Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for setting overall Center governance policies, strategy, and organizational structure and membership fees. This includes membership agreement policies and CCAM’s research strategy as well as approval of additions to the CCAM membership. It is also responsible for the financial management of CCAM.
CCAM’s Board of Directors includes:
John R. (Ron) Briggs
Ron Briggs is currently Senior Vice President with Canon Virginia, Inc. As Canon Inc.’s primary manufacturing facility for the Americas, Canon Virginia has manufactured millions of copiers, laser printers and toner cartridges utilizing cutting edge technology and innovative manufacturing methods. Canon Virginia continues to manufacture toner cartridges and other Canon accessories as well as provide reverse manufacturing services for Canon copiers, printers and cameras.
Mr. Briggs is currently responsible for the Production Control, Logistics and Procurement divisions as well as the Administrative Support functions including the Human Resources, General Affairs, Facilities and MIS Divisions. He joined Canon Virginia in 1987 and has held management positions of increasing responsibilities focusing on supply chain, logistics, and production activities to support high volume manufacturing operations.
Mr. Briggs received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the College of William and Mary.
Johan P. Israelsson
Mr. Johan Israelsson has worked with Sandvik Coromant for more than 25 years. He began his career in product design and then moved into product management. After two years as Managing Director for Sandvik Coromant Norden AB, he was appointed VP of marketing for the US market. In 2006, he was appointed US subsidiary president. Today, Israelsson is responsible for Sandvik Coromant’s business in North and South America, is a member of the global company management team and an active member of many industry associations. Israelsson holds a BSME from Colorado State University and an MBA from Fordham University.
Barry Johnson
Barry W. Johnson is currently the Senior Associate Dean in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. In addition, he is the L. A. Lacy Distinguished Professor of Engineering. He is founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Safety-Critical Systems. In 1998 he was a founder of Privaris, Inc., a biometric security company (www.privaris.com). While on leave from the University of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 he served as Chairman, President, and CEO of Privaris. He continues to serve as Chairman and CTO. Prior to joining the University of Virginia, he was with Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida where he designed and analyzed fault-tolerant computer systems for aerospace applications.
Dr. Johnson received the B.S., M.E., and Ph.D degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1979, 1980, and 1983, respectively.
Armand F. Lauzon Jr.
Armand F. Lauzon, Jr., a proven business leader with expertise in manufacturing that has spanned two continents, is Chief Executive Officer of Sequa Corporation. Sequa Corporation is a global, diversified manufacturer operating in three industries: aerospace, metal coating and automotive. A Carlyle Group company, Sequa has a strong technological component and holds positions of leadership in key markets served. Sequa’s largest business unit is Chromalloy, a leading independent supplier of technologically advanced repairs for turbine airfoils and other critical components.
Prior to joining Sequa Corporation, Mr. Lauzon held positions at two Carlyle portfolio companies. He was Executive Chairman and CEO and currently sits on the board of JMC Steel Group, the largest independent steel tubular manufacturer in North America. Previous to that he led Firth Rixson Ltd., first as CEO and later as chairman. Mr. Lauzon came to The Carlyle Group from Precision Castparts Corporation, a world leader in structural investment castings, forged components and airfoil castings for aircraft engines. At Precision Castparts he led both investment casting and forging related businesses.
Mr. Lauzon is a frequent advisor to businesses operating globally in manufacturing, including aerospace and forged and fabricated metals.
He is Chairman of the Board of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM), an applied research center in Virginia. Mr. Lauzon also is Chairman of the Board of the Fairview Machine Company, a specialized manufacturer of precision components and assemblies for the medical and aerospace industries based in Boston, Massachusetts.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and an MBA.
Dr. Donald J. Leo
Dr. Don Leo is a professor of mechanical engineering and has been at Virginia Tech since 1998, serving as the associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering from 2007 to 2011. From 2005 to 2007 he was a program manager in the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency.
Leo earned a B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and both a M.S. degree and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Buffalo.
William T. Powers III
Mr. William Powers is responsible for all Rolls-Royce North American finance functions and serves as a member of the Rolls-Royce North America Holdings Board of Directors and its Government Security and Audit Committees.
Powers joined Rolls-Royce in 1989 as treasurer and head of customer finance and served as chief executive of Rolls-Royce Capital Limited based in the UK from 1995 to 2000. Prior to joining Rolls-Royce he was with Barclays Bank plc’s Aerospace Industry Unit.
Powers serves on several corporate and non-profit boards.
Andreas J. Saar
Mr. Andreas Saar is vice president for the Component Manufacturing Solution development team within the Manufacturing Solution Group (MSG) of Siemens PLM Software. In this role, he is responsible for all part manufacturing related product and solution planning, development and strategy direction.
Saar has 25 years of experience in manufacturing and related software development and has worked in various management positions during this time span. He holds a Master in Mechanical Engineering and Business from the Technical University Darmstadt/Germany.
Richard Schmid
Born and raised in South Africa, Dr. Richard Schmid graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, with an engineering degree in Metallurgy, Minerals Processing. In 1986 he moved to Switzerland joining Sulzer Corporate R&D, Winterthur, working in the tribology group. During his time with Sulzer Innotec, he completed his PhD at the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, on the topic of New High Temperature Abradables for Gas Turbines. Schmid led the Tribology group until 2000 when he moved to the USA as head of the Coatings Solution Organization of the Sulzer Metco division situated in Westbury on Long Island, NY. In 2005 he returned to Winterthur in the CTO function of the Sulzer Metco Division; a position he currently holds. During his time with Sulzer Metco the division has transformed from a purely thermal spray offering to a complete surface solution provider.
Becky Stewart
Becky Stewart is vice president of Manufacturing for Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Va. Named to this position in 2011, she is responsible for manufacturing and manufacturing planning, supporting all shipbuilding programs.
Stewart began her career at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1982 as a technical planner and has held various positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to her current assignment, she served as vice president of Submarines and Fleet Support, a position she held since 2004. In this role, she was responsible for all aspects of the Virginia-class submarine construction program, submarine fleet maintenance, and submarine design and engineering programs. Other past assignments have included vice president of the Submarine Program and vice president of Surface Ship and Submarine Fleet Maintenance. She has also served in various leadership positions in the areas of Ship Repair, Life Cycle Engineering, Strategic Planning, and Computer Administration and Control.
Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Christopher Newport University and a master’s degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary.
Brian T. Warner
Mr. Brian Warner is responsible for leading the Rolls-Royce initiatives to develop and establish the new CCAM facility. Warner began his career in 1985 at Allison Gas Turbines, which was eventually purchased by Rolls-Royce. His most recent role was as acting manufacturing engineering executive and chief manufacturing engineer in Indianapolis, IN. He has held several significant roles throughout his 26 year career, covering the areas of manufacturing engineering, project management and engineering management.
Keith Williamson
Keith M Williamson is a professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Virginia State University. His publications and research interests span a range of topics including phase change processes and Friction Stir Welding technology. Before joining academia, Williamson served as a naval architect and electronics engineer for the Department of the Navy. He was awarded the Civilian Service Medal for his efforts during Desert Storm. Williamson holds the doctorate in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and the bachelors, also in mechanical engineering, from Bucknell University.