Summit Speaker Bios

Dan Luzietti is the CFO of Hercules Industries, Inc., a steel fabricator and wholesale distributor in the HVAC space headquartered in Denver, Colorado. During his tenure, the company has seen significant growth in volume, active reinvestment into its fabricating and distribution capabilities, and most excitingly, a transition to employee-ownership in 2019. Dan received a BA from the University of Notre Dame as well as an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Steven Ouellette is a product of Colorado. He graduated high school from Columbine High School in Littleton. His undergrad degree in Metallurgical and Material Sciences was from the Colorado School of Mines. His master’s degree in engineering with a focus on research was from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has lived in Longmont for twenty years.

He has been consulting in business process improvement and management since 1996 in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, services, aerospace, and higher education. During that time, he created these management systems for many companies and institutions. He is the co-author of Business Performance Excellence, a book that touches on these topics for the business world. His newest book, Galileo’s Telescope goes into more detail on how to build these systems.

He has been an instructor at CU Boulder in the Leed’s School of Business as well as in the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Engineering Management master’s degree program teaching these topics as well as basic and advanced statistics. He has consulted with business leaders as well as with supervisors and individual contributors across heavy and light manufacturing, service, government, and higher education.

Kerry Siggins is the CEO of StoneAge Holdings, a fast-growing manufacturing and technology company based in Colorado. Under Kerry’s leadership, StoneAge has experienced double-digit growth, year over year. In 2015, she successfully transitioned the company’s ownership structure to an ESOP, ensuring that all employees share in the success of the company through employee ownership. Kerry is a helpful and impactful board member and business advisor due to her success and experience in scaling companies and building world-class cultures.

Kerry is a dynamic, sought-after speaker who presents worldwide at corporations, universities, and conferences. She hosts several podcasts, including the wildly popular podcast Reflect Forward. She is an author, blogger, and contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, Authority Magazine, and BIC Magazine, and her blog is visited by thousands of readers each month.

Alex Renner is an Implementation Project Manager at Paperless Parts: the #1 quoting and estimating for manufacturers. Paperless Parts’ secure, cloud-based software helps job shops and contract manufacturers quote quickly, accurately, and strategically with the ability to easily prioritize the most profitable work. For the last 1.5 years, Alex has worked with Paperless Parts customers every day to maximize the value of their partnership. Having worked for GE Aviation in multiple manufacturing-focused supply chain roles since 2014, Alex provides valuable industry expertise for shops looking to drive efficiency, optimize resources, and maximize their margins.

Adam Zaouague is an MSU Denver Manufacturing Engineering student and a Reata Engineering Manufacturing Engineer Intern. He has experience implementing automation solutions that have helped improve production processes. He is passionate about making a positive impact in the industry.

My name is David Hartfelder, Production Supervisor at Reata Engineering in Englewood, CO.  Over the past 15 years, I have worked in many areas of manufacturing, including Production Management, Estimating, Sales, and Customer Service.  I love working in an industry that has a critical impact on people’s lives every single day.  Without manufacturing, the world would cease to turn.

Dr. Steve Beaty is the Chief Technology Officer at DevilDog Cybersecurity.  Previously, Dr. Beaty led the security team at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. Steve is also a CMMC Certified Professional as an assessor and instructor for Department of Defense contractors.  Steve also helped lead the development of both the bachelor’s and master’s of cybersecurity degrees at MSU Denver, where he currently serves as a professor and chair of the Computer Sciences Department. 

Isaac James is the Managing Director of DevilDog Cybersecurity and leads customer relationship management of the company. Isaac has an extensive experience in project management, organizational change, corporate communications, and conflict resolution. Isaac served in the USMC and has a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity along with an MBA.

My role at Woodward is the Product Cybersecurity Engineer. I help our business units (Industrial and Aerospace) architect and develop security into the products that go into critical infrastructure, airplanes, or automotive applications. Currently I am co-lead for the SAE G-32 Cyberphysical Systems Security Standard (Software Assurance) as well as the G-34 Artificial Intelligence in Aviation standard liaison. Hobbies include vintage racing, ice hockey, and hiking/skiing.

My work life has been split between state government, education and manufacturing quality and consulting. These careers have given me deep experience in government affairs, consulting, project management and teaching. As a private consultant, I designed and delivered leadership development, organizational change, personal coaching, strategic planning and project management training to government and small businesses. As Deputy Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transporation, my experiences encompassed supporting the minority business development program, creating a strategic plan for the Department, and supporting passage of the largest infrastructure funding package in Illinois at that time.

In education, I’ve served on a school board for charter school, taught High School special education, and coached multiple sports teams.

After eight years in sales and sales leadership for another MEP, it is exciting to get back into developing client services that impact organizational excellence with Manufacturer’s Edge. With experience in business operations, workforce, sales, marketing, customer experience, and partner outreach, manufacturers can be assured that programs will be relevant to their needs.

I earned a Bachelors Degree in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Mark Yoss retired from Lockheed Martin Space in 2021 after a 36.5-year career building spacecraft that are exploring our solar system, making life on Earth better with GPS directions and GOES weather forecasts and protecting our military troops around the globe.

Mark received a significant amount of training in continuous improvement tools and became a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with participation in over 125 improvement events and $32 million in quantified savings.

As a second act, Mark is now the Director of MSU Denver’s Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute where he helps students acquire real-world learning through state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and materials, soft skills through carefully chosen curriculum, and collaborations with the professional community to augment the development of skills, knowledge, and dispositions that enable graduates to immediately fill sought-after positions within advanced manufacturing industries.

Mark was instrumental in obtaining a Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Advanced Industries Collaborative Infrastructure grant to establish an Industry 4.0 Center of Excellence at Auraria. The mission of the COE is to help manufacturers successfully implement digital transformation technologies resulting in streamlined operations, improved product affordability, and increased competitiveness.

Dave has more than 30 years of experience streamlining, transforming, and optimizing supply chain processes and manufacturing operations. He helps his clients drive business change, maximize profitability, and ensure that technology investments deliver results. Dave provides solutions and leadership for critical initiatives, such as plant floor optimization, manufacturing network optimization, production transfer, operational change, acquisition integration, and performance improvement. Over the course of his career, Dave has worked in a wide range of contract manufacturing, medical device, construction supplies, distribution, and heavy industrial equipment industries.

Joe is an Operations Executive with extensive experience in manufacturing, supply chain, quality systems, and operations in process industries. Prior to joining Plante Moran, his 30-year career took him around the world, serving as the Vice President of Operations at two large private companies. Joe has designed and led plant throughput improvement and plant rationalization projects that included domestic and overseas facilities. He has successfully managed many cost-reduction products at two Fortune 500 companies that included capital improvements, plant closures, and work transfers. Manufacturing industry experience includes six years as an engineer in converting plants for a large labeling and packaging materials manufacturer.

Michael Watkins is a Principal at EBITDA Growth Systems and the author of the book, Scaling to Exit. Michael’s personal mission is to help organizations transform themselves into growing, profitable

companies. His considerable expertise is the result of more than 30 years in senior executive roles in a variety of settings ranging from publicly traded companies to technology start-ups.

Those experiences created in him a passion for helping owners of small- to medium-sized businesses overcome the unique challenges they face every day. Over time, he discovered that companies receive the most value and impact by coming alongside them, rolling up their sleeves, and joining them in trenches. Our radically different approach to management consulting—which utilizes hands-on training, coaching, and development as well as expert counsel and sound advice—is the foundation for our clients’ incredibly successful results.

Michael’s formal education includes a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law; a Master of Business Administration, Finance from Hood College; and a Bachelor of Arts, in English from the University of Rochester. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania State Bar.

Dave Capkovitz is a family man, a Principal at EBITDA Growth Systems, and a scaling small business owner. He is a passionate business leader driven to help organizations grow in sales, profitability, teamwork, accountability, and efficiency. His expertise is the result of more than 25 years in senior executive roles in a variety of settings from start-ups to world-class medical device companies.

Dave has extensive, real-world experience in manufacturing and business management. He started out as a tool and die maker in 1996 and went on to found eight start-up manufacturing and service companies with four successful exits to date. When it comes to growing businesses, he has a successful track record achieving growth rates from 90% – 300% in 12 to 60 months.

Dave is continually honing his skills as a profitability expert and leveraging his experience to enhance the lives and businesses of leaders like you.

Tim Heaton is the President of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association (CAMA). As the President of the Association, Tim has been responsible for working with the Board of Directors to develop the organization’s strategic vision as well as implement the plan of programs, events, and services to meet the needs of the CAMA’s manufacturing members.

Additionally, he works with the National Association of Manufacturers on national policy issues to make certain Colorado manufacturers’ voices are heard.

Tim brings over twenty-five years of manufacturing experience, from proof-of-concept to institutional capital development, turnaround, and product development, along with his economic development and governmental affairs experience.

Mr. Heaton began his professional career in Washington, D.C., working for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Tim has served as a Sub-Center Director for the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Center and as the Manager of the Small Business group for the Denver Chamber of Commerce. He has also received the Federal Laboratory to Industry Technology Transfer Award from the Colorado Technology Transfer Society.

Jennifer Hagan-Dier joined Manufacturer’s Edge as the Chief Operating Officer in November 2020. Prior to taking the COO position, Hagan-Dier worked as the Director of Outreach and Engagement for the NIST MEP National Network Leadership Team, a team made up of NIST MEP leadership, the MEP Center Leadership Team and other stakeholders. ln her role, Jennifer worked across the National Network to build and expand connections between individual MEP Centers, NIST MEP and other stakeholders identifying opportunities to leverage Network resources to increase the number of manufacturers served and the economic impacts for all manufacturers served by the fifty-one individual MEP Centers.

Jennifer has a demonstrated history of leading and managing complex organizational change, connecting resources to need and extensive expertise in coaching and facilitating community and government relations. Prior to joining the MEP National Network Leadership Team as the Director of Outreach and Engagement, Jennifer was the Director of the Tennessee MEP at the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS). As the TMEP Director, Jennifer was responsible for leading statewide outreach for consulting and training service delivery to manufacturers, industry and entrepreneurs and TMEP’s business development activities. In her role as TMEP Director, Jennifer managed TMEP’s connection to state, regional and national partners and served on the MEP Center Leadership Team working to connect TMEP to the National Network.

Prior to joining UT CIS in 2013, Jennifer worked as a Senior Manager of State and Local Tax Services for Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC (LBMC) and prior to that she served over three years as Assistant Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Revenue and the Liaison to the Department of Economic and Community Development, where she worked directly with government officials, economic development professionals and companies to negotiate and package relocation and expansion incentives for new and existing businesses across the state.

Prior to joining the State of Tennessee in 2007, Jennifer served two years as a federal judicial clerk for the Honorable Judge Thomas A. Wiseman in the Middle District of Tennessee and four years as an associate with Mayer Brown, LLP in Chicago.

Jennifer received her J.D with honors from DePaul University College of Law in 2001 and a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Tennessee in 1997.