About Us

Leads the acceleration of microelectronic technologies and delivers solutions

The MMEC leads the acceleration of microelectronic technologies and delivers solutions to establish a trusted and resilient domestic supply chain. The MMEC is the premier collaborative, public-private ecosystem that engages broadly across innovative partners from industry, academia, and government to rapidly advance defense and commercial applications. This unique environment empowers members to discover new technologies, share capabilities, develop a skilled workforce, and launch groundbreaking innovation into scalable commercial production for the benefit of National Security and economic dominance.

MMEC Executive Leadership

Jackie Janning-Lask

Chief Executive Officer

 Jackie Janning-Lask serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC). In this role, Jackie is responsible for managing the overall operations of the organization, advancing state-of-the-art microelectronics through the robust collaboration of MMEC's consortium partners. She is passionate about promoting STEM education and training, growing a strong domestic semiconductor alliance, and furthering the United States' microelectronics ecosystem while driving profitability and economic development in the Midwest region.

Jackie began her career in federal service as a systems engineer with the United States Air Force (USAF) Aeronautical Systems Division Engineering Directorate in 1988. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held numerous leadership and technical positions, most recently serving in the Senior Executive Service (SES) as the Director of Engineering and Chief Engineer of the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, where she led over 6,000 engineers in the acquisition, sustainment, and testing of USAF aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic, and business systems. She was also the USAF Technical Airworthiness Authority and led the transformation to digital engineering in support of rapid capability maturation, delivery, and readiness. Prior to that assignment, Jackie served as the Director of Sensors at the Air Force Research Laboratory, managing an annual budget of nearly $1 billion and ensuring America's air, space, and cyber forces had superior intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, precision engagement, and electronic warfare systems
capabilities.

As an intrepid business strategist, thought leader, and innovative engineer, Jackie’s passion, enthusiasm, and drive stem from her 35 years of serving the warfighter. Her dedication to STEM education is second to none, and she actively supports numerous foundations, societies, and communities to advance STEM education, especially for young women.

Jackie holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Systems Engineering from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She was selected to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Sloan Fellow, graduating with an MBA in 2004. She retired from the Air Force in July 2023.

read more

Matt Casto, Ph.D.

Chief Technology Officer

Dr. Matt Casto currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer of the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC), where he is responsible for guiding the technological direction of MMEC, leading product research and development from the laboratory to commercialization. Dr. Casto is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University, as well as a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Casto joined MMEC in 2023, after serving 20 years in numerous Department of Defense (DoD) technical leadership positions, including roles at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Director for the DoD Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program and in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force as the Department of Air Force Senior Strategic Advisor for Microelectronics Innovation. As Chief for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Components and Subsystems Division at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dr. Casto led the discovery, development, and integration of affordable sensor and countermeasure technologies for Air and Space Force warfighters.

In addition to his DoD experience, Dr. Casto has proven expertise in driving commercial product innovation. From 2021 to 2023, he successfully led high-volume intelligent secure access control operations as CTO and Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering R&D at The Genie Company.

Dr. Casto has authored more than 50 publications, patents, and invited talks on advanced, secure, and reliable semiconductor and electronics technology and is a 2020 inductee and member of the IEEE Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST) Hall of Fame.

read more

Scott Sullivan

MMEC Architect

Coming Soon!

read more

David Tilton

Chief Operations Officer

Coming Soon!

read more

Phil Autrey

Chief Information Officer

Coming Soon!

read more

Karsten Olson

Chief Branding Officer

Coming Soon!

read more

CJ Wallace

Chief Financial Officer

Coming Soon!

read more

Tony Vengal

VP of Business Development

Coming Soon!

read more

Ashley Brenneman

Executive Administration

Coming Soon!

read more

MMEC Program and Product Directors

Amber Begley

Director of Staff & Strategic Engagements

Coming Soon!

read more

Paul Colestock

Director of Commercial Innovation & ScaleBridge Labs

Coming Soon!

read more

Glen “David” Via

Director of CONNECT Platform

Coming Soon!

read more

Nick Sherer

Director of DESIGN Platform

Coming Soon!

read more

Gabby Sherer

Director of Contracts

Coming Soon!

read more

Chris Santana, PhD

Director of Programs

Dr. Chris Santana serves as the Director of Programs for the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC). In this role, he is responsible for guiding program execution, building partnerships across government, industry, and academia, and advancing MMEC’s mission to strengthen U.S. leadership in microelectronics. Dr. Santana brings over 25 years of experience in compound semiconductor manufacturing, sales, and program leadership. He previously served as Site General Manager at IQE–North Carolina, where he directed manufacturing operations as well as lead the consolidation of IQE’s US Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) operations. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at RFMD/Qorvo and Raytheon, overseeing the design, growth, and production of III–V materials critical to defense and commercial applications. Most recently, Dr. Santana was Head of U.S. Sales at IQE, managing key accounts across aerospace and defense, including advanced infrared technologies. With a career spanning both technical operations and business strategy, Dr. Santana has a proven track record of scaling organizations, cultivating partnerships, and driving innovation in advanced semiconductor technologies. His passion lies in bridging the “valley of death” between research and production, ensuring that critical technologies transition successfully to serve the warfighter and strengthen the domestic microelectronics supply chain. Dr. Santana holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Florida and is currently based in Greensboro, North Carolina.
read more

Errol Flynn

Director of Workforce Development

Coming Soon!

read more

Ryan Pospisal

Director of Marketplace

Ryan Pospisal serves as the Director of Marketplace for the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC), where he leads the strategy, development, and growth of MMEC’s Marketplace ecosystem in support of the consortium’s mission to strengthen U.S. leadership in microelectronics.

A retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Ryan brings more than 20 years of experience spanning engineering, acquisition, digital transformation, and national security programs. He joined MMEC in 2026 after serving in USAF program offices and joint/international assignments, including NATO and DoW positions. Most recently, he was Director of the Digital Acceleration Task Force and later the military lead for the Digital Transformation Office at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. In these roles, he led a team of 10+ specialists and drove planning and execution of data and integrated digital environment initiatives across the command, accelerating adoption of “digital-first” approaches to acquisition and sustainment.

Earlier, he led USAF acquisition planning for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft while detailed to AFWERX Agility Prime, advising on pathways to fielding and developing business case analyses for senior leadership. Ryan holds an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and is based in Dayton, Ohio.

read more

Broc Begley

Director of Emerging Requirements

As the Director of Emerging Requirements at the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC), Broc oversees the successful planning and implementation of internal and external new business. He brings extensive experience spanning the full defense acquisition life cycle, with a strong concentration in Acquisition Category (ACAT) I, II, and III programs and Foreign Military Sales (FMS). He possesses deep expertise in defense financial and program management, including fiscal law, financial planning, cost estimation, earned value management, budgeting, forecasting, and execution of complex Air Force acquisition portfolios. Throughout his career supporting organizations such as the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC), and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Broc has developed a reputation for strategic insight, disciplined execution, and data-driven decision-making. His leadership has directly supported multi-billion-dollar modernization efforts critical to national security and technological advancement.

Previously, Broc served as a Branch Chief and Business Manager overseeing portfolios exceeding $6B, where he led award-winning teams, mentored personnel, and ensured full execution of research, development, test, and evaluation funding across complex programs. Known for building collaborative partnerships across technical, financial, and operational stakeholders, he consistently aligns resources to mission priorities and emerging needs. In his role at MMEC, Broc continues to advance the nation’s strategic defense and microelectronics capabilities while championing innovation, workforce development, and operational excellence.

Broc earned his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communications from Wright State University and his Master of Business Administration from Trident University International (TUI). He is dedicated to community service, serving on the Board of Trustees at Bloom Community Services—an organization serving adults with special needs—and holding a leadership position at his church in Fairborn, Ohio.

read more

Program Management Office

Luke Ausley

Program Management

Bill Roberts

Program Management

Sarah Elizabeth Craig

Program Management

Naomi Hawn

PMO Support

Business Development Office

Jeff Gossel

Senior Space Advisor

Ken Bowling

Senior Space Advisor

Tom Mallot

Senior Capture and Proposal Management

Security Management Office

Monique Summers

Senior Security Manager

Megan-Ann Baptista

Facility Security Officer

Jamill Tapia

Security Support

Membership Communication and Outreach Office

Jamill Tapia

Membership Outreach

Leigh Drinkard

Events Manager

Melissa Sutkowski

Social Media Communication

Information Technology Office

Jill Knoblauch

Senior IT Support

Kapil Krishna

Product Development

Naomi Hawn

Senior IT Support

 

Justin Harrison

Product Innovation

 

Luke Shoop

Product Development

 

Contracts Management Office

Meghan Cherry

Senior Contracts Manager

Mike Jones

Senior Contracts Support

Scalebridge Labs Office

Daniel Bailey

Scalebridge Labs Operations

MMEC Board of Directors

J.P. Nauseef

President & CEO, JobsOhio

JP and his family are from Dayton, Ohio. He is a former Air Force officer and has been instrumental in the state of Ohio and its communities’ economic development for nearly 25 years. He led the Dayton Region through the 2005 Wright Patterson Air Force Base Realignment and Closure process, which secured additional missions and, by 2024, had doubled the number of workers at the base. He co-founded Ohio’s Hometown Heroes effort in 2003 to recognize and honor military service members and their families by providing tickets to sporting and arts events. Since then, JobsOhio has taken the Hometown Heroes programming to all seven JobsOhio Network regions, providing more than 150,000 tickets as part of Ohio’s effort to be the most military and military-family friendly state in the nation.

JP now leads JobsOhio, Ohio’s uniquely structured private economic development corporation, attracting and growing the world’s most important businesses like Intel, Anduril, Honda LG, P&G, and small businesses in every corner of Ohio. His tenure began in 2019, and Ohio has emerged as a national leader in economic development: the only state to be in the top 5 for total economic development projects and projects per capita over the last 5 years, the #1 state for public and private infrastructure investment over that same period, and positive population net-in migration for the first time in a generation. Moreover, companies that work with JobsOhio have given it world-class customer satisfaction ratings for five consecutive years.

Since 2019, JobsOhio project wins are up close to 40% (with more than 1,300 project deals), high-paying new job generation has jumped 14% (to 104,039), new corporate capital investments have soared by 76% (to $53 billion), and new payrolls to support Ohio families grew 30% (to $5.6 billion) as compared to the prior 2015 – 2018 period. Moreover, companies that work with JobsOhio have given it world-class customer satisfaction ratings for four straight years (with Net Promoter Scores of 82-86).

Awards:

  • University of Dayton Alumni Special Service Award (2015)
  • Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award (2011)
  • Regional Leadership Award – Dayton Business Journal (2009)
  • Carroll High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame (2008)
  • Air Force Association Community Ambassador Award (2006)
  • 40 under 40 Leadership Award – Dayton Business Journal (1999)
  • Outstanding Officer of the Year, State of California AFA (1996)
  • Outstanding Officer of the Year, Air Force Space Systems (1995)
read more

Theresa Mayer, Ph.D.

Vice President of Research, Carnegie Mellon University

Theresa Mayer, Vice President for Research

Theresa Mayer is the vice president for research at Carnegie Mellon University, supporting the research, creativity, and entrepreneurship that drives its mission and working with partners across the public and private sectors to bring the benefits of this work to all of society.
Prior to Carnegie Mellon University, Theresa served in executive positions at Purdue University and Virginia Tech, where she played leading roles in enhancing cutting-edge research, building strategic partnerships, and stimulating economic development. Previously, she was a distinguished professor of electrical engineering at Penn State University, where she served as the associate dean for research in engineering and the site director for the NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.
Theresa is widely recognized for her research and translation in scalable manufacturing of nanoscale electronic, optical, and biomedical devices, supported by NSF, DOD, DOE, NIH, and industry. She is co author of over 350 refereed publications and 12 issued patents and is an elected fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She has been honored with excellence in teaching and research awards, has served in professional society leadership, and on national and international advisory boards, including the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, PCAST.
Theresa has been an active advocate for the critical role that science, technology, and innovation play in driving economic prosperity and security both nationally and globally through her testimonies before the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space, and Technology Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, and her service on boards such as the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance, National Defense Industry Association, and others.
Theresa earned her B.S. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University.

read more

Thomas Kent, Ph.D.

Division Manager – Cyber Trust and Assurance at Battelle Memorial Institute

Coming Soon
read more

MMEC Steering Committee

Blake Roberts, Ph.D

Director
Lockheed Martin

Background:

  • Portfolio: Cyber, microelectronics, & emerging technologies
  • Microelectronics Science & Technology (S&T) performer
  • Lockheed Martin Programs of Record (weapons, sensors, platforms, JADO) for prototype demo and transition

Technical Areas of Expertise: Microelectronics, EW, 5G, Secure Edge, Power, A.I.

Hub Member: Keystone Member

Nansheng Tang, Ph.D.

Fellow
L3Harris Technologies, Inc

Background:

  • Ph.D. in Physics, specialized in nonlinear optics
  • Experience in new product development and manufacture
  • Current focus on requirement, development, and production of new IR sensors components and systems
  • 30 technical publications and 10 US Patents

Technical Areas of Expertise: Sensor systems and their electronic components

Hub Member: Keystone

Keith Rebello

Senior Technical Fellow
The Boeing Company

Background: Technical leadership roles in the Department of Defense, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and commercial industry.

Hub Member: Keystone

Gregg H. Jessen, Ph.D.

Distinguished Fellow of Technology
MACOM Technology Solutions, Inc.

Background:

  • Leads Corporate Technology Development at MACOM
  • Fellow at BAE Systems: Microelectronics Foundry Director
  • Fellow at AFRL: Led in-house FET and MMIC R&D and transition of technology to industry partners
  • PM at AFOSR: International Physics and Electronics

Technical Areas of Expertise: III-N Electronics, RF transistors, MMIC fabrication

Hub Member:  Foundation

John Frank

Director R+D and Engineering
Luxium Solutions, LLC (Hiram, Ohio)

Background:

  • 35+ years experience in materials research and engineering
  • Product development spanning superalloys, oxides, halides,
  • Innovation leader – fundamentals to revenue generating products
  • Engineering systems and project management
  • 25+ granted patents – IP portfolio development 

Technical Areas of Expertise: Crystal growth, process optimization, prototyping

Hub Member: Foundation

Louise Sengupta, Ph.D.

Director, Microelectronics Center (NGMC)
Northrop Grumman

Background:

  • 2015-Present, Director – NGMC, Director - Advanced Electronics, Northrop Grumman
  • 2006-2015, Director - Advanced Sensors & First Woman Engineering Fellow for BAE Systems
  • 1998-2006, CEO, CTO, Founder - Paratek Microwave over 80 patents and 100 publications
  • 1990-1998, Team leader - ARL, invented tunable devices

Technical Areas of Expertise: RF, EO/IR, Advanced Compute Devices

Hub Member: Foundational

Luke Duncan, Ph.D.

Chief Scientist
Niobium Microsystems

Background:

  • R&D of advanced integrated circuit designs
  • Research interests in areas of high-performance direct RF transceivers, hardware security, and mixed signal circuits for 5G communications and radar systems
  • B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees in electrical and computer engineering from The Ohio State University

Technical Areas of Expertise: Analog, RF, mixed-signal, digital systems

Hub Member: Pillar

Piyush J. Shah, Ph.D.

President/CEO
Apex Microdevices

Background:

  • Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with 14+ years of product development and technology transition experience in healthcare and industrial sensing sectors
  • Currently 7+ years actively supporting R&D mission with military and DoD prime customers for developing and maturing technical solutions for the DoD

Technical Areas of Expertise: Microfabrication, Heterogenous Integration, Planar Optics, Frequency Agile RF, Technology Transition

Hub Member: Pillar

Doug Palmer

Senior Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton

Background:

  • Leads Booz Allen’s 40-member technical support team to OUSD(R&E) T&AM Program (along with Saverio Fazzari)
  • 12 years working Microelectronics and Supply Chain Assurance and Security efforts for OSD, AFRL, Navy, DHS, NASA, Civil Government, Commercial
  • B.S., M.S. Aerospace Engineering, MBA in Strategy, Ga Tech

Technical Areas of Expertise: Assurance, Security, Supply Chain, IV&V, T&E

Hub Member: Pillar

Joan Redwing, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University

Background:

  • Faculty member at Penn State since 2000
  • Industry experience in compound semiconductor field
  • Director of NSF Materials Innovation Platform user facility
  • Joint appointment in Electrical Engineering

Technical Areas of Expertise: Compound semiconductor epitaxy and material characterization; 2D materials; wide bandgap semiconductors.

Hub Member: : Academia

Steven A. Ringel, Ph.D.

The Ohio State University

Associate Vice President for Research and Distinguished University Professor
Executive Director, OSU Institute for Materials & Manufacturing Research

Background:

  • Innovations include: Invented Deep Level Optical Spectroscopy -used to optimize (U)WBG materials & identify device degradation modes; Created 1st ideal GaAs/Ge & GaP/Si interfaces - led to record III-V/Si solar cells & 1st red LEDs & lasers epitaxially integrated on Si
  • > 450 published papers, conference proceedings, chapters
  • Board member/chair of entities in US, Singapore, Ireland, India
  • Fellow of IEEE & AAAS; 11 best paper awards; 4 startup companies

Technical Areas of Expertise: Compound semiconductors; epitaxy, defect characterization, (U)WBG materials & devices, III-V/Si integration, radiation effects, space photovoltaics, reliability

Hub Member: Academia

Ankur Srivastava, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Maryland

Background:

  • Director of the Institute for Systems Research
  • Ph.D. in 2022 from UCLA; awarded outstanding dissertation award by CS department

Technical Areas of Expertise: hardware and systems security; EDA/Codesign methods

Hub Member: Academia

Navid Asadi, Ph.D.

Deputy Director of R&D
Florida Semiconductor Institute
University of Florida

Background:
  • Navid Asadi is an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Florida with an affiliation to the Materials Science and Engineering department.
Technical Areas of Expertise: Hardware security, Reverse engineering, 3D imaging and image processing, Failure analysis, Sensors, Thermal barrier coatings Hub Member: Academia

Michael Morgenstern

Director of Advancement and Sponsored Programs.
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio

Background:

  • Works with LCCC Leadership to drive resource development; 25 years of non-profit experience in Higher Education and Economic Development
  • Fed Portfolio includes: Dept. of Education, NSF, DOL-ETA, Dept. of Defense, SBA and Economic Development Admin., Dept. of Justice, NIST, plus SBIRs
  • State Portfolio includes: Ohio Third Frontier, ODOD, Depts. of Education/Higher Education, ODSA, and others

Technical Areas of Expertise: Tech-Based Economic Development; Secondary and Higher Education; Enterprise & Business Development processes (e.g. commercialization)

Hub Member: Academia/ Workforce

Dawn Emerson

Chief, Communications and Intelligent Systems Division
NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC)

Background:

  • Leads all GRC’s research and development in communications and intelligent systems
  • Develops human capital and infrastructure to meet mission needs
  • Previous positions in avionics, R&D, engineering, electrical systems, and Chief Engineer (agency level)

Technical Areas of Expertise: Electrical Engineering, Communication Systems, Avionics

Hub Member:  USG/ FFRDC

Alan M. Dibos, Ph.D.

Assistant Scientist
Argonne National Laboratory

Background

2024-Present: Assistant Scientist, Q-NEXT (Argonne-led DOE National Quantum Initiative Center)

2019-2024: Assistant Scientist, Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials (DOE User Facility, Nanofabrication and Devices group)

2016-2019: Postdoc, Princeton Univ. Electrical Engineering

2015-2016: Postdoc, Harvard Univ. Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Technical Areas of Expertise: Nanophotonics, Quantum Emitters, Cryogenic Characterization

Hub Member: USG/FFRDC

Kelson Chabak, Ph.D.

Microelectronics Technology Area Lead
Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate

Background:

  • Leads 150+ gov/ctr microelectronics (ME) R&D workforce
  • Recognized int’l expert on RF/power ME; 5000+ citations
  • Led DAF ME interests on DoD ME Cross-Functional Team
  • AD/Reserve AF officer for 20yr w/ wide range of R&D roles

Technical Areas of Expertise: Semiconductor materials and devices

Hub Member: USG

Stay Up to Date on Current News, Events, and Opportunities

News & Events