NFPA Membership Elects 2021-22 Board of Directors

By Eric Lanke
NFPA President/CEO

During NFPA’s 2021 Annual Business Meeting, held in conjunction with our February 23-26 Annual Conference, NFPA members elected the Board of Directors for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

At the Business Meeting, our Board Chair, Ray Chambers of Muncie Power Products, read the slate of 2021-22 Board candidates identified by our Nominating Committee, noting that all terms would begin July 1, 2021:

OFFICERS
Terms expiring June 30, 2022
Chair
Jeff Hand, President & CEO, ROSS Controls
Vice Chair
Jim Kaas, President, Iowa Fluid Power
Treasurer
Tom Hunter, VP, Global Business Development, Husco
Secretary
Keith Simons, President & CEO, OEM Controls

DIRECTORS
Terms expiring June 30, 2022
Nicole Farrell, Sales & Marketing Manager, Fluidyne Fluid Power
Jennifer Parmentier, President, Motion Systems Group, Parker Hannifin
Jim Slone, Executive Vice President, Business Development, SunSource
John L. Stenz, Chairman & CEO, FORCE America (as a Past Chair of the Board)
Roscoe Wallace, Director of Marketing, Kaiser Aluminum

DIRECTORS
Terms expiring June 30, 2023
Ray Chambers, Chairman, CEO & President, Muncie Power Products (as a Past Chair of the Board)
Greg Gumbs, Regional President & CEO, Bosch Rexroth North America
Jeff Herrin, Vice President, Research and Development, Danfoss
Scott Meldeau, Commercial VP, NORGREN
David Price, Senior Global Marketing Manager, HydraForce

DIRECTORS
Terms expiring June 30, 2024
Joel Edwards, Senior Vice President/General Manger, Faster/Helios Technologies
Christina Logan, President, Scott Industrial
Paul Ludwig, President & CEO, HED
Mark Snyder, Channel Director, Festo

A motion was subsequently made, seconded, and carried by an affirmative vote of all voting members present to approve this slate as NFPA’s 2021-22 Board of Directors.

Several of these members are new to the Board or taking on new positions. They are:

SECRETARY

Keith Simons, OEM Controls – SECRETARY

Keith has been with OEM controls for 30 years. OEM Controls is a 2nd generation, family owned company specializing in customized electro-mechanical controllers (joysticks, foot pedals, rotary switches), electronic modules (valve drivers, CAN, special sensors), complete control stations and Bluetooth enabled data gathering devices and fuel stations. In house capabilities include SMT electronic assembly, fabrication, machining, 3D printing and development & design. Before his current role, Keith has worked in various engineering, service and sales positions within OEM Controls.

When not working, Keith enjoys being in the outdoors – hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, golf — with his wife Amy and their 3 children.

DIRECTOR

Greg Gumbs, Bosch Rexroth

Greg Gumbs was recently named as President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North America (Sep. 2020). He is an accomplished sales, marketing and business leader with 29 years of experience in the industry.

Throughout his tenure, Greg has served in several functional and business disciplines, including application and systems engineering, sales and service, commercial marketing, business development and general management.

As a global partner, Bosch Rexroth supports mechanical and plant engineering challenges around the world with its cutting-edge technology and unique industry knowledge. Roughly 31,000 employees worldwide work on safe, efficient, intelligent and powerful solutions.

Their products and services are designed to spark enthusiasm, improve quality of life, and help conserve natural resources. They seek to deliver top quality and reliability. In short: Bosch Rexroth wants to create technology that is “Invented for life.”

DIRECTOR

Joel Edwards, Faster/ Helios Technologies

Joel Edwards is an international business executive in industrial and automotive manufactured products with over 29 years of progressive experience in commercial, technical, and operational roles. He is currently Senior VP/General Manager at Faster (a Division of Sarasota, Florida-based Helios Technologies) located in Toledo, Ohio, where he is responsible for the North American business of the European-based global hydraulic quick disconnect manufacturer.

Prior to this role, Joel worked over two decades for Gates Corporation, a global manufacturer of fluid power and power transmission products headquartered in Denver, Colorado. During his time at Gates, he held several global commercial and technical executive positions and also worked as an expatriate in Europe and in Dubai. In 2014, Joel was a key member of the executive team who successfully sold Gates to The Blackstone Group.

Joel is a graduate of Colorado State University, with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. Joel’s business leadership activities include serving as a Founding Board Member for the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers, on the Board of Directors for the Rubber Manufacturer’s Association, and as an Executive Board Member for the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. When he is not working, Joel enjoys occasional golfing and spending time with his family.

DIRECTOR

Christina Logan, Scott Industrial

Christina is President of Scott Industrial Systems & CEO of Sun Coast Hydraulic Electric Manufacturing. She has been with Scott Industrial Systems for over 30 years. Scott Industrial Systems is a full-line fluid power distributor covering seven states in the Midwest, focusing on custom engineered solutions and systems for their customers. Christina started in sales, became District Manager, then VP of Sales and became President in 2013.

Scott Industrial Systems purchased Sun Coast Hydraulic and Electric Manufacturing in 2018. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, Sun Coast manufactures custom power units and specializes in development and commissioning of custom-engineered industrial control panels, VFD control systems, industrial PLCs, and HMI interface packages.

When she is not working, Christina enjoys traveling with her husband Bob and their three children.

DIRECTOR

Paul Ludwig, HED Inc.

President and CEO of HED, Inc in Hartford, WI

Paul has been with HED for 12 years. HED designs and manufactures electronic control solutions for on- and off-highway vehicle OEM’s, with products including controllers, displays, keypads and telematics/IoT systems. Prior to HED, Paul was President of Advanced Photonix, a manufacturer of semiconductors and photodiodes; Paul started his career at Honeywell, Inc in sales and marketing roles.

In his free time, Paul enjoys golf, working out and time with his awesome family.

DIRECTOR

Mark Snyder, Festo Corporation

North American Channel Director

Festo Corporation is a global manufacturer of process control and factory automation solutions. Mark has served more than 25 years in the fluid power industry on both the manufacturer and distribution side of the business. He joined Festo in 2015 with a primary focus on building a robust indirect channel network to support rapid market share growth.

On the personal side, Mark was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, raised in Brighton, Michigan and currently resides in Fishers, Indiana with his wife and four children.

I would personally like to thank each of our current and future Board members for the personal and professional commitments they make in support of NFPA’s mission to strengthen the fluid power industry. Their diverse and unique perspectives help keep the association focused on both the immediate needs of our members and the long-term needs of our industry. Any member interested in being considered for future Board service should feel free to contact me at elanke@nfpa.com.