Dr. James Bretz has served as Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) since January 2017. As Dean of STEM, he oversees 19 certificate and degree programs and leads curriculum development, student success initiatives, faculty development and community partnerships for the division. Dr. Bretz started in 2009 at the college’s Pottstown Campus, where he served as Science Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Microbiology. Prior to his time at MCCC, Dr. Bretz conducted a research fellowship at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Bretz earned his Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Maryland and his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University.
Clayton Bubeck is the President and CEO of RETTEW, a multidiscipline engineering firm with ten offices across the United States. He joined the firm in 2000 and has a diverse background in environmental engineering, oil and gas, and renewable energy services. Mr. Bubeck works closely with RETTEW’s chief operations officer and regional vice presidents and managers to lead the company’s growth and profitability and has been instrumental in growing RETTEW to a staff of more than 300 employees. He guides RETTEW’s strategic business development efforts in the energy, transportation, industrial, and development markets. Previously, as a senior vice president, Mr. Bubeck helped evolve RETTEW from a mid-Atlantic-based firm to one developing and delivering service offerings throughout the United States.
Mr. Bubeck has served on RETTEW’s Board of Directors for more than ten years, and as a licensed Professional Engineer in more than 30 states, he has developed an in-depth understanding of our business and the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. He is a recent graduate of the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Senior Executive Institute and received a certificate from the Wharton School of Executive Education, having completed coursework geared toward emerging leaders in organizations like RETTEW.
A rising senior at Shippensburg University, Emily Calamia is a student athlete on the Track & Field Team, majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Her passion lies in structural engineering, of which she will pursue her Master’s in, upon graduating, while working full-time. She is involved in many extracurriculars—some of which include professional organization’s student chapters—and has developed her career through three seasons of transportation internships with Dawood (a Woolpert company) in their structures department, and one season with Michael Baker International, as both a Transportation Quality Initiative (TQI) intern and a rotational intern.
Frank Flaherty is the Vice President, Chief Engineer for Lockheed Martin Rotary & Mission Systems (RMS) C6ISR Line of Business Engineering & Technology organization, responsible for ensuring program excellence, providing technology development and leading an engineering workforce of more than 3,000 engineers and scientists.
Over his 20 years with Lockheed Martin, Frank has worked across a broad range of customers in program, functional and technical leadership roles. Before serving as the acting chief engineer for C6ISR, Frank was the Strategic Products and Initiatives (SP&I) director and deputy to the C6ISR chief. His role in SP&I and as deputy required a heavy focus on strategy across C6ISR and RMS, developing the overall C6ISR Technology Strategy in areas that cut across multiple Market Segments and managing cross-line of business development activities. He also was responsible for driving digital transformation and engineering metrics to advance execution in the business, and supported the engineering teams across C6ISR, providing a strategic lens to cost, schedule, technical and people aspects of our portfolio.
Prior to that Mr. Flaherty was the Senior Program Manager for the Weapons Platform Integration and Advanced Programs portfolio in C6ISR, with responsibility for program execution and delivery of C4ISR capabilities to the Warfighter across many customers that include US Navy Airborne Communication & Radar Processing, GPS M-Code Receivers, Navy Weapon Control Systems, Air Force Weapon Enterprise Management Systems, advanced research & development and more. Shortly before that Mr. Flaherty was responsible for the Engineering & Technology organization in Valley Forge, PA, ensuring execution across a portfolio of programs in the C4ISR portfolio and leading new business captures along with independent research and development execution.
He joined Lockheed Martin in 2003 and has worked across multiple engineering disciplines, program areas and lines of business. Mr. Flaherty has developed advanced satellite communication technology solutions for multiple programs, and was the Engineering Program Manager for a US Navy Airborne Radar program, developing and fielding a multi-segment satellite communication architecture, tactical data links, and advanced radar data processing.
Mr. Flaherty holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and Master’s degrees in both Technology Management and Electrical Engineering from Villanova University.
Bill Frantz is a Senior Principal Engineer in the Building Science Group at Armstrong World Industries, where he applies his expertise at the front-end of the innovation process. A mechanical engineer with 35 years of experience, Bill has helped launch 10 new-to-the-world product families and holds 15 patents. His success stems from a skill set that goes beyond a traditional engineering curriculum, including ideation, client interviewing, market research, business strategy, and financial modeling.
A proud graduate of Drexel University’s five-year cooperative education program and the University of Illinois (MSME), Bill learned early on the importance of balancing academic instruction with hands-on, practical application. This passion was ignited by his own mentors—senior engineers who, having been mentored themselves, passed on a “pay-it-forward” ethos. This spirit of mentorship and a desire to prepare the next generation for real-world success has driven his work. Through Armstrong, he has sponsored more than 20 capstone projects and mentored nearly 100 early-career engineering students. Bill looks forward to sharing insights on how academia and industry can better prepare students to solve the complex, often ambiguous problems they will face in their careers.
Dr. Jesse K. Placone is an Associate Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at West Chester University. Prior to joining WCU, Dr. Placone received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and did postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland, College Park and at the University of California, San Diego. His research interests focus on the intersection of biophysics, cellular biomechanics, and tissue engineering to understand how mechanical and other cues influence cell behavior and tissue development. Dr. Placone is committed to undergraduate education and has developed and taught courses in biomaterials, cell and tissue engineering, and other general biomedical engineering courses.
Laurie Roy is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for S&B USA, an infrastructure solutions company based in Pittsburgh. She is a seasoned global HR executive with a distinguished career blending visionary leadership and a strong commitment to community service. With roots in the U.S. Army, Laurie’s leadership style is marked by her ability to build meaningful relationships and provide insightful guidance that transforms and empowers teams.
Laurie is responsible for the strategic leadership of S&B USA’s human capital with strategies that inspire employees around common goals, vision, and values. She is the business partner to the executive leadership team, supporting them to fulfill the company’s business plans with an agile framework enabling the firm to hire the right people, engage and develop them to perform exceptionally, and create a culture that supports long-term career success.
As the construction industry prepares for a generation of experienced engineers and trades workers to retire, Laurie has championed opportunities for women to enter and thrive in this sector. She is a catalyst for S&B USA’s Women in Construction initiative to engage, empower, and nurture women across all company roles.
Laurie has extensive experience in human resource management and community leadership including 20 years with Alcoa Corporation. Prior to joining Alcoa, Laurie worked in the aerospace industry with a provider of interior products for commercial, business, and military aircraft markets. She also served four years in the U.S. Army and is active in supporting veteran’s initiatives.
Beyond her corporate contributions, Laurie actively engages in external and community relations, earning respect as a speaker at events such as SharpHeels, PA Diversity and Inclusion Council, Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Institute for Sustainable Enterprise, and Commit!Forum.
Laurie previously held leadership positions with the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut Community College System, Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Connecticut Regional Workforce Investment Board, and was a founding member of the Society of Human Resources Management Northwest Connecticut chapter. Her dedication to community service has garnered recognition, including awards such as NW CT Community College Alumni of the Year and NW CT United Way’s Inspiring Others accolade. She also was inducted into the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.
Laurie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Psychology.
Nancy A. Walker was confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on June 21, 2023 to serve as Secretary of the Department of Labor & Industry under Governor Josh Shapiro. Since accepting the nomination in January 2023, Walker has remained committed to leading the department’s efforts to build a resilient Unemployment Compensation (UC) system, prioritizing the enforcement of Pennsylvania’s 13 labor laws, and strengthening Pennsylvania’s economy by empowering workers to pursue opportunities like apprenticeships that lead to family-sustaining jobs.
Before serving as Labor & Industry Secretary, Walker served as the first Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s newly created Fair Labor Section in 2017. Under Walker’s leadership, the Fair Labor Section has worked on behalf of workers and law-abiding employers across Pennsylvania to ensure they are being treated fairly and lawfully and has served as lead counsel in matters of national importance, including lawsuits bringing Administrative Procedure Act challenges to amendments to the tip and joint employer rules, and has led a successful criminal wage and benefit theft investigation resulting in a $21 million dollar plea deal, the largest case of its kind in the country.
Prior to her appointment as Chief Deputy, Walker focused her private practice on labor and employment law throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, in federal and state courts, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration and mediation proceedings. She is licensed to practice before state and federal courts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and was a long-time volunteer with the Support Center for Child Advocates.
Walker comes from a family of teachers and steelworkers. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.