Advisory Board | NC State ISE

Sheila Benny, an industry leader and entrepreneur, spent most of her career in the supply chain industry. As co-founder and  President of Optricity Corporation, Sheila played a key role in its growth from start-up to best-in-class global enterprise serving Fortune 10-1000 customers across six continents. After Optricity was acquired in 2022, she stayed as client success director to ensure a smooth transition and served as a brand ambassador before retiring in 2023 to focus on her health and family. Despite retiring, Sheila’s passion for community service remained strong. She continued mentoring university students and supporting entrepreneurs and start-up CEOs. Today, she remains active as an entrepreneur, technology supporter, and community leader, always driven by her industrial engineering background to improve the world. Sheila has led numerous volunteer boards at various levels and is a sought-after speaker and podcast guest. She co-founded Mentor-in-the-Moment, a mentoring process for emerging industry talent, and serves on advisory boards for Wake Technical Community College and South Garner High. Sheila has served as the president of the board of directors for WERC, the Warehousing Education Research Council, now part of MHI, Material Handling Industry, where she mentored rising industry managers and provided training in the MHI Leadership Development Program. Recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by NC State in 2021, Sheila earned her degree in Industrial Engineering from NC State in 1990.

Tony J. Blevins is a 22-year veteran of Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, CA. As Vice-President of Procurement, he supervised a 1000+ person international staff that enabled innovative Apple products that include the original and all later versions of the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch. In 2002, he was named one of thirty ‘Global Leaders of Tomorrow’ in conjunction with the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Before joining Apple in 2000, Blevins held positions at IBM in supply chain and engineering and worked/resided in Florida, New York, Tokyo and Seoul, culminating in the position of Program Director of IBM’s Scotland laboratory.

He currently serves as a Board Member at NextGen Cyber Talent, a non-profit, education-based organization dedicated to developing a diverse set of individuals prepared for careers in cyber security; Pivotal Commware, a pioneer in holographic beam forming used in 5G telecommunications; Urbanic, an AI-based platform focused on the development of ladies style and fashion accessories; and was also a Board of Trustee member at Semi, Inc. -a global microelectronics industry association.

Blevins is a 1989 Summa Cum Laude graduate of North Carolina State University’s engineering program. He is also an NC State Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) Distinguished Alumni and an ISE Board of Advisory member. Blevins was the 2022 recipient of the
International Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering’s most prestigious award — ‘Captain of Industry.’

Neil Brittain is currently the Senior Director, Human Resources at Gilead Sciences, based in Foster City, California.  Prior to joining Gilead in 2021, Neil spent 14 years with Novartis Pharmaceuticals – ten of those based in Basel, Switzerland – working in global roles across the Quality, Manufacturing, Finance and Human Resources functions. After graduating with his B.S.I.E. in 1994, Neil’s early career spanned roles in Industrial Engineering at Michelin Tire, manufacturing management and Lean Six Sigma deployment at AMP Inc. and Eaton Commercial Controls.  Neil is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt.  From 2015 to 2018, Neil was the Vice President of Operations for Ennis-Flint, a global provider of pavement marking materials, overseeing 17 manufacturing plants, as well as, the corporate EH&S, Quality and Process Engineering functions.  

Damon Butler has been the President of Triangle Blvd – one of the leading digital creative services organizations in the South East – for the past 10 years. He’s been known to be an articulate and effective communicator leading hundreds of video production, web development, mobile applications, and major live events.

Before launching Triangle Blvd, Damon worked at Lenovo as a Business Transformation Lead focused on planning, forecasting and collaboration. Before that, he was at IBM as a Business and Marketing Analyst.

Lisa Cook is an Enterprise Data Management Executive at Bank of America, leading Global Quality Assurance of Data, Records, Risk and Regulatory Reporting Policies. Prior to joining BAC in 2018, Lisa was an Enterprise Intelligent Management Consultant with Ernst & Young focused on Data & Analytics in the Financial Services Industry.  Lisa joined consulting after working with BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg, SC and Munich, Germany, at the Research & Innovation Center. Lisa has served as the COO for the Enterprise Data Organization and as Program Lead for Data Resiliency, where she drove the development of a now-patented framework to recover data after a cyber attack and data corruption. Lisa dedicated time and efforts to building the consulting pipeline with the ISE Department and is passionate about coaching and mentoring women in STEM; sponsors the Ocean Advocacy Workshop and currently serves on the Board of Project Outpour, a non-profit providing health and hygiene service to neighbors moving through homelessness.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering in 2013 and has been named a CDO Magazine 40 Under 40 Data Leader.

Tracy Doaks is the president & CEO of MCNC, the technology nonprofit focused on delivering high-performance protected internet and networking, cloud services, cybersecurity and other essential technologies for communities throughout North Carolina. She previously served as the state chief information officer and secretary for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology and held executive-level positions at Duke Medicine and the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

She is a 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient from the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She earned a CIO certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government and received the 2018 Public CIO Award from NC Tech. Doaks was named the recipient of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2022 Women in Business Award for Nonprofit Leadership.

She currently serves on the boards of the Center for Internet Safety Board of Directors, MCNC Board of Directors (as ex officio), MCNC Endowment Board of Directors, NC State University’s Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering Advisory Board, North Carolina Telehealth Network Association Board, Rewriting the Code, The Quilt Board of Directors and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition. 

This distinguished alumna earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University in 1995.

Candance Gingles is a seasoned professional with 30 years of experience leading engineering, manufacturing and distribution functions in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Her career includes a series of notable positions that highlight her broad expertise and commitment to operational excellence- various Quality Director roles (2016-2024 at Pfizer, Inc.), Plant Manager and site outsourcing transition lead (2010-2016 at Hospira, Inc.), Operational Excellence (2005-2010) and various Engineering lead roles.

A native of Raleigh, NC, Candance earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University. Her commitment to mentorship and development is evident through her current service on advisory boards, including the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at NC State (chair-elect) and the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement (a Governor’s appointee position).

Candance’s dedication has been recognized with prestigious honors, including the SEMS Outstanding Management Achievement in Industrial and Systems Engineering Award from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers in 2022. Additionally, her co-authored report, “Exploiting Inequity: A Pandemic’s Gendered and Racial Toll on Women and Families in North Carolina,” was selected for The American Library Association’s 2020 standout publication list.

With her extensive experience, commitment to excellence, and dedication to mentoring, Candance Gingles continues to inspire and lead within her discipline and community.

Paul Griffin is director of the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction and a professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State University, where he also served as the Peter and Angela Dal Pezzo department head. Before Penn State, Paul was the St. Vincent Health Chair and Director of the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue University. Paul was also the Joseph C. Mello Chair and Professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, where he started his career after graduating with a Ph.D. in industrial engineering at Texas A&M University.  He is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Tao Hong is the Duke Energy Distinguished Professor, NCEMC Faculty Fellow of Energy Analytics, Graduate Director, and Research Director of the Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department at UNC Charlotte. Hong is the Director at Large of the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF), the General Chair of the Global Energy Forecasting Competition, the Founding and Past Chair of the IEEE Working Group on Energy Forecasting, and the Founding and Past Chair of the IIF Section on Water, Energy and Environment. He is a Department Editor of IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Forecasting, and Associate Editor of Solar Energy. He received his MS in Electrical Engineering, MS with co-majors in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering, and Ph.D. with co-majors in Operations Research and Electrical Engineering from NC State.

Jeff Johnson retired after 40+ years in the energy and energy trading business.  He spent 16 years at utility Duke Energy in various engineering, finance and corporate roles before pursuing development, operational and oversight roles of energy trading businesses in North America and Europe. In addition to serving as senior vice president at Duke/Louis Dreyfus, CNG Energy Services, Louis Dreyfus Corp and EDF Trading, he provided strategic and M&A consulting to EDF Trading and the EDF Group through JWJ Energy LLC.  EDF Trading is a global energy trading firm headquartered in London that Mr. Johnson helped found. He served as Interim President of EDFT’s wholesale trading business in Houston and served as a board member for various EDFT ventures in the US. He developed and led the start-up of EDFT’s Paris energy trading operations as well as integrated EDF Group’s European natural gas activities with EDFT’s London trading and risk management operations.  He also supported the EDF Group in negotiating and forming its Constellation Energy Nuclear Generation joint venture with Exelon and served as chair of the audit and finance committee of its board of directors.  

He served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and was active in developing the Energy and Environment program within the Nicholas School.  He earned his BS in Industrial Engineering in 1978 from NC State University.

Angela Lanning is the Chief Operating Officer for Premier’s Informatics and Technology Services Group.  Currently, she is responsible for product strategy, product development, product implementation, customer support, training and data management for Premier’s Quality and Population Health solutions.  Since joining Premier in January 1993, she has served in many roles.  She was Vice President of Client Management and was responsible for ensuring customer value and satisfaction with Premier’s performance improvement products.  She also had responsibility for the Healthcare Informatics capital budget and the program management office

Tim McMahon Tim has been with the global consulting company Accenture since January 1987.  He has performed many roles for Accenture including COO of Business Consulting, COO of Accenture Song (Accenture’s digital agency), and now Managing Director of Global Commerce Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) where he is responsible for expanding Accenture’s commerce services capabilities globally. 

He volunteers as an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at St. David’s School and is an active supporter of junior golf as a sponsor of the Webb Simpson Challenge event for high school boys. 

Tammy Montgomery is a Specialist Master at Deloitte Consulting, specializing in delivering innovative solutions through AI and automation. With extensive experience in the AI & Data space, she partners with Federal and State government agencies to transform and optimize how technology supports critical public functions. Her areas of expertise include conversational AI (chatbots), generative AI, process automation, process improvement, and ethical application of technology. Tammy is a dedicated advocate for diversity in STEM, actively mentoring women and underrepresented minorities to foster inclusion in the tech industry.

Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family and adventures with her dog Yuna and indulges in her passions for travel, powerlifting, and sports.

As a retiree, Patrick Murray started volunteering for the ISE Department as an alumni-student mentor and working on special projects for the department head and the Advisory Board. In the Spring of 2020, he began serving as an Industry/Executive coach supporting ISE undergraduate students in their Capstone Project course.  In addition to volunteering with the ISE Department, he serves on the Board of Directors for the NC State Alumni Association, is a member of the Town of Cary’s Information Services Advisory Board, and is a Coach for a Miracle League of the Triangle baseball team.

Keith Nichols has been in the furniture industry since 1991 and with Century Furniture since 2004. He oversees Century Furniture’s manufacturing and trucking operations as the Vice President of Manufacturing. Before assuming his current role, he held positions in engineering, production, procurement and operations management. He is committed to mentorship at work and to the industry with involvement in NC State ISE senior projects, the American Home Furnishing Alliance and conducting CEU (continuing education unit) events for the Interior Design Continuing Education Council member organizations.

David Parker is the Co-founder and CEO of Dexios, a contract development and manufacturing partner with deep expertise in product development, manufacturing and supply chain services across a breadth of product technologies, manufacturing processes, and regulatory environments. 

David is also the president and CEO of Servemore, a charitable service organization dedicated to engaging individuals to serve more often and enabling organizations to serve more people. At the same time, he is a principle of Dedicated Partners, which capitalizes on decades of world-class operational experience to drive sustainable value creation within their Clients’ organizations.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1993 and in 1996 earned his master’s in management, both from NC State University.

Devon Person is the Vice President of Supply Chain Operations for Footlocker. He has an impressive track record of leading complex global supply chain organizations and executing business transformation for large Fortune 500 companies. Before joining Foot Locker, Devon held executive leadership positions at Hanesbrands Inc. as the Vice President of Supply Chain, as well as senior leadership roles within Eaton, SPX Flow, and GE, where he participated in the executive development program. Devon is also a member of the NC State Advisory Board for Industrial & Systems Engineering and a previous board member of United Way of Forsyth County. 

He has been an ambassador for recruiting and retaining minority talent throughout his career, including being a founding member of several global employee resource groups for African Americans. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in industrial engineering & Textile Engineering before earning a master’s degree in supply chain management from Penn State University. He has also acquired several certifications as well as executive leadership training from McKinsey consulting. Based on many of his accomplishments, he was the 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni Winner for NC State Industrial Engineering Department and the 2023 Outstanding Young Alumni Winner for NC State College of Textiles.

Rich Rosslle is an Industrial Engineer (’99), MBA (’13) and lifelong learner
who is responsible for Infrastructure Solutions Group Global Supply
Chain Strategy at Lenovo.  He has over 25 years of experience in
both OEM and contract manufacturing organizations were cross
functional collaboration has enabled him to consistently be
recognized by his superiors, teams and customers.  Prior to his
current role, Rich has held various leadership positions ranging from
site industrial engineer, business development manager,
engineering manager, solutions and PMO manager, operations
manager, plant manager, strategy and PMO director and ESG focal
point for global manufacturing.  Rich is a transformational supply
chain leader and a Lean Six Sigma Green belt; he has a passion for
creating customer solutions (internal and external), combining great
products, innovative processes/technologies and unique services
and establishing world-class organizations where autonomy,
mastery and purpose allow his teams to be successful. He resides
in Apex, North Carolina, with his wife, two children and numerous
pets, when he is not working or spending time with his family, he is
riding his mountain bike, playing disc golf or gardening.