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Marcia Ayala is the President of Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, Inc., a textile processing operation in Illinois that has been around since the 1880s. She is also a board member with IMEC, the Illinois MEP Center.

Brenda's professional experience includes more than 20 years in food manufacturing. Leadership roles in manufacturing operations and as a corporate auditor add to her experience with workforce, strategic planning and managing capital projects.

Her knowledge of industry trends, understanding of industry needs, and connections throughout ISU, Iowa, and the MEP helps her match businesses with resources that will positively impact their success.

Antonio Possolo is a NIST Fellow and the chief statistician of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His practice of statistics in the course of the past 45 years includes engagements in academia (Princeton University, University of Washington and Georgetown University), industry (Boeing and General Electric) and government (NIST). He holds a Ph.D. in statistics from Yale University and a licentiate in geology from the Classical University of Lisboa (Portugal).

George Caceres is a doctoral candidate from the University of Maryland and works in the Inorganic Chemical Metrology Group through the Professional Research Experience Program. He is working on the development of single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) for the measurement of microplastic particles. George’s research is currently focused on targeting inherent residual elemental signatures. His goal is to expand current measurement limitations of spICP-MS and offer solutions for the present gaps in knowledge with respect to the analysis of microplastic particles. In his spare time, George loves to learn about astronomy, enjoys playing the guitar and is always looking for new coffee flavors to try.

I joined the Baldrige Program in August 1999. I have been with the Department of Commerce since January 1998. I am a Visual Information Specialist.

Karen Watson is CEO of International Filter Manufacturing Corporation (IFM), an ISO 9001:2015 certified air filtration manufacturing and distribution company located in Litchfield, Illinois. Karen is a member of the board of directors for the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (Illinois MEP Center).

Lisa J. Carnahan, computer scientist, recently retired as the Associate Director for IT Standardization in the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (ITL/NIST) and has rejoined the Office she created.  The Office develops programmatic strategies for standards engagement, understanding potential standards opportunities in emerging technologies, and promoting the benefits of standards adoption in the federal government and industry.  She convenes the US Interagency International Cybersecurity Standardization Working Group. 

Previously she served as the lead for conformity assessment research and guidance activities in the Standards Coordination Office at NIST, where she co-authored updates to NIST’s key documents for understanding and applying conformity assessment concepts in the federal government.  

Ryan Falkenstein-Smith is a mechanical engineer in the Firefighting Technology Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Falkenstein-Smith received his doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Syracuse University for his research on high-temperature membranes for oxyfuel combustion. As a NIST postdoctoral fellow, he created model validation datasets of pool fire characteristics to support the International Association of Fire Safety Science’s Measurement and Computation of Fire Phenomena (MaCFP) Working Group. His current research focuses on designing technology for smart firefighting, including gas extractive devices for predicting backdraft and non-invasive analytical tools to improve situational awareness.

Amy Mensch is a mechanical engineer in the Engineered Fire Safety Group at NIST. Amy has worked for over 10 years in NIST’s Fire Research Division on various research topics, such as the thermal performance of firefighter equipment, kitchen cooktop fire prevention, soot and smoke behavior and firebrand (aka ember) ignition. She is an advocate for women in STEM, serving in affinity groups at NIST and the Department of Commerce. Amy is also an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).