Current Board
Left to Right: Kirh Fordham, Tunç Kip, Heather Knoll, Mike Stonecipher, Henry Sommer, Ram Shetty, Joel Cheek, Ted Arnold, (not pictured: Rosella Manfrinato, Brad Jenkins, Sarah Carter, Alan Hill, Rick Walker, Jeff Roberts)
Our Strategic Plan
Recruit a strong board with a passion for transportation, technology and energy to serve
Develop a strong social media network to connect and inspire SAE members
Create a process to generate funding to sustain services and generate excitement
Leverage SAE brand to recruit world class speakers
Offer educational workshops and training
Mike Stonecipher
Group Manager, Strategy and Leadership Development, GA Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute
Chair*
Provides vision and leadership. Responsible for strategic plan development and execution.
Joel Cheek
Principal Consultant, Small Vehicle Consulting LLC
Treasurer*/Secretary
Ensures fiduciary responsibility and provides financial updates.
Henry Sommer
Principal Mechanical Engineer, The Coca-Cola Company
VC Student Activities GT/KSU/UGA
Liaison to student clubs, activities and funding.
Brad Jenkins
Sr Staff Technical Program Mgr, Supplier Industrialization and Development, Tesla Motors
VC Student Activities GT
Liaison to student clubs, activities and funding.
Sarah Carter
Marketing Manager, Andruil Industries
VC Membership GA
Responsible for being the liaison for SAE at KSU platforms and student groups.
Ram Shetty
Founder & CEO, OPEX Systems LLC
Vc of Engineering & technology
Responsible for keeping the chapter up to speed for new technologies in automotive industry.
Jeff Roberts
Senior Design Engineer, Gulfstream Aerospace
VC Aerospace marketing
Provide support for promotional activities, information and connections for aerospace.
Ted Arnold
Head of Department, Quality Assurance, KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia
VC of atlanta
Board member responsible from the Atlanta region and also a World In Motion Ambassador.
Rossella Manfrinato
Motorsport Engineering and Management, Philip Creighton Motorsport, Ltd.
VC Motorsports
Outreach for young engineers interested in motorsports
Alan Hill
Executive Director of the Alabama Productivity Center at the University of Alabama
VC, Business Development for Alabama
Responsible for strategy deployment for Alabama.
Heather Woods
Project Engineer - Space Division for Dynetics, Inc. in Alabama
VC of Alabama
Responsible for Alabama region and Membership Outreach, Growth and Follow-up for Alabama
Jianan Sun, PhD
Innovation Hub Solution Architect at Mercedes-Benz USA
VC, OEM Ambassador
Responsible for OEM relationships and communications
Rick Walker
President of GAMA and President & CEO of the Falcon Group, LLC
VC OF INDUSTRY SUPPORt
GAMA Partner collaboration and support
Kenneth Gould
e-mobility Technical Systems Engineer at Porsche Cars North America
VC of e-Mobility
Responsible for strategy deployment for e-mobility.
Sam Hepburn
Product Engineering – Engine Group Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
VC, Business Development for Alabama
Responsible for strategy deployment for Alabama.
Corey Hewett
EV and Electrification Entrepreneur
VC, VC Funding for Tech Start-ups
Emerging technology and tech start-up evealuation and funding
Bob Gambrell
Manager Engineering, Assembly Series Planning and Production System, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International
VC of Lean manufacturing
Responsible for providing opportunities to highlight examples of lean manufacturing.
Whitney H. Barlow
Supplier Development Manager, Alabama Technology Network
VC OF Alabama Growth
Responsible for membership development for Alabama.
Kirk Fordham
Business Development Manager, Camping World
VC of Lean Fundraising
Responsible for providing opportunities to fundraise for the chapter.