2023 I-90 Aerospace Corridor Conference Speakers

Rick Taylor is Vice President of Altek, Inc. He oversees business development, operations, engineering, assembly, quality, and the mold shop in this role. Rick joined Altek in 1985, starting as a CNC machinist working the swing shift. Rick worked his way up to programming and, shortly after that, Machine Shop Manager. Rick was promoted to Vice President in 2001. He led the effort to expand Altek’s offerings beyond its original industry focus to provide contract manufacturing for five industries: aerospace, medical, space, technology, and defense. He is the Vice Chair of INWAC (Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium), which he helped co-found in 2002. Rick is a former board member of PNAA (Pacific Northwest Aerospace Association).

Rafael, shared work business outreach manager, Washington State Employment Security Department. He promotes ESD’s business-friendly programs. He serves as ESD’s representative on the Small Business Liaison Team, helping businesses thrive in Washington State. He has a B.A. from Washington State University, completed several MBA-level managerial and organizational leadership courses, and has several professional certifications. He is a proud military brat whose father’s-distinguished service of over 27 years in the United States Army includes the Congressional Gold Medal with the 65 Infantry Regiment–The Borinqueneers.

Nick is passionate about understanding manufacturers' challenges and being a resource hub that the Eastern Washington manufacturing ecosystem can rely upon for support. He started his career with boots on the ground as a front-line manufacturing supervisor. He can relate and interface well with everyone, from the production floor to the CEO. Nick has experience diagnosing and delivering solutions to manufacturers across enterprises: continuous improvement, operations, quality management systems, organizational strategy, team building, cybersecurity, ERP, and market intelligence. Nick understands how time-critical business decisions can be and operates with the same urgency and drive as his clients. At Impact Washington, his broad experience in manufacturing methods is an asset. When not working, his therapy comes from the outdoors. In the summer, you can find him mountain biking and, in the winter, skiing somewhere in the back country. Recently, trail-building has become a labor of love.

Mark Norton has been active in various industry roles within advanced manufacturing for over 40 years. He has been Chair of the non-profit Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium since 2017. He also facilitates the aerospace and aviation committee in the state legislature and serves as a subject matter expert on manufacturing policy at regional, state, and federal levels. Mark is deeply grounded in business development, product development, and strategic planning. He is an influencer on LinkedIn with almost 2,000 followers and posts daily on advanced manufacturing news and topics.

Kevin Williams is the Division Executive of System Advancement for the Spokane Workforce Council. In this role, he functionally oversees the job seeker and business services operations on the Spokane American Job Center campus, as well as the Next Generation Zone, Spokane County’s comprehensive youth and young adult employment center. Kevin is a United States Air Force veteran, where he served 25 years in the AF Medical Corps. He has extensive educational and practical experience as an organizational leader, change manager, instructional facilitator, and all-around workforce development nerd. He holds a undergraduate degrees in Public and Education and a graduate degree in Organizational Management from Iowa State University.

CM Manufacturing, Inc. has been in business since 1984. During this period, his business has become experts in manufacturing high-strength steel and non-ferrous parts for aircraft. They have achieved an unsurpassed reputation for on-time delivery of quality parts, meeting or exceeding specifications, and ISO 9001 & AS9100 Rev C. They manufacture parts for almost every aircraft flown by the U.S. military and many foreign countries. The company specializes in fracture-critical and flight safety-critical landing gear components, but they are not limited to these parts. CM Manufacturing, Inc. works daily with extensive non-destructive testing requirements, chrome-plated, cadmium-plated, and painted parts. They are accustomed to working with all the major aircraft manufacturer’s specifications.

Kelly is Vice President of Communications for Altek, Inc., a custom injection molding and precision machining contract manufacturer based in the Spokane, WA area. She is also CEO of OLI Global, a strategic branding and marketing communications firm focused on space and aerospace. Kelly is a Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor to Space Northwest, a non-profit dedicated to advancing the space ecosystem throughout the Pacific Northwest. Previously, Kelly was Vice President of Strategic Communications and Relationships for AeroTEC, which provides testing, engineering, and certification for aerospace-related projects. As the former President and CEO of the Aerospace Futures Alliance and the Washington State Space Coalition, Kelly has worked statewide, nationwide, and internationally to grow and strengthen Washington's aerospace and space industries. She has been part of several successful start-ups throughout her career. Her industry experience ranges from space, aerospace, and manufacturing to high-tech, medical, and higher education. She has her master’s degree in Communications and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.

Before joining Stoke as COO, Kelly held executive and engineering roles at Raytheon and multiple engineering, program management, and strategy roles at Northrop Grumman. Kelly’s rich experience leading development programs, including proposing, capturing, and executing significant contracts, has earned her a clear and respected reputation in aerospace. Kelly has been awarded 10 Patents and 5 Trade Secrets and multiple awards and distinctions for innovation and engineering. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers and an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. As COO of Stoke, Kelly strategically guides the company creating efficiency and process while preparing to scale.

Katrina is a change expert with over 25 years of experience discovering, developing, and manufacturing medicines and related technologies. She is an expert in laboratory and technical operations and an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence and Pharmaceutical GMP Professional. She is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane and is active in the local bioscience industry. Katrina is the CEO of Evergreen Bioscience Innovation, a modern innovation cluster focused on expanding life science contract research in the Northwest. Her executive services firm specializes in helping entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders change the world with their new medicines and medical devices. www.krogersconsulting.com

A talented engineering leader with broad-ranging experience, including certified aircraft design, automotive systems, global supply chains, and venture capital. Josh has spent nearly a decade in autonomous vehicles, first as CTO of AutonomouStuff, then as founder and CEO of PolySync. More recently, Josh has focused on implementing lean principles and automation in building a grassroots manufacturing and e-commerce company, Holstery.

As CEO of Titus Talent Strategies, Jonathan is a visionary, entrepreneur, and game-changer. He is energized by inspiring company leaders and equipping them with unique approaches to understanding their people better, fostering organizational alignment, and creating optimum performance among their team members. His fun stories and British accent will draw you in, while his cutting-edge ideas and practical strategies will empower you to implement change. Jonathan is a bestselling author of Right Seats, Right People: A Leaders Guide to Hiring and Developing Top Talent, and currently leads a unique team of talented consultants that has been on Inc. 5000's list of fastest-growing companies for four years in a row.

Dr. Shovic joined the Computer Science Faculty in Robotics/AI at the University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene in 2017. In 2022, he was appointed director of the University of Idaho research organization, the Center for Intelligent Industrial Robotics (CI2R). His technical expertise is focused on the following fields: manufacturing and industrial robotics and applications of advanced AI techniques to robotics, embedded systems, cyber security, and real-time operating systems. Dr. Shovic has a strong business background, running several high-technology companies and start-ups. Dr. Shovic is working on many projects involving applying AI techniques in robotics, industrial robotics, vineyard automation, and aquifer-pumped hydro with power generation. He has authored several papers, articles, and books, including “Python All-In-One for Dummies,” published by Wiley, including sections on using Python for AI, big data, machine vision, and robotics.