VILF Speakers

Presentations are linked under each speaker

Speakers (in alphabetical order by last name)

John Aker
President & CTO
Aker Wade

Dr. Richard “Dick” Beatty, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Resource Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University
Core faculty member at the University of Michigan’s School of Business

Dr. Richard “Dick” Beatty, Ph.D., an expert on Human Resource Leadership, is a professor of Human Resource Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University and a core faculty member at the University of Michigan’s School of Business.
 
Dr. Beatty conducts research focusing on the areas of performance measurement, compensation and human resource strategy. Results of his work have been published in journals such as the Harvard Business Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management and Organizational Dynamics, among others. He has also written many books, including Performance Appraisal: Assessing Human Behavior at Work and The Workforce Scorecard: Human Capital and Strategy Execution.

Katharine Brass,
Director, Ecomagination Initiative
GE Energy & GE Oil&Gas

Katharine Brass leads the ecomagination initiative for GE Energy and GE Oil & Gas.

Kate leads the businesses efforts with respect to defining the ecomagination product portfolio, developing strategic customer relationships and large energy and conservation demonstration projects. She represents the environmental interests of the business with respect to national and international government affairs, global research efforts, new technology commercialization, internal greenhouse gas reduction programs and the impact and implication of carbon regulation on the growth of the business. Kate holds a Bachelors degree in Finance and Economics and a Masters in Environmental Management and Policy. She has more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, communications and strategic planning.

Patrick Collignon
Vice President and general manager
Volvo Trucks North America, New River Valley Plant
Facilities Management 2025-Keynote

Patrick Collignon, vice president and general manager, joined Volvo Trucks North America, New River Valley Plant, in December, 2008. 

Patrick is utilizing the current economic climate to prepare the New River Valley plant for future opportunities. 

While leading the evolution of continuous process improvements through the Volvo Production System, he is driving an initiative to create North America’s first CO2 neutral automotive manufacturing facility in Dublin, Virginia.

As an industrial engineer with a Masters degree in Electronic Engineering from KIHA Institute in Belgium and a Masters degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Kettering University in Michigan, Patrick began his career in 1985 at General Motors in Antwerp, Belgium. 

In 1995, he joined the Volvo family holding various assignments, progressing to general manager of the Volvo Europa Truck facility in Ghent, Belgium. While in that position, Patrick led that organization to become the first “CO2 free manufacturing facility” in the world.

Representing Volvo, Patrick served as a board member of several economic and industrial federations in Belgium.

Patrick Collignon and his family reside in Salem, Virginia.

Scott Denicourt
Managing Director
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in Richmond, VA

Consumer Expectations & Products 2025

Scott Denicourt is the Managing Director of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in Richmond, VA.  He has held various supervisory roles throughout his career, which began with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer) in Rouses Point, NY in 1991.  From 2000-2002, Scott was the Director of the Topicals Primary Processing Unit in Richmond, VA.  He then moved back to Rouses Point, NY to become the Senior Director of Consumer Healthcare.  Scott has been the Managing Director of the Richmond plant since 2005.   

Scott is involved in the community in a variety of ways, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Manufacturers Association since 2005.  He has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital in Richmond since 2008.  He has a B.S. in Biology and a Master of Business Administration.  He, his wife and two daughters reside in Richmond, VA. 

Nancy Di Dia,
Executive Director & Chief Diversity Officer
Boehringer Ingelheim

Workforce 2025 Panel

Nancy Di Dia brings more than 25 years of experience in management and diversity practices in corporate America to her role as Executive Director & Chief Diversity Officer at Boehringer Ingelheim. She has national responsibility for Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement reaching more than 10,000 employees.  Under her leadership the company achieved the #1 position from the Association of Diversity Councils as well as a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign for the best places to work for LGBT for three consecutive years. In 2009, she also received a prestigious recognition of Diversity Champion from the Southern Connecticut chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)

 Just recently, Ms. Di Dia has begun studying for a certified ICF (International Coaching Federation) Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) focusing on the neuroscience of leadership.  Ms. Di Dia is an active member of the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force- a think tank and research group of leading global companies which focuses on developing best practice models for organizations seeking to recruit, retain and re-connect talented women.  In addition, she mentors and coaches executives on presence and dealing with multicultural challenges.

Prior to beginning her role in May 2006, Ms. Di Dia was a senior consultant with the FutureWorkInstitute, a strategic partner of Towers Perrin. In that role, she pioneered creative diversity initiatives that advanced the culture of inclusion at many institutions, including pharmaceutical companies such as Astra Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Prior to her role at FutureWork, Ms. Di Dia established her own consulting practice focused on Human Resources, and Diversity & Inclusion Work. In her work with Fortune 500 companies, she conducted organizational assessments, focus groups, and executive interviews to help companies further their mission to become employers of choice.

Before beginning her private practice, Ms. Di Dia spent 25 years at JPMorgan Chase and was recognized as an award-winning diversity leader and facilitator who pioneered significant cultural changes across the firm. Among those accomplishments was the establishment of a Gay & Lesbian Employee Networking Group and the effort to successfully initiate domestic partner coverage by delivering a compelling business case to senior management.

Ms. Di Dia was known for her role in the development of both professional and personal leadership of senior women at JPMorgan Chase.   She addressed issues concerning women so they may better support their firm’s objectives to achieve both personal and professional success.  Her goal in these coaching forums was to empower the senior women to further develop their leadership and influence skills and network effectively with all levels of colleagues.  The outcomes were clear improvements on their job performance with quantifiable impacts to the culture and bottom line.

Ms. Di Dia is recognized as an effective coach and mentor whose collaborative style and expertise in leading diverse teams and managing conflict enables her to uncover dysfunctional behaviors and make a positive impact in organizations undergoing change. She is a highly sought after facilitator for her ability to quickly make people feel comfortable and included.  She is also regarded as a diplomatic leader who balances diverse interests, forges global partnerships and builds best practices that further organizational goals. She is highly skilled in performance consulting, workplace coaching, focus group facilitation and organizational engagement.

Ms. Di Dia is a graduate of the Ross School of Business-University of Michigan Senior Leadership Development Program.

Bill Fanjoy,
Director
Department of Commerce’s Virginia and Washington, DC U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC)

Bill Fanjoy is the Director of the Department of Commerce’s Virginia and Washington, DC U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC). Before becoming Director of the USEAC, Bill managed the Budget and Administration for the Commercial Service’s International Operations for 6 years, and managed American Business Centers for the Russia/NIS Program Office for two years. Prior to Bill’s service with the Department of Commerce, he worked with several international firms and overseas agencies, including Chemonics, the World Bank and USAID. He spent three years overseas managing a Wildlife Park in the Central Africa and three years serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa. Bill has a Masters in International Trade from the University of Maryland, speaks French and Bambara, and holds a 50-Ton Commercial Mariners license. He, his wife and four children live in Bethesda, Maryland, but spend most of their time sailing on the Chesapeake.

Robert Fry
Senior Associate Economist
DuPont

Global Manufacturing 2025 Panel

Robert Fry, Ph.D., is the senior associate economist for DuPont and has been since 1994. He has also coordinated the DuPont Pension Fund Investment from 1993-1994, prepared DuPont Corporate Plans in the Economist’s Office from 1987-1992, and worked in the coordinating & planning department for/DuPont Conoco from 1984-1987. DuPont Economist’s Office (Robert Fry and Bob Shrouds) has been named among the top forecasters by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Bloomberg. In November 2005, they won the prestigious Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Forecast Accuracy, making DuPont the only three-time winner of this award.

Dr. Fry has a B.S. in Economics from Ohio University and an A.M. and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics and served as the President of the Wilmington, DE Chapter from 1995-1997. He is also a member of the Conference of Business Economists and serves in community leadership roles as the VP of Business Administration with the Concordia Lutheran Church and on the Board of Directors of the Charter School of Wilmington.

Charlie Gause
Senior Vice President Corporate Business Development & Founder nanoWorks Division
Luna Innovations Inc.

In late 2004, Luna Innovations successfully launched a public-private partnership to establish a one-of-a-kind nanomaterials development and manufacturing facility in Danville, Virginia called Luna nanoWorks. Charles Gause directed this project which transformed a 24,000-square-foot historic tobacco warehouse into a premiere nanomaterials facility, by establishing division operations, business development, and manufacturing processes.  With an extensive manufacturing and engineering science background, Gause is currently identifying and developing market opportunities based upon Luna’s nanotechnologies including therapeutic and diagnostic pharmaceutical products, alternative energy solutions with organic solar cells and defense applications.

Gause directs Luna’s New Business Development Team. He also leads the Health Technologies Group innovating bio-related technologies and advancing them into commercial solutions for customers. His primary focus is to develop commercial business opportunities at Luna based upon proprietary technologies. He is active in national and state-based nanotechnology policy initiatives including the NanoHealth Enterprise Initiative, the Nanobusiness Alliance, Northern Virginia’s Technology Council’s Nanotechnology Committee, and is a member of the Commonwealth’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science Nanotechnology Advisory Committee (JCOTS).  He is the current President of the Southern Piedmont Technology Council (SPTC) and is a Board member of the Virginia Technology Alliance. Additionally, he serves on Danville Community College’s Workforce Advisory Board, the Industrial Advisory Boards for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Optics Center and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Educational Advisory Board for Southern Virginia and on the DOE Industrial Technologies Program’s Nanomanufacturing Industry Committee.

Knox Hubard
Senior International Trade Manager
VEDP – International Trade

Global Manufacturing Panel

Knox Hubard joined VEDP – International Trade as a Senior International Trade Manager after a successful 30 plus year career with Bank of America (and its predecessor banks).  His previous responsibilities included management of bank officers engaged in trade sales, product development, foreign correspondent banking and foreign direct investment in multiple states from his Virginia office.  He also has had senior trade business development officer responsibilities covering companies in Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia.

His clients from many diverse sectors ranged in size from less than $10 million in sales to over $10 billion in sales.  Knox seeks to share the experience he has gained working with leaders of internationally engaged companies with Virginia companies desiring to gain the benefits of a successful export program in constantly changing global business environment.

Knox received a BA in Economics from Virginia Military Institute and a Master of Commerce (now MBA) from the University of Richmond.

He served as an officer in Armor in the U.S. Army.

Matt Isner
Vice President
Charles Ryan Associates (CRA)

Workforce 2025 Panel

Matt Isner is a vice president with Charles Ryan Associates (CRA) – an integrated marketing communications firm with offices in Richmond, Va. and Charleston and Morgantown, W.Va.

Matt provides strategic communications counsel to clients in manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and financial services and manages CRA Richmond’s client services staff and internship program.

His clients have included the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA), Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Associated General Contractors of Virginia, Appalachian Power and the Affinion Loyalty Group. Recently, he worked with VMA to conduct a research study to gain insight into potential employees’ perceptions of entering the advanced technology and manufacturing industry.

Prior to joining CRA, Matt worked as a corporate communications representative with American Electric Power.  He received a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communications from Marshall University and a master’s in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University.

Van Jolissaint
Former chief economist of both Chrysler LLC and DaimlerChrysler AG

Mr. Jolissaint is the former chief economist of both Chrysler LLC and DaimlerChrysler AG. He retired from Chrysler LLC at the end of 2007 following the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management.  Prior to the sale of Chrysler he was Director and Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Market Intelligence for DaimlerChrysler AG.  Following his retirement from Chrysler, Mr. Jolissaint was Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor of Economics at the Business School of Oakland University for the 2008-2009 academic year. 

Mr. Jolissaint joined Chrysler Corporation in 1984 in Finance and held various positions in Finance and Economics before becoming Chrysler’s chief economist in 2001.  He became chief economist of DaimlerChrysler AG in 2006.

Mr. Jolissaint is the immediate past chairman of the Conference of Business Economists (CBE) which is a global professional organization of chief economists from both the private sector and governments. He is also a former trustee of the Committee for Economic Development, a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), the Society of Automotive Analysts (SAA) and the Council of Economic Advisors for the Governors of both Michigan and Ohio.

David M Jones
Energy Management Consultant, Environmental Engineer Research & Development Engineer & Business Entrepreneur

As a Scientific Research Engineer with 35 years experience in the field of Energy Efficiency Technology, I am probably one of the best informed environmental and energy Engineers on the planet today. The ground-breaking science & technology I have developed and proven, saving energy for Industry, replacing the very best ‘conventional’ technologies on the market today, I feel able to say;

AET™ Advanced Energy Technology Is The World’s Leading - Proven ‘High Efficiency’ Energy Technology Solution, probably the greatest single energy technology breakthrough in the last 100 years. Saving Industry up to 92.5% of Energy Costs.

Quintin C. Kendall
Resident Vice-President for State Government Affairs
CSX Transportation

As CSX Transportation’s Resident Vice-President for State Government Affairs, Quintin C. Kendall is responsible for the company’s executive branch, legislative and community initiatives in Virginia. 

Prior to joining CSX, Kendall served in the office of the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation from 2002 to 2009, most recently as Chief of Staff to DOT Secretary Mary E. Peters.  While at USDOT, Kendall focused on efforts to reform federal highway and transit policies and was involved in the federal approval and funding for the Dulles Corridor and Hampton Roads “Tide” rail projects.

Kendall’s state experience includes membership on Virginia’s Government and Regulatory Reform Task Force’s Working Group on Infrastructure as well as serving as an aide to both Congressman Tom Bliley and Governor Jim Gilmore.

Cathy Martin,
Executive Director, Human Resources, Communications, Training and Health Services
Boehringer Ingelheim

Cathy Martin is the Executive Director, Human Resources, Communications, Training and Health Services for Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc. In this role, Cathy is responsible for providing strategic direction and tactical solutions across the full range of Human Resource functions. Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc. is a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Inc. which is the world’s largest privately held pharmaceutical company with 143 affiliates in 42 countries. Cathy is well known as a seasoned professional specializing in the areas of leadership, change management, and communication. She is currently working in support of the Boehringer Ingelheim Board of Managing Directors on a key strategic global project and on a major redesign of the human resources function in the US.

Before joining Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals in 2001, Cathy was the Human Resources Manager responsible for all aspects of human resources during the start-up of the new manufacturing facility in Virginia for TXI Chaparral Steel, Inc., a structural steel manufacturing company based in Dallas, Texas. Prior to joining TXI, she held various positions in the field of human resources for nearly 14 years at Philip Morris U.S.A.

Cathy has served on numerous boards but is most proud of being elected the first female president of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce in 2001. She has a Masters in Human Resources Management from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational and Management Development from Bluefield College. She is a certified Sr. Professional in Human Resources.

Dan McGinn,
CEO
TMG Strategies, Inc.

Dan McGinn is one of America's most influential and successful communications counselors and trend analysts. In 1987, after a 15-year career as a legislative and staff director on Capitol Hill, McGinn launched his own consulting firm with, as he says, "…no clients, no staff, no income and no (consulting) experience."

Over the past seventeen years, McGinn has been retained by nearly 800 organizations, including a significant percentage of the Fortune 100, major universities, not-for-profit organizations, scores of law firms and numerous elected officials and government agencies.

TMG, of which McGinn is CEO, offers clients specialized consulting practice focusing on litigation support, conflict and dispute resolution and trend analysis in four areas: diversity, the environment, executive conduct and consumer behavior.

Dan is highly regarded for his intense personal engagement with clients, and he customarily directs all research and analysis, using his findings to counsel CEOs and other senior executives on strategy and messaging. Over the past five years, McGinn has increasingly concentrated on trends analysis to help organizations identify competitive risks and opportunities in a timely and efficient manner. Using carefully tailored opinion research, and media and cultural analysis, McGinn identifies emerging consumer attitudes and behavior patterns which he uses to help clients craft effective strategies. In addition to his client-based activities, McGinn is frequently asked to speak and present his findings and observations about cultural and consumer trends to corporate, government, higher education, legal and trade association audiences around the world.

Connie Vaughan
Government Relations Manager
McKee Foods