Jeff Wyco – Dean for Industrial, Construction, and Transportation Technology, Guilford Technical Community College
Scott Russo – Senior Manager, Technical Workforce Development, Toyota North American Production Support Center (NAPSC), Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC)
Layel Burton – Apprenticeship Coordinator, Ziehl-Abegg, Inc.

Tony Davis – National FAME Director, The Manufacturing Institute (Moderator)

Eric Hobbs has served as President of Raleigh’s headquartered, full-service technology solutions firm, Technology Associates for over 25 years. He specializes in providing IT services, strategy, guidance and support for manufacturing companies. Over the years, Eric has served as an advisor to hundreds of business owners across North Carolina.

Jeanne Taylor is the CEO of ShopBotTools. Jeanne’s Durham, NC boutique design and marketing firm Designing Solutions began working with ShopBot’s Sallye Coyle to produce signage and unique trade show displays for the studio’s clients in 2010. Seeing the ShopBot tools in action, Jeanne was not only intrigued by the tools and their capabilities, but she also became interested in the philosophy and culture of ShopBot Tools, something that Ted Hall had built and fostered right here in Durham. A graduate of SCAD, Jeanne – always one for enjoying the art of creating and making – found a good synergy in working with Ted and the team at ShopBot. In 2014, after working closely with ShopBot for three years as an outside consultant, Designing Solutions merged with ShopBot Tools to become its full-time strategy, marketing, design, and website development team. Named CEO in 2020, fully embracing ShopBot’s long-time ideology, Jeanne believes that customer success is ShopBot’s success. She is committed to providing customers with top-tier customer service and innovative products that help them achieve their goals. These beliefs, along with her continual building and cultivating of an internal, entrepreneurial-oriented team that is adaptive and collaborative, are what help ShopBot achieve its goal of delivering exceptional quality – one tool at a time.

Teddy Burriss is a LinkedIn expert, social media consultant, columnist, speaker and author who shares with his audiences steps to achieve success in business by building relationships and developing leads using LinkedIn as a business tool. Teddy has used LinkedIn as a business tool for over ten years and he knows what works (and what doesn’t) when using LinkedIn to develop business relationships. Teddy is a proven leader with certifications such as Social Media Strategist, DiSC, DDI Facilitator and Sandler Sales Professional.

Derek Chen is the Founder/Principal of Strategic International, providing legal and law-related consultancy services on international business issues. His practice concentrates on compliance and enforcement under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), including U.S. export controls on military and commercial products and technology. In addition to supporting clients with licensing, training and auditing matters, he has assisted in developing export management compliance programs and technology control programs. Derek is one of the few practitioners to have performed domestic and international U.S. government-directed export compliance audits. Derek counsels companies on compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Anti Boycott provisions and represents clients in export enforcement issues at the Department of State, Commerce and Treasury. In addition, he advises both U.S. and international clients on economic sanctions and embargo regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Derek also provides business and marketing consultancy services to assist companies seeking to enter or develop their international market share. This includes creating export strategies and marketing plans, developing sales channels, establishing third-party intermediaries and advising on commercial and foreign country-specific issues. Before founding Strategic International, Derek worked in numerous capacities for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, including as the Director of Foreign Operations. He was also responsible for the State’s military/defense exports.
Additionally, Derek served as the State’s first Director of Motorsports Development. He spearheaded a groundbreaking program applying motorsports technologies to the U.S. military, ultimately leading to a research and development agreement between the U.S. Special Operations Command and the North Carolina motorsports industry. Derek serves on the Board of Directors as an Executive Committee Member for the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and is a Board Member of the French Tech Research Triangle. Derek is a German Marshall Fellow (2013) who received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina, a Master in international business law from the Université de Lyon (France) and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and French, double major) with both general and departmental honors from the Johns Hopkins University.

Blake Jackman is an International Trade Manager with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. He provides export counseling to his client base in the Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, and Outdoor industries. With 14 years of international business experience, he has participated in over 100 different Trade Missions, Trade Shows and conferences, including speaking engagements nationally and internationally. Blake is the President of the North Carolina World Trade Association – Research Triangle Chapter and is on the British-American Business Council Triangle Chapter board. Blake came to EDPNC from Bass Industries Inc., where he was Vice President and in charge of operations, sales, and procurement. Blake’s previous experience includes working with the North Carolina Department of Commerce International Trade Division, Ferrell Law’s International Private Equity Investment Division and the Argentine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Mandarin.

Michael Mullins is the Director of Defense Industry Initiatives at NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions (IES). Michael is a former Marine Infantryman and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. He has extensive experience executing and managing Department of Defense training contracts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East, the Caucasus, and Southeast Asia. Michael has worked closely with the Department of State, various foreign ministries, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Additionally, he served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University. Michael has a comprehensive understanding of the processes and procedures North Carolina businesses face in the acquisition and execution of U.S. government contracts. In Fayetteville, he served as an International Operations Program Manager with General Dynamics and Program Manager of foreign military training programs with American Systems Corporation. Michael has a B.S. in Political Science and an M.S. in International Relations.

Scott Dorney has served as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) since December 1, 2004. Originally from Allentown, PA, Scott graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, SC in May 1977. He also earned a Masters’s in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York, NY in 1988. Before joining the NCMBC in 2004, Scott served six years as the Chief Officer for Support Services for the City of Fayetteville. In this capacity, he directed Human Resources and was responsible for other departments, including Risk Management and Information Technology.
Before joining the City of Fayetteville, Scott served nearly 22 years on active duty as a commissioned officer in the United States Army. As a Field Artillery and Foreign Area Officer, his numerous assignments included two tours in Greece, three years as an attaché at the US Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus and as an artillery officer in the Persian Gulf War. His final assignment was at Fort Bragg, where he served as the Civil Military Operations staff officer for XVIII Airborne Corps and Deputy Garrison Commander.
Scott has been very involved with the community since moving to North Carolina in 1995. He is a Governor-appointed North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation member. He previously served on boards of the USO of North Carolina, the North Carolina Defense Business Association and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, as Chair of the Cumberland County Business and Education Partnership, and as President of the Fayetteville Area Society for Human Resource Management.
Scott has been very involved with the community since moving to North Carolina in 1995. He is a former board member of the USO of North Carolina, the North Carolina Defense Business Association and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, and is the former Chair of the Cumberland County Business and Education Partnership and President of the Fayetteville Area Society for Human Resource Management.

Bryan Gresock has served as President of Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions since October 2022. Prior to joining Roush Yates, he served as the Director of Operations at Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing Group. Bryan is certified in Six Sigma Black Belt. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a Master of Science in Industrial Technology from Purdue University.