1. How long have you been a BAMA member? I formally joined BAMA in 2015 but I recall working with BAMA for at least 10 years helping coordinate manufacturing tours in Pinellas County.

2. What do you like most about being a BAMA member? I like the way BAMA’s mission is accomplished, specifically by working with a passionate group of professionals who are eager to share ideas, and best practices working together for the advancement of manufacturing education and the STEM pipelines that feed into them.

3. Tell us about FLATE: FLATE is part of the FloridaMakes Network and is partially funded by the Florida Department of Education. FLATE’s mission is to improve and advance technician education through curriculum reform, and professional development as well as developing the STEM pipelines that feed into them. FLATE provides exemplary industry partnerships, workforce opportunities, and educational synergy throughout the state of Florida by connecting industry and workforce needs to target educational endeavors at many community and state colleges across Florida.

4. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to date? Finishing my master’s degree while recovering from malaria in two countries with different languages and cultures. I consider it my greatest accomplishment not only for the positive impact my research had on the community but also because I was able to overcome some of the toughest challenges, I have ever faced in life, language barriers, cultural differences, and life-threatening illness. With very modest English and motivated by the aspiration of becoming a better engineer and learning about other cultures, I earned my master’s degree in Delft, the Netherlands collecting my research data in Kampala, Uganda. Almost 24 months of the hardest time I ever experienced became my best memories and greatest accomplishment.

5. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Does not matter how long it will take, if you believe in yourself, you will reach your dreams.

6. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career? I will say “perspective”. Luckily throughout my career, I had the opportunity to work in different roles wearing different “hats” and interacting with a variety of professionals and people. Perspective helps us to understand situations from other positions, consider other experiences and viewpoints, and discover a solution that takes the needs of everyone involved.

7. What are your hobbies or interests? I enjoy traveling exploring places and learning about other cultures. I like taking pictures. I love to swim, bike, and walk exploring nature.

1. How long have you been a BAMA member? I have been a Member of BAMA since April 2021.

2. What do you like most about being a BAMA member? Being a member of Bay Area Manufacturers Association has been a rewarding experience as I have learned so much about local manufactures by participating in events, meeting manufacturers directly, and going on tours.  I have a passion for manufacturing since I grew up in a General Motors family in Flint, Michigan and would tour the plant assembly line and see the robots in action making the cars when I was a child.

3. Tell us about PDR: PDR CPAS + Advisors is a local CPA firm that was founded over 48 years ago, we provide our clients with niche expertise services for audit, tax and accounting services. These niches include manufacturing, construction, transportation & logistics, nonprofit and business valuations. PDR takes pride to deliver exceptional client service and build relationships with our clients to help develop innovative ideas and solutions for your business needs and long-term goals. At PDR, our clients are our top priority!

4. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to date? My greatest accomplishment to date is knowing that I can achieve whatever I set my mind out to do: Becoming a CPA, serving on boards and committees, giving back to the community, being a mentor and manager, developing lasting relationships, business development and connecting people to name a few!  

5. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? The best piece of professional advice I have ever received was from a mentor who told me that “you don’t have to know everything to be successful, you just have to use your resources”. The best piece of personal advice was from my late mother who said “this too shall pass, don’t give up”.
6. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career? The most important skill I’ve developed in my career is patience and how to be a good listener.

7. What are your hobbies or interests? My hobbies include spending time with family and friends, Orange Theory Fitness and going to the beach! It’s my goal to visit every beach in Florida someday!  

1.  How long have you been a BAMA member? I have been a BAMA member for a year.

2.  What do you like most about being a BAMA member? Connecting with other members, as well as other companies. The knowledge that BAMA share with the members on a regular basis. I like that BAMA focuses on STEM education.

3. Tell us about Mettler Toledo? METTLER TOLEDO provides product inspection solutions that ensure product quality and regulatory compliance, increase productivity, ensure operational excellence, boost profits and protect your brand. Our full range of systems – ranging from very basic and economical systems to sophisticated, state-of-the-art systems with customized material handling solutions – deliver unmatched inspection capability on all types of bulk and packaged products for environments ranging from dry to harsh wash-down. Segments including meat, poultry, seafood, bakery, confectionary, ready meals, dairy, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, personal care, chemical, beverage, pet food, and produce. Systems can be built to meet the standards of USDA, 3-A Sanitary and AMI with Allen Bradley components, and to meet FSMA and FDA requirements. We can also assist with developing your HACCP and HARPC programs.

Safeline metal detectors are extremely sensitive and easy to use and detect all types of metal contaminants, including the most difficult to detect stainless steel. Systems are offered for dry, bulk, packaged, liquid or frozen products for gravity feed, conveyorized, pumped and throat applications

Safeline x-ray inspection equipment combines high-resolution, low energy x-ray technology with innovative hardware and high-performance image processing to detect and reject metal, stone, bone, glass and dense plastic contaminants, and also measure product mass, check for missing or broken product and confirm fill levels.

Hi-Speed checkweighers and caseweighers are available in a wide range of sizes and configurations to handle nearly any container type or package design even at high production rates to ensure accurate product delivery, reduced giveaway, and an optimized production processes. Innovative dashboard style controls make product set-up and changeover fast and error free for maximum uptime and productivity.

CI-Vision machine vision systems perform accurate label and package quality inspections on plastic containers, glass bottles, jars, screw or snap-on caps, flat packages, cartons and pill packs at high speeds, Systems can also prevent label mix-up, one of the leading causes of recalls, to ensure brand protection and avoid costly lawsuits.

PCE provides comprehensive solutions for Track & Trace programs with serialization and aggregation software, hardware and product handling using stations or integrated kits for existing packaging machinery. Scalable and module solutions offer serialization of saleable item and aggregation to bundles, case and pallet. Serialization data is captured and recorded for each line and for the site with completion of production orders and communicated to MES/ERP/Cloud systems in order to enable full traceability across the packaging line and site as well as traceability across the supply chain.

As an OMAC member, we are committed to connectivity as well as data storage and retrieval, with methods including EthernetIP and OPC, as well as METTLER TOLEDO's ProdX data collection. ProdX facilitates the collection and storage of production data across multiple lines and facilities. All data is easily accessible and exportable to other systems, facilitating compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Our solutions are supported by the most comprehensive engineering solutions, product testing, and training in the industry, with 24/7 telephone support and nationwide field service.

4. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to date? Personal - My family, I am a proud mother of 3 very successful children. My youngest daughter just obtained her MPH (Masters of Public Heath) in Applied Epidemiology, my middle daughter works in Education and my oldest son has a high level Manager position at Santander Bank. I also have 5 grandchildren who are my true blessings. Work – Manufacturing has been a new challenge for me in recruiting as my background was in the financial industry. I have been able to be successful in finding TOP Talent for Mettler Toledo and have learned so much about the Manufacturing industry. It has helped me grow as an individual and in my career.

5. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Don’t ever stop learning and growing as a person.

6.  What is the most important skill you have developed in your career? Building strong relationships across the board, with my business partners, customers, management and my peers.

7. What are your hobbies or interests? Spending time with my grandchildren, walks on the beach, traveling.