program director of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant that supports the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focusing on obesity and cardiovascular diseases, now in its 15^th year. She has published more than 175 scholarly articles, has been continuously funded from the NIH for 34 years, has served on several NIH standing study sections, and is the recipient of several national research awards. Cassis joined the faculty at UK in 1988, and is currently a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, the Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, the Graduate Center for Toxicology, the Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center, and the College of Pharmacy. Cassis earned a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and Ph.D. in pharmacology from West Virginia University and held postdoctoral positions, including as an Alexander Von Humboldt Research Fellow, at the University of Wurzburg in Wurzburg, Germany, and the University of Virginia. 

Secretary Jeff Noel

Kentucky Cabinet For Economic Development

Jeff Noel was appointed secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development in June 2022.

He is responsible for the development and administration

of executive policies designed to support and promote the

attraction of new jobs and investment to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, maintenance of existing industries and overall support of economic growth for the state. Noel previously served as Whirlpool’s corporate vice president

of Communications and Public Affairs, reporting to the

Chairman and CEO, a position he held since 2004. He also

served as the president of Whirlpool Foundation, which

includes oversight of the company’s 20-year relationship with Habitat for Humanity that has touched over 200,000 families.

Dean Rudolph Buchheit

College of Engineering

University of Kentucky

Rudolph G. Buchheit is Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering and the Dr. Rebecca

Burchett Liebert Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He has served as Professor and Chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Associate Dean in the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University. He has also served a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico. He earned a BS at Loyola University Maryland, and MS and PhD in Materials Science from the University of

Virginia. His work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion has focused on developing

allyship and promoting advocacy for under-represented groups among majority men in the STEM disciplines. He has been a regular organizer and participant in conferences and workshops related to diversification and equity in STEM. He served as a member of the Ohio State University

Advance Advisory Board, and was the lead Advocate Training Coordinator under Ohio State’s Advocates and Allies program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. He is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education Dean’s Diversity Committee. At the University of Kentucky he is a member of College of Engineering Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee and the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Team. His research has focused on metallurgy and corrosion and he published over 300 technical articles, patents, books and book chapters on these subjects. His work is highly cited, and he is among the World’s Top 2% Scientists in the Stanford University/Clarivate Analytics ranking based on citation metrics. He is also Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, and the Association of Materials Protection and

Performance.

PRESENTERS

MATT BEDINGFIELD

President of Recycling, Wieland North America

Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2)

Matt Bedingfield is the President of Wieland North America Recycling and the Senior Vice President of Global Metals Management for Wieland Group. Wieland is a 200-year-old global leader in copper fabrication focused on creating sustainable value across economic, environmental, and social sectors for generations. In an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of Wieland’s products and processes, Matt ensures the recovery and re-utilization of copper scrap. Matt has been with Wieland for the past three years. Before joining Wieland, he held various leadership positions in the aluminum industry.

MIKE BUCKENTIN

President/CEO, Logan Aluminum Inc.

Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2)

Mike Buckentin is the President and CEO of Logan Aluminum, the largest Aluminum manufacturing facility in North America located in Russellville, Kentucky. He joined Logan in October of 2017 from BlueScope Steel in Kalama, WA where he served as VP of Operations for the Coated Products division, a Joint Venture between BlueScope and Nippon/Sumitomo. Prior to BlueScope, Mike held the position of Chief Operations Officer at SOLB Steel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has also held various senior level executive positions throughout his career in the steel and metals industry. Mike serves on the board of the Governor’s Scholars Program, Secat, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, and the Bowling Green Chamber. He is currently the Kentucky Chamber Energy and Environmental Policy Council Chair.

WELLS BULLARD

President and CEO, Bullard

Wells Bullard is the President and CEO of Bullard, a 125-year-old, fifth-generation, family-owned company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-quality personal protective equipment and systems. Bullard’s products are sold globally and include hard hats, fire helmets, thermal imaging cameras, and respiratory protection. With a focus on protecting workers in hazardous environments around the world, Bullard’s innovative products serve a wide variety of industries including firefighting, pharmaceutical manufacturing, energy and utilities, construction and transportation, and healthcare.

Headquartered in Kentucky, Bullard operations are located in Cynthiana and Lexington. Bullard subsidiaries are located in Germany and Singapore to support global customers.

TWYMAN CLEMENTS

CEO, President and Co-Founder, Space Tango

Twyman Clements is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Space Tango. Twyman leads a multidisciplinary team to deliver automated products that operate in the microgravity environment of low-Earth orbit (LEO). Twyman is frequently recognized for Space Tango’s innovative contributions to developing a new market infrastructure in LEO. He was inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and is a 2018 recipient of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. Under Twyman’s leadership, Space Tango is maturing these research and hardware capabilities for sustainable manufacturing in space where microgravity is an asset to both the production process and their partners. Space Tango continues to excel in providing efficient and cost-effective product development cycles and rapid delivery of configurable systems to Fortune 500 companies, startups, research foundations, and academic institutions.

BRIAN COBB

Chief Innovation Officer, CVG

Brian Cobb is the Chief Innovation Officer for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, a 32-year veteran in aviation, and a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a persuasive speaker for diverse industries and media, sharing a narrative of how visionary leadership through innovation supports a culture of collaboration, drives successive sustainable wins, and grows strategic value throughout business life cycles and personal growth. These elements have helped position CVG on the forefront as an award-winning airport, known for its delivery of brand promises and future-forward technology that is consistently noted for its industry firsts. 

JOHN GAGEL

Chief Sustainability Officer, Lexmark

John D. Gagel is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Lexmark International, Inc. He is responsible for corporate management of all global sustainability, environment, social, governance (ESG), circular economy initiatives and strategy development as well as product sustainability and carbon neutrality initiatives. Gagel has been with Lexmark for over 23 years and has served in management roles since 2007 and as Chief Sustainability Officer since 2020. He also has oversight of environmental, health and safety, responsible for Lexmark operations globally. In addition, he provides customer-focused sales and marketing support for all Lexmark sustainability initiatives worldwide, and has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars about the importance of sustainability as a key business strategy.

SHANE KOSINSKI

Deputy Director of Operations, COO, ARPA-E

Shane Kosinski is the Deputy Director for Operations for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), responsible for oversight and operations of the mission of ARPA-E as well as all ARPA-E programs. In this role, Kosinski develops flexible management processes to create visibility for the clear oversight of more than 300 active research projects. As Head of Contracting Authority (HCA) for ARPA-E, Kosinski established and staffed a new independent procurement office completely internal to ARPA-E. In 2009, Kosinski was selected to lead the efforts of establishing the ARPA-E office as a new agency within the Department of Energy (DOE). In this role, Kosinski created and enacted the organizational capability to effectively and efficiently obligate a $400M initial budget. As the first employee of ARPA-E and the Acting Deputy Director, Kosinski led ARPA-E’s first Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which provided $150M to 37 transformational energy projects that could one day change the way the U.S. produces and uses energy.

ADAM LAYMAN

Director of Systems Integration Engineering, Holley

As an early adopter of EVs over a decade ago, Adam Layman has long been electrified by their performance. Born just a few miles from the now-defunct Studebaker factory in South Bend, Indiana, he was destined to be a gearhead. Adam joined Holley (NYSE:HLLY) in 2014 and currently serves as the Director of Engineering for the Electric Vehicle (EV) and Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) groups. During his tenure, he has led the successful ideation, development and launch of Holley’s largest revenue-generating product line, Sniper EFI. Before joining Holley, his 13 years of professional motorsports experience played a key role in the smooth transition of NHRA and NASCAR racing series from carburetors to Holley EFI. In addition, his resume also includes multiple fuel injection patents and certified land speed records with alternative fuels like Liquid Natural Gas. Today his goals are focused on ensuring Holley’s products are leading the way for conversions from internal combustion engines to electrification.

WALKER MATTOX

Founder and CEO, Gray Solutions

Walker Mattox founded Gray Solutions, a Gray company, in 2018 and hasn’t looked back. Through his leadership and entrepreneurial vision, Gray Solutions has experienced exponential growth from two ‘Solutioneers’ to over 300 and earned recognition as the 12^th largest systems integrator by Control Engineering. Walker’s experience consists of leading complex government healthcare IT projects, managing political and issue campaigns along with leading systems architecture for numerous consumer goods’ manufacturing projects, including Champion Petfoods’ award-winning DogStar Kitchens. In 2021, Walker spearheaded the acquisition and subsequent merger that welcomed Stone Technologies to Gray Solutions. In his position, his primary areas of focus are building deep relationships with customers, advancing the company as a rapidly growing industry leader, and developing Solutioneers to further the firm’s mission.

GRACIE NARCHO

Deputy Assistant Director of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, National Science Foundation (NSF)

Graciela (Gracie) Narcho is the U.S. National Science Foundation's Deputy Assistant Director of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP. 

Narcho has been with NSF for nearly three decades, serving in a broad range of roles spanning the development of the TIP Directorate, grants and agreements oversight, program management, and diversity and inclusion efforts. 

Narcho is known as a change agent for positive human capital reforms, business practice innovations, and NSF policy development. Together with colleagues across NSF, Narcho has helped develop and launch several NSF initiatives, including the industry-government partnerships for the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program, the Global Environment for Networking Innovation, or GENI, the Computing Community Consortium, or CCC, and Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships, or CSGrad4US. 

As an NSF grants official, Narcho developed the funding arrangement for the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, the first NSF congressionally mandated, endowed, non-governmental, nonprofit foundation; and negotiated the first jointly-developed and funded government-industry Engineering Research Center. 

VINNY NIMMAGADDA

EVP, Corporate Development and New Ventures, Holley

Vinod Nimmagadda joined Holley in 2021 as its Executive Vice President of Corporate Development & New Ventures. Mr. Nimmagadda has over eight years of finance and investment banking experience within the automotive aftermarket. Most recently, he served as a Vice President within Jefferies Group LLC from 2019 to 2021, and served in various other investment banking roles at Jefferies Group LLC since 2016. Previously, he served as an investment banking analyst within BB&T’s investment banking division from 2014 to 2015. Vinod is a lifelong automotive enthusiast with a passion for imports. Vinod earned a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics from Columbia University.

ARON PATRICK

Director of R&D, PPL

Aron Patrick is Director of Research and Development for PPL Corporation, a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably, affordably and sustainably to 3.5 million customers in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. PPL’s high-performing, award-winning utilities, Kentucky Utilities, Louisville Gas and Electric, PPL Electric Utilities and Rhode Island Energy, are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. Aron is responsible for managing an enterprise-wide R&D strategy and PPL’s partnerships with external research organizations, including national laboratories, and universities. Aron has worked for PPL, and PPL subsidiary LG&E and KU, for more than six years. Before joining LG&E and KU, Aron held leadership roles at the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, including assistant director and program manager in carbon management and renewable energy. In those roles, Aron managed data, modeling, and research in energy policy and future energy technologies. Prior to that, Aron was an intelligence analyst for the federal government, using statistical analysis and modeling to address national security problems. Aron is a Lexington native and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky. 

BRANDON SHIRLEY

President, Houchens Industries Inc.

Brandon Shirley is the President of Houchens Industries, Inc. Houchens is a 100% wholly owned ESOP that currently owns several operating companies in various industries, including retail, industrial manufacturing and distribution, construction, consumer products and insurance. Houchens’ subsidiaries and affiliates generate nearly $4 billion in annual revenue. Houchens targets long standing growth-oriented companies with great leadership teams that embody an employee centric focus in support of its customers, suppliers, and the communities in which it operates. In the summer of 2023, Houchens will celebrate $2 billion of distributions to its employee owners since becoming an ESOP company in 1998.

ERIC WANG

CEO and Managing Director, EcoFibre Limited

Eric Wang joined Ecofibre as the CFO and Director in December 2015. He was appointed CEO and Managing Director in December 2017. As CEO, Eric has led the development of Ecofibre’s three business divisions that focus on industrial hemp solutions. The three business divisions provide medicinal solutions for pharmacies and practitioners, high-performance materials across a range of industries, and plant-based foods across the Australian market.  

Eric has over 25 years of leadership and executive management experience, both as an officer in the United States Army and as a financial services executive in Australia. Prior to joining Ecofibre, Eric served as Captain and Apache pilot in the US Army for eight years in a range of command and staff roles in the United States and Europe. 

After leaving the military, Eric moved to Australia to work for the global management consulting firm Bain & Company, where he specialized in the financial services industry in Australia and Asia. More recently, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Perpetual Limited and Director of the APO for AMP Limited. 

Eric holds a Bachelor of Science from West Point and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth. 

DR. DEBORAH WHITIS

Executive Chief Consulting Engineer, GE Aerospace

Dr. Deborah Whitis began her GE Aerospace career in 1995, after receiving a B.S.M.E. from the University of Illinois, and an M.S.M.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While on the GE Edison Engineering development program, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with an M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1998, and a Ph.D. in Materials Sciences and Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2022. At GE Aerospace, she has held a series of positions in the areas of alloy development, materials testing, materials applications engineering, and became a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. In 2012, Deborah led the CF6 Systems Engeineering Turbomachinery team, responsible for all field, services, and performance improvement programs for the ~5000 engine CF6 fleet. Since then Deborah has held executive leadership roles in Fan and Booster Design and Stress Analysis and Life Management for GE Aerospace, and the Materials Workstream for GE Addiitive. In January 2019 she became Chief Constulting Engineer for Materials and Technology for GE Aerospace.