Innovating, Investing, Leading for the Defense Industrial Base

Mr. Brynt Parmeter was appointed as the inaugural Chief Talent Management Officer (CTMO) for the Department of Defense on April 10, 2023. In this role, which resides in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, he works across the Military Departments, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and with interagency partners to lead the development and implementation of the DoD Total Force talent acquisition, workforce development, and talent management strategy.

Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Parmeter was the Head of Non-Traditional Talent and Military & Veterans Affairs for Walmart, the Fortune 1 company and the world’s largest retailer. Prior to that, he was the Senior Director for STEM Programs as well as the Senior Director for Military Programs for Walmart.

He is an Army combat veteran with nearly 25 years of service before leaving as a colonel. While in the Army, he served as an infantry officer in light, airborne, air assault, and mechanized units in the US, Korea, Germany, and Iraq, to include 39 months of combat service in Tikrit, Samarra, Baghdad, and Tal Afar. Other assignments included the Old Guard, the Joint Readiness Training Center, and the Human Resources Command.

After the Army, Brynt co-founded and grew several different companies in Palo Alto and San Jose, California, in the technology and manufacturing sectors, including NextFlex, an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on the development of flexible-hybrid electronics where he served as the Director of Workforce, Education, and Training.

He was a Principal, and then Partner, in BMNT, Inc., a Palo Alto, California based consulting company, and, also served as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the US Department of Energy. He and his wife also co-founded Call Sign Coffee Company, an eCommerce coffee roasting business that supports members of the military community. In 2017 he was selected to serve as the first Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for California Silicon Valley and continued as a CASA for Arkansas upon his relocation to the state in 2019.

He has served as a member of several national and state boards, including a National Science Foundation industry advisory board on Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work, a board member for work2future, the Santa Clara County Workforce Innovation Board in Silicon Valley, and as Board Vice President for Camp Alliance, Inc., focused on supporting members of the military community.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy, Master’s Degrees from Louisiana State University and the Army War College, and a graduate certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. His wife, Lisa, is the Executive Director of a national veterans service organization. Their daughter, Ashby, is a former US Army Sergeant, and their son, Will, is a soon-to-be US Army Second Lieutenant.

Courtney Tenhover is a Project Leader for Lorain County Community College and Ohio TechNet on Industry 4.0 talent innovations. Courtney leads regional and statewide work related to the future of work and Industry 4.0, including automation and robotics, microelectronics, and semiconductors.

Courtney is a Project Manager for the Ohio TechNet NEO Semiconductor Consortium Intel grant project where she is working to develop talent pipelines in the advanced manufacturing field. She has experience in Workforce Development, Higher Education, and Human Resources. Courtney has worked on the expansion of earn and learn programs, faculty and instructor development, and employer engagement strategies.

Courtney holds a Bachelor Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Master Degrees in HR Management and Project Management.

Jeff serves as the Senior Vice President for Workforce Development and Consulting at Sinclair College, where he is responsible in part for Workforce Development programs and services, Conference Center operations, and Sinclair’s National Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Training and Certification Center focused on UAS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) training, consulting, and applied research support.

Miller came to Sinclair in 2000 and has served in numerous positions, including Senior Vice President of Administration with responsibilities including Business Services, Information Technology, Facilities Management, Public Safety and Police, Chief Operating Officer for Sinclair’s National UAS Training and Certification Center, Interim Vice President for Workforce Development, Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development, Director of Business Services, Purchasing Manager, and as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Business and Public Services Division. Prior to his arrival at Sinclair, he served as the Assistant Director of Institutional Services at Western Connecticut State University. Miller currently serves on the Entrepreneurs’ Center, Air Camp, and the National Society of Natural History Board of Directors.

Jeff holds a BS in business management from Missouri Baptist University, an MBA from the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University, and is presently a doctoral student at Franklin University.

Jessica leads workforce strategy for The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), representing Ohio’s largest economic sector. Ohio manufacturers employ nearly 700,000 Ohioans and contribute more than $134 billion annually to the state’s economy.

At the OMA, Jessica orchestrated efforts to rally key leaders and stakeholders across the state to create unprecedented alignment around a demand-driven workforce agenda. This resulted in a network of 19 OMA-endorsed Industry Sector Partnerships as the operational backbone for statewide execution of a common strategy.

Jessica provides direction for a variety of initiatives, including the $23.5 million Good Jobs Challenge grant and Ohio’s Statewide Auto and Advanced Mobility Workforce Strategy with a focus on increasing career awareness, connecting untapped talent to good jobs in manufacturing, and scaling education and training. 

She also led the launch of the Ohio Manufacturing Competency Model, aimed at establishing a standardized language and framework for industry leaders to express their skill demands and increase alignment with education and workforce partners. Industry-specific versions of the model—including semiconductor—delve into the unique needs of each industry while also capturing those common across all of manufacturing. With this information, Jessica currently is orchestrating efforts to identify gaps, improve systems, and guide future investments to be responsive to industry needs. 

Before joining the OMA, Jessica served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, an industry sector partnership in the Youngstown area, and served in Chief Operating Officer roles at a national workforce consulting firm and public workforce system. Jessica holds a BS from Ohio University’s E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and an MBA from Kent State University.

Bio coming soon.

Terri Burgess Sandu is Director of Talent and Business Innovation for Lorain County Community College (LCCC) where her work advances the College’s commitment to student success and business growth.  Sandu’s team contributed to the College’s recognition in 2023 by the Harvard University Project on Workforce in a book published by Harvard Education Press that features Lorain County Community College (LCCC) as one of five exemplar community colleges contributing to regional economic growth and opportunity, and to Lorain County Community College’s 2024 designation as the first Education and Workforce Development Innovation Center by NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Institute.   

Sandu also serves as Director of the Ohio Technical Skills Innovation Network, or Ohio TechNet (OTN), a statewide consortium of over 45 community colleges, universities and technical centers focused on accelerating innovation to meet manufacturing and tech workforce needs, facilitated by Lorain County Community College since 2014. Ohio TechNet serves as an effective front door for those seeking to pilot or scale replicable solutions.  Built over 10+ years through an expanding collaborative framework, private-public partnerships have been at the heart of Ohio TechNet’s work since the beginning. 

A spirit of collaboration and innovation combined with expert management has led Ohio TechNet to successfully generate over $70M investment for its members and their industry partners in manufacturing and technology workforce development.  Those initiatives have enabled OTN member schools to serve over 15,000 adults and youth and partner with over 1,200 companies. OTN works closely with the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), regional Industry Sector Partnerships, state leaders and other public and private partners, including several Manufacturing USA Institutes.

Sandu serves on the Workforce Leadership and Statewide Alignment Committees of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association as well as the Steering Committee of the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network facilitated by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.  In 2018, Sandu was recognized as a NextFlex Fellow and in 2019, was elected to serve as a Board member of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers.  The Ohio Economic Development Association recognized her leadership in 2011 with the Excellence in Workforce Development Innovation award.

Liz Callahan is the Director of External Affairs and Special Projects. Based in EWI’s New York office, Liz Callahan’s work focuses on EWI’s Buffalo Manufacturing Works advanced manufacturing center. Liz is responsible for supporting the executive team on external relations. She also oversees special projects and initiatives, creating structure for new and ambiguous ideas and partnerships. This includes the Shift 2.0 program. Funded in partnership with the EDA and New York State, Shift 2.0 helps small and medium-sized manufacturers operate efficiently, compete effectively, and grow. Liz develops EWI partnerships in New York State and with federal partners.

Prior to joining EWI at Buffalo Manufacturing Works, Liz was Workforce Development Manager at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. While there, she worked closely with businesses of all sizes and gained extensive experience in bringing cross-sector partners together to address critical manufacturing needs across the Western New York region.

She holds a B.A. from Purchase College, State University of New York.

She has been recognized by Women in Manufacturing, Buffalo Business First, received the Brenda McDuffie Award of Excellence from the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals, and was named one of the Women Who Move the City by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County.

Ms. Nash is the Sole Owner, Chair and CEO of Novagard Solutions, an innovator and manufacturer of silicone conformal coatings and sealants, hybrid and foam solutions for the building systems, electronics, solar power, EV, space, wearable medical, industrial and transportation markets.

She is Chair of the Board of Bath & Body Works (BBWI -NYSE) where she was Executive Chair and Interim CEO from February 2022 through December 2022. Ms. Nash also serves on the board of directors of Blackbaud (NASDAQ) and privately held HBD Industries, Inc. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board of Bow River Asset Management (BRAM).  She previously served on the Boards of Irving Oil Company in St. John, N.B., Canada and Knoll Inc. (NYSE) until its merger with Herman Miller.

Ms. Nash spent nearly 30 years in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (and predecessor companies), building their client facing businesses in North America, retiring as Global Vice Chairman in July 2005.

Ms. Nash is Trustee of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Hospital for Special Surgery, Cleveland Museum of Art and an Advisory board member of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Panama.  She retired from the Smithsonian National Board in September 2022.  She was a Trustee of Washington & Lee University from 2005-2014.

Ms. Nash holds a BA in political science from Vassar College.  She holds dual US-Canadian citizenship.

Dr. Lucas K. Beagle is the Director of the Biological, Nanoscale Technologies department at BlueHalo, supporting research at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing and the Propulsion Directorate’s.

At BlueHalo, Dr. Beagle established a technology transitioning team to move basic research to prototypes and a biomanufacturing facility focused on biotechnology transition.

Lauren Friedman is the Senior Program Manager of the Education & Workforce Development Team at NextFlex. Lauren graduated with a Bachelor of Science in English from the United States Naval Academy and later earned her Master of Education degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Kent State University. After serving in the U.S. Navy on Active Duty, Lauren transitioned to working in Vocational Counseling and Education & Workforce Development, encouraging students to consider and pursue careers in STEM and advanced manufacturing. In her work with NextFlex, she has helped grow the FlexFactor program across the country. She is passionate about providing access to educational & career opportunities for all people.