YOUNGSTOWN, OH, USA, Aug 14, 2026 – America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, has announced newly elected members of its Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee, comprised of the brightest minds from industry, academia, government, workforce and economic development organizations, ensures that the appropriate strategy, policy, and advocacy are in place for America Makes to achieve its mission – to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Members understand the current and future state of the industry and provide counsel to the Institute on data management and IP policy, technical scope, membership value and outreach, ecosystem development and partnership strategies, workforce education and training, and support strategic growth efforts.
The committee, which meets regularly, consists of three appointed government representatives and eight representatives elected from three sectors within its membership community, including non-profit, academia, and industry. Each elected member serves a two-year term.
2026-28 America Makes Executive Committee
- Brett Connor, Ph.D., Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME
- Sandra DeVincent Wolf, Ph.D., Executive Director, Carnegie Mellon University Manufacturing Futures Institute
- Brian Fisher, Ph.D., Technical Fellow for Additive Manufacturing, RTX
- Jonaaron Jones, President and General Manager, Additive Manufacturing Division, Beehive Industries
- Mark Norfolk, Director of Government Programs, Edison Welding Institute (EWI)
- Hector Sandoval, Technical Fellow for Additive Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
- Mark Shaw, Chief Engineer of Defense Industrial Base Strategy, National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)
- Mike Vasquez, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, 3Degrees
Government Representatives
- Paul Gradl, Ph.D., Principal Engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Laura Macht, Engineer & Project Management, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC)
- Paul Witherell, Ph.D., Associate Program Manager, Measurement Science for AM Program, Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
“The strength of America Makes has always been our ability to bring together leaders with diverse expertise to help shape the future of additive manufacturing,” said John Wilczynski, Executive Director of America Makes. “This Executive Committee represents a cross-section of the nation’s manufacturing ecosystem, and their leadership will help ensure our strategies, investments, and collaborations continue to accelerate technology adoption, strengthen the industrial base, and deliver lasting value to our members.”
The first order of business for the Executive Committee will be to elect a Chairperson and Secretary.
About America Makes
America Makes is the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing (AM) technology and education. America Makes members from industry, academia, government, and workforce and economic development organizations work together to accelerate the adoption of AM and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Founded in 2012 as the Department of War’s National Manufacturing Innovation Institute for AM and the first of the Manufacturing USA network, America Makes is based in Youngstown, Ohio, and managed by the not-for-profit National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). Learn more at americamakes.us.
About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in commercial and defense manufacturing areas to continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, players, technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. With seven locations nationwide, NCDMM manages America Makes, Youngstown Innovation Hub, and El Paso Makes and is a subsidiary of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG). Learn more at ncdmm.org.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com
