AmeriCOM Board of Directors

Dave Shelton earned his PhD and Master’s degree in Materials Science and Optics from the University of Central Florida studying under Prof. Glenn Boreman in the CREOL Infrared Systems Lab. In 2010, Glenn and Dave founded Plasmonics Inc, which Dave ran as CEO until 2016. He then moved on to serve as Chief Scientist with St. John’s Optical Systems, and later oversaw its day-to-day operations.

Moving from component development to mission system integration work, Dave assumed a program management role in the Image Processing Center of Excellence with L3 before moving to a role as senior scientist with BAE Systems FAST Labs. His career then took him to Ball Aerospace where he served as an advanced systems manager and a responsible engineer on several space programs.

Dave is a subject matter expert in infrared detectors, radiometry, and EOIR systems engineering. He has a deep understanding of the defense industry from time working for prime contractors and has worn many hats with start-up companies in the defense industry. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching graduate level classes in infrared systems and radiometry.

Alexis Vogt, PhD serves as executive director of workforce and higher education at AmeriCOM. Dr. Vogt is also a tenured professor of optics and the endowed chair of the Optical Systems Technology program at Monroe Community College (MCC), the first college worldwide to award associate degrees in precision optics. In her first five years at MCC, Dr. Vogt secured over $6 million for the program.

Under her leadership, program enrollment and completion rates increased exponentially and laboratory renovations yielded 7,500 square feet of teaching space in four optic labs making use of $3.5 million of state-of-the-art optics manufacturing and metrology equipment. In her position at AmeriCOM, Dr. Vogt will expand her successful work at MCC to AmeriCOM partner colleges, faculty, students, and employers across the nation.

Prior to joining MCC, Dr. Vogt worked in the optics industry as Applications & Business Development Manager at Melles Griot (IDEX) and previous to that, designed contact lenses and intraocular lenses for Bausch + Lomb. In addition to her industry experience, Dr. Vogt holds three patents and has authored hundreds of papers, presentations, and publications in the field, including the definitions of “light” and “polarization” for World Book Encyclopedia. Dr. Vogt received her B.S. as well as her Ph.D. in Optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester where her research focused on polarization engineering, coherence theory, and microscopy.

Dr. Vogt is an active member of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics and a senior member of Optica, formerly OSA, the Optical Society of America. She serves as a board member for the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association (APOMA), the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the New York Photonics/Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster (RRPC), and the MCC Optical Systems Technology Advisory Board. In addition, she serves on the University of Rochester Hajim School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council, the University of Rochester Institute of Optics Industrial Associates Director’s Advisory Council, and as the MCC Optics Club advisor.

Dr. Vogt is the recipient of the 2021 RRPC Leadership Award, the 2020 IEEE Technical Skills Educator Award, the 2018 National Women’s Hall of Fame Keeper of the Flame Award, and the 2017 New York Photonics Education Award. Her professional efforts have also been recognized with the Rochester Business Journal 2016 “Forty Under 40” award, the 2015 IDEX KEEP award for high performance, and the 2012 Bausch + Lomb CEO Award. With a commitment to the future of OPI industries, Dr. Vogt dedicates time to youth outreach and has been involved with coordinating and presenting optics demonstrations to children and educators both within the Rochester community and internationally. She is respected nationally as a speaker and role model for young women in optics.

Justin Sigley brings extensive research and hands-on development experience to his position at AmeriCOM. He earned his PhD in Physics from Wake Forest University specializing in microscopy techniques for hemostasis, cancer, and regenerative medicine research. Justin then moved on to serve as a research scientist at Tesseract Sensors developing porous silicon rugate filters for anti-counterfeit applications and covert optical gunshot sensors for schools and civic buildings. He then moved to St. Johns Optical Systems where he designed and managed a laboratory for developing low-cost MWIR focal plane arrays for defense and commercial applications.

Justin then accepted the role of Advanced Product Manager at BEAM Engineering for Advanced Measurements where he spent six years developing liquid crystal based diffractive optics and optical systems for applications ranging from non-mechanical beam steering to circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Justin is a subject matter expert in electro-optical systems engineering and has worked under several large defense programs including Army MAPS, DARPA WIRED, and DARPA POWER. Justin is an inventor on two patents, has written numerous publications, and has briefed members of Congress and ONR leadership on past research efforts.

Josanne DeNatale brings deep experience and energy to her role as workforce strategy and communications director.

She is responsible for the AmeriCOM brand identity and all external communications. Josanne also developed the strategic marketing campaign, The Future Is Optics, which raises awareness of the optics industry and builds interest in the many career pathways it supports. The awareness campaign also guides learners to the colleges where AmeriCOM has set up new programs for the training of optics technicians. Josanne’s work is built upon close collaboration with partners in secondary schools and institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and industry in the development of workforce training ecosystems. Through her communications strategies, Josanne promotes the urgent need for a trained optics workforce, gains the buy-in of educational partners, and simplifies the pathways for students to learn and enter into optics careers.

Before joining AmeriCOM, Josanne was president and co-founder of Cognitive Marketing Inc., a brand development and strategic marketing consultancy based in Rochester, NY, serving universities, colleges, independent schools, educationally oriented nonprofit organizations, and economic development initiatives across the country.

Josanne served as immediate past chair of the Board of Advisors of the Horizons Student Enrichment Program at The Harley School of Rochester and as an advisor to the Rochester College Access Network (RCAN) of the Rochester Education Foundation. She is a member of SPIE and represents AmeriCOM at the American Association of Community Colleges.

Bill Strong joins the team as the Director of Engineering, overseeing the operations of the AmeriCOM lab facility and activities in support of AmeriCOM’s research mission to develop advanced precision optics manufacturing technologies, testing equipment, and specialized materials required to support scalable manufacturing of lenses and optical components.

He has decades of experience in optics manufacturing and engineering roles having previously served as Director of Product Engineering at Rochester Precision Optics, a globally recognized manufacturer of precision optics for night vision applications. He was responsible for directing manufacturing operations, and led a team of engineers who created fixtures, improved yields, created work instructions, and continually improved areas in operations.

Bill graduated from Monroe Community College’s Optical Systems Technology Program, and later taught there as a full-time instructor for three years before returning to industry in an engineering leadership role. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and an Executive MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Adam Dunn brings over a decade of experience in the optics industry working in various roles. Early on in his career Adam worked at OptiPro Systems supporting industry leaders and their needs to develop processes and solutions for optical fabrication and metrology. Adam then moved to Rochester Precision Optics (RPO) where he worked as Business Development and Marketing Manager, and later transitioning to Program Manager, supporting both commercial and Department of Defense-related programs of record.

In Adam’s most recent position with RPO he repeatedly demonstrated his ability to successfully lead cross-functional teams supporting multiple initiatives throughout the company, including but not limited to product development, DARPA/SBIR-funded initiatives, contract manufacturing, and lean manufacturing initiatives.

Adam was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and studied Business and Communications at St. John Fisher University. He is enthusiastic about the optics industry and is eager to contribute to the growth of technology and the workforce.

Peggy Trabert is AmeriCOM’s Marketing and Communications Manager. She works to promote both the AmeriCOM corporate mission and its marketing campaign, The Future Is Optics, which brings awareness of the optics industry and helps increase the national workforce of optics technicians. Peggy collaborates with creative support teams and with the academic, corporate, and non-profit partners established to build the workforce training programs.

Peggy’s experience spans both graphic design and marketing. She started her career as an Art Director at a small Rochester ad agency, and then moved on to Sigma Marketing Group for 13 years as Associate Creative Director. While at Sigma, she grew her direct marketing skills as the age of personalized communications exploded. She was also self-employed for almost two decades as a graphic designer and marketing consultant with a variety of clients ranging from engineering companies and financial institutions to national non-profit organizations.

Donna Smith is AmeriCOM’s Science Educator Liaison, working to educate teachers, students, and the public about the role of precision optics in modern society and the opportunities available in the workplace.

She taught physics, earth science, and a dual credit optics class during her 30-year high school teaching career. Donna received the Excellence in High School Teaching Award from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester and the Education Award from New York Photonics.

Donna has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from SUNY Geneseo and a Master of Science degree in Secondary Education from SUNY Brockport. She holds New York State certifications in physics, earth science, biology, and chemistry.

Magda brings over a decade of experience in higher education. Previously, she served as the Outreach and Recruitment Specialist for the Accelerated Skills Training Program in Optics, Photonics, and Fiber Optics at Valencia College. In this capacity, she led the recruitment for the new precision optics, photonics, and fiber optics program at Valencia College, successfully filling the first three classes. Her earlier experience as a Student Services Advisor allowed her to provide comprehensive support to students throughout their academic journeys. Magda’s skills in program and career advising, admissions, and scholarship navigation significantly contributed to student success and retention.

A strong collaborator, Magda excels at building relationships with community members, organizations, and educational partners. This ability will be essential in addressing community needs and creating valuable partnerships in her new role. Her passion for community support and commitment to making a positive impact will drive outreach efforts at Americom, ensuring greater awareness and access to educational and career opportunities within the optics manufacturing industry.

Justin Ghyzel is an AmeriCOM Optical Technician. With 14 years of optical manufacturing experience, Justin doesn’t shy away from any project put in front of him. He enjoys getting his hands dirty with any task necessary and is excited to share his expertise to improve American optical manufacturing.

Justin’s career path started in high school, where he learned about CAM/CAD and was quickly interested in the field. He went on to earn his AAS degree from Monroe Community College (MCC) through the Precision Machining program. While attending MCC, he was hired by Optimax to generate and polish prototype asphere lenses. After four years of manufacturing asphere lenses, Justin moved into a new department to utilize more of his machining background. His day-to-day included programming, setting up, and operating ultrasonic 5 axis mills to achieve obscure shapes required for the optical market at the time. He also shared his problem-solving strength and engineered solutions to improve the daily operations of the area.

For the last five years, Justin has been starting up and leading a diamond turning area. This work utilizes his strong machining knowledge as well as his optical understanding to achieve polished surfaces on the crystal optics that are at the leading edge of technology today. He is excited to collaborate with industry leaders to improve single point diamond turning education and developments.

Jeff Iorio joins the team as an Optical Technician. He operates all facets of the AmeriCOM lab facility to support our research mission to aid development of advanced precision optics manufacturing technologies and testing equipment. The focus of the AmeriCOM lab is to use these technologies on the specialized materials required to support scalable manufacturing of lenses and optical components.

Jeff has almost a decade of experience in optics manufacturing through his time at Monroe Community College (MCC) and Optimax. While at MCC, Jeff joined the first NYS Certified Precision Optics Manufacturing Apprenticeship program. The program included three years of on-the-job training rotations across all departments at Optimax—equipping employees to become effective, proficient precision optics manufacturing technicians. During his time in the apprenticeship program, Jeff completed his associate’s degrees in MCC’s Optical Systems Technology Program and Precision Machining Program.

After MCC, Jeff took his knowledge of the manufacturing floor to the Optimax Spherical Laser Grade Optics department, where he manufactured high precision optics, generating, grinding, polishing, and edging them. He then moved to Optimax’s Coating Metrology department where he operated and oversaw the day-to-day operations and calibration of equipment. Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology while working in both these areas.

Jessica DeGroote Nelson is Senior Director of Optical Product Development at Edmund Optics (EO) where she oversees the Strategic Optics Business Line. With more than 15 years of optical manufacturing industry experience, Jessica leads her team to help coordinate new product and manufacturing capability introduction into EO’s precision optics portfolio. She previously served as Director of Technology and Strategy at Optimax Systems, Inc., overseeing research and development and corporate strategic planning.

Jessica serves on the board of directors for SPIE (International Society of Optics and Photonics), and is senior editor of the society’s professional journal, Optical Engineering. In addition, she serves on the society’s audit committee and has chaired its annual conference, OptiFab.

Jessica works closely with future leaders in the optics manufacturing industry. She is an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, Saunders School of Business, where she teaches Innovation and Technology Management Strategy; and at University of Rochester, Institute of Optics, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on optical materials, fabrication, and testing.

Rick Plympton is the CEO of Optimax Systems, Inc., a precision optics manufacturer in Ontario, NY, where he has served since 1995. Under his leadership and vision, the company has grown from a small start-up to the largest precision optics manufacturer in the United States. With 40 years of experience in the optics and photonics industry, Rick has developed expertise in optical engineering, optics manufacturing, sales strategies, innovative HR policies, business leadership, and building a culture of lifelong learning and continuous improvement.

Rick is actively involved in supporting regional workforce development and the optics industry. He currently serves in leadership positions for several organizations including Trustee, Optimax Perpetual Purpose Trust; Director, Canandaigua National Bank; Director, Optica Foundation; Treasurer, Committee for Optics and Electro-Optical Instruments (OEOSC); Executive Committee, Business Leaders United; and Member, New York State Workforce Investment Board.

Rick has been inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame, and has earned the Aspen Institute Fellowship for Job Quality.

Kirk Warden is President at LaCroix Precision Optics which produces custom precision optics for the medical, defense, scientific, and industrial OEM device markets. Kirk has been with the company for over 19 years, and previously served as its Executive Vice President where he managed day-to-day operations and the sales and marketing efforts. Based in Batesville, Arkansas, LaCroix is one of the premier domestic volume and prototype manufacturers of custom precision optics.

Kirk previously served as President of APOMA (American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association), a broad constituency of precision optics manufacturers committed to promoting and advancing opportunities for the precision optics industry. In addition, he is a co-founder of the Arkansas Photonics Industry Alliance. Kirk also serves on the Batesville Regional Airport Commission and formerly served on the Lyon College Board of Trustees.

Mike Bechtold is CEO and Founder of OptiPro Systems, a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative CNC grinding, polishing, and metrology machines for the precision optics and advanced ceramics industries. Under Mike’s leadership OptiPro drew the attention of Eastman Kodak, who contracted OptiPro to build the first Computerized Optical Generator (COG) – a machine retrofit designed to manufacture optics. The COG vaulted OptiPro into the precision optics industry.

Mike’s work to secure research grants funding technological advancement critical to U.S. defense and security helped OptiPro earn the prestigious Tibbetts Award from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for achievements in innovation and job creation. Optical Society of America also awarded Mike the Paul F. Forman Engineering Excellence Award for producing the first affordable CNC machine designed for the optics industry. In addition, he was awarded the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster Entrepreneurship Award.

Mike is heavily involved in promoting the optics industry having served as a board member for the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster, APOMA (American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association), Rochester Technology and Manufacturers Association, and SPIE Optifab Conference Program Committee.

Bob Bicksler is former President and CEO of JML Optical Industries, LLC where he served for 12 years including navigating the company through its recent sale to Thorlabs. He previously served as President and CEO of TapRoot, a leading provider of software products and services for the mobile device market, prior to the sale of its business to Neusoft. With more than 30 years of operational and financial experience in manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications companies, Bob has a proven track record of growing companies and leading them to a successful exit resulting in superior returns to investor groups.

Bob has led and developed many companies as CEO, Executive Vice President, and/or Chief Financial and Administrative Officer including AT&T Canada; Howstuffworks.com International; Global Metro Networks; MetroNet; Performance Awareness Corporation; Seer Technologies, Inc.; and Megapath Communications.

Bob currently serves as an advisor and operational consultant to several companies. His experience providing strategic merger and acquisition consulting services also comes from his former role as a Principal of Catalina Consulting during which he was responsible for evaluating numerous companies on behalf of private investment firms. He is an active member and advisor to several Boards.

Jenn Cable is President of Thorlabs, a vertically integrated supplier of photonics products, from optics, fiber optics, and optomechanical components to laser and microscope systems. Thorlabs is a family‐owned company founded by her father in 1989 and headquartered in Newton, NJ. Under Jenn’s leadership as President, the company is a thriving global organization that employs over 2700 employees with operations in nine countries.

Since joining Thorlabs in 2015, Jenn held a variety of positions that leveraged her previous experience leading a corporate strategy team that developed and executed strategic plans for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, a major company in the healthcare industry. Prior to that, she earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Vassar College and a master’s degree in bioethics from Columbia University, and worked for Population Services International in Laos as a Princeton-in-Asia Fellow.

Len Chaloux was the Founding President and CEO of Moore Nanotechnology Systems, LLC from its inception in October 1997 until his retirement in 2018. Nanotech is a global leader in the development, design, and manufacture of advanced machine tools and processes for the production of complex optical components used in today’s state-of-the-art consumer electronics, defense, aerospace, medical, lighting, and automotive sectors. With annual revenues exceeding $40M, and nearly 100 employees, the company has remained one of New Hampshire’s top 100 private companies since 2010, and was also named NH Company of the Year in 2008.

Len has travelled extensively throughout the USA and 26 other industrialized nations working with hundreds of leading companies in the field of precision optics fabrication. He is a charter member of the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE), founded in 1986, and served two 3-year terms on its Board of Directors, most recently as President of the society in 2017. Len has authored numerous technical papers and given presentations in the fields of ultra-precision machine design, single point diamond turning, and deterministic micro-grinding and holds two US patents for related developments in this field.

Ronald G. Driggers is a Professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences and works in the areas of electro-optical and infrared imaging systems. Previously, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service as the Superintendent of the Optical Sciences Division at the Naval Research Laboratory in 2008. There, he managed the efforts of more than 200 scientists and engineers and over $100M in research and development programs. Before 2008, he was the Director of the Modeling and Simulation Division at the U.S. Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) and a brief period as the Chief of the Electro-Optics and Photonics Division at the Army Research Laboratory. Dr. Driggers received a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Memphis in 1990, is the author of five books on Infrared and Electro-Optics Systems and has published over 160 research papers. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Optical Engineering (Taylor and Francis). He was selected as the 2002 Army Materiel Command’s Engineer of the Year, 2001 CERDEC Technical Employee of the Year, and 2001 NVESD Technical Employee of the Year. He was a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer and was selected as the 2001 Naval Engineering Duty Officer of the Year (William Kastner Award). He is also a Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering, the Optical Society of America, and the Military Sensing Symposium. He was the Editor-in-Chief of SPIE’s flagship journal, Optical Engineering from 2010-2015 and the Editor-in-Chief of the Optical Society of America’s journal Applied Optics from 2015-2021.

Birgit Gillman is retired from her 25-year career at Zygo Corporation, a division of Ametek, where she most recently held the position of Director of Optics Manufacturing. Birgit led the day-to-day operations of all aspects of high precision optics manufacturing for aerospace, military, semiconductor, research, and commercial applications. In addition, she was responsible for meeting revenue targets, ensuring product quality, on-time delivery, and driving customer satisfaction. As a lean-certified leader, she was also heavily involved in lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.

Birgit started her career in optics while a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the late 1980’s. She began interning at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics and joined the lab full time after graduation. She subsequently transitioned to work at the Center for Optics Manufacturing for nearly a decade.

John Schaefer is a Senior Technical Fellow for Raytheon Technologies Optics Consolidated Manufacturing Center. He has over 38 years of direct hands-on experience in optical fabrication including single-point diamond turning, magnetorheological finishing (MRF®), optical polishing, free-form optics, interferometry, and assembly and alignment of optical systems for Raytheon airborne, space, and ground-based EOIR sensors.

John has made numerous contributions to the optics industry though out his career as an instructor, author, and presenter at SPIE, Optica, and the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) conferences and was an active participant in the early days of the Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM).  He is a charter member of ASPE, founded in 1986, and served two 3-year terms on its Board of Directors, most recently as President of the society in 2021. John holds six U.S. patents related to precision optics manufacturing.