Board Of Directors

Board of Directors

James M. Jenkins

James M. Jenkins has served as Chairman of the Board since February 1, 2023 and as a director since 2016. Mr. Jenkins is the General Counsel and Vice President of Corporate Development for Transcat, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRNS), a provider of calibration, repair, inspection and laboratory services, where he serves as Transcat’s chief risk officer and advises management and the board of directors over matters of corporate governance and securities law. He also leads Transcat’s acquisition strategy. He joined Transcat in September 2020. Prior to joining Transcat, he was a partner at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a regional law firm located in New York State. His practice focused in the areas of corporate governance, and general corporate law matters, including initial and secondary public offerings, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law compliance. Mr. Jenkins joined the firm in 1989 as an associate and was elected a partner effective January 1, 1997. He is a Chambers rated attorney and served as the Chair of the firm's Securities Practice Group from 2001 to 2020 and as a member of the firm’s Management Committee from January 2007 to January 2013. From 2018 until September 2020, he served as the Partner in Charge of the firm's New York City office. Mr. Jenkins holds a BA from Virginia Military Institute and a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law. Mr. Jenkins previously served on our Board from 2012 to 2015 and was a member of our Audit and Corporate Governance Committees. Mr. Jenkins’s qualifications to serve on our Board include his corporate governance experience as well his current business-related experience.

Christopher J. Ryan

Christopher J. Ryan served as our Executive Chairman of the Board from February 1, 2020 to January 31, 2023. Mr. Ryan was our Chief Executive Officer and President from November 2003 to January 31, 2020, Secretary from April 1991 to January 31, 2020, and a director since May 1986. Mr. Ryan was our Executive Vice President-Finance from May 1986 until becoming our President in November 2003. Mr. Ryan also worked as a Corporate Finance Partner at Furman Selz Mager Dietz & Birney, Senior Vice President-Corporate Finance at Laidlaw Adams & Peck, Inc., Managing-Corporate Finance Director of Brean Murray Foster Securities, Inc. and Senior Vice President- Corporate Finance of Rodman & Renshaw, respectively, between 1983 to 1991. Mr. Ryan served as a Director of Lessing, Inc., a privately held restaurant chain based in New York, from 1995 to 2008. Mr. Ryan received his BA from Stanford University, his MBA from Columbia Business School and his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School. Mr. Ryan’s qualifications to serve on our board include his business and legal education as well as his lengthy experience as a director at our company and at other companies.

A. John Kreft

A. John Kreft has served as a director since 2004, our Chairman of the Board from June 2016 to January 31, 2020 and lead independent director since February 1, 2020. Mr. Kreft has been President of Kreft Interests, a Houston based private investment firm, since 2001. Between 1998 and 2001, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Baker Kreft Securities, LLC, a NASD broker-dealer. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Kreft was a co-founder and manager of TriCap Partners, a Houston based venture capital firm.From 1994 to 1996, he was employed as a director at Alex Brown and Sons. Mr. Kreft has also held senior positions at CS First Boston, including as a managing director from 1989 to 1994. Mr. Kreft received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Mr. Kreft’s qualifications to serve on our board include his extensive capital markets experience with debt and equity financings and bank facilities. In addition, his familiarity with acquisition due diligence and integration issues assists him in his directorship of our company.

Thomas J. McAteer

Thomas J. McAteer has served as a director since 2011. Mr. McAteer has served as Executive Vice President of Management Development and Strategic Initiatives of Suffolk Transportation since March 2013 and Chairman of the Board of New World Medical Network, a private healthcare organization, since 2015. He also served as the Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Compensation and Personnel Committee for the Long Island Power Authority from December 2014 until January 2020. He served as the Senior Vice President and Regional Market Head for Aetna's Medicaid Division from March 2007 until March 2013. Prior to joining Aetna’s Medicaid Division, Mr. McAteer served as the President and CEO of Vytra Health Plans. In a thirteen-year career at Vytra, Mr. McAteer played an executive leadership role in growing Vytra from annual revenues of $70 million in 1993 to over $375 million in 2005. In 2001, Mr. McAteer facilitated the sale of Vytra to HIP Health Plans and, thereafter assumed the additional responsibilities of Executive Vice President for Brand Leadership, as well as joining the Executive Committee of the enterprise. Before joining Vytra, Mr. McAteer served as the Chief Deputy County Executive in Suffolk County, New York and prior to that as the Director of Human Resources for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Mr. McAteer's qualifications to serve on our Board include his business experience and multiple prior executive positions.

Nikki L. Hamblin

Nikki L. Hamblin has served as a director since April 2021. Ms. Hamblin has served as the Director of Advisor Service at Manning & Napier Advisors, LLC, a publicly traded investment management company, since September 2019. In addition to her current role, she is a member of the firm’s Committee for Diversity & Inclusion. Previously, she was the Director of Retirement Plan Services at GRP Financial California, LLC, a retirement plan consulting firm, from September 2017 to August 2019 and she served as Vice President, Key Accounts at Manning & Napier from January 2013 to August 2017. Prior to her experience at Manning & Napier, she served as an investment banker specializing in middle-market private and publicly owned mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester and has attained multiple securities and financial planning licenses and designations. Ms. Hamblin’s qualifications to serve on our Board include her investment banking and finance experience.

Jeffrey T. Schlarbaum

Jeffrey T. Schlarbaum has served as a director since 2017. Mr. Schlarbaum also serves on the Board of Directors of Creation Technologies, a $1B global electronic manufacturing services provider. Previously, from 2015 to 2022, he served as President & Chief Executive Officer of IEC Electronics Corp (Nasdaq:IEC), a leading electronics manufacturing services provider. During his time there, he led a turnaround effort resulting in nearly 25% CAGR, successfully exited the lender’s workout group, divested a distressed business unit, settled a SEC investigation he inherited, and ultimately, led the sale of the company for an industry leading EBITDA multiple. Prior to rejoining IEC Electronics in 2015, Mr. Schlarbaum was the Chief Operating Officer for LaserMax Inc., a manufacturer of laser gun sights for law enforcement and the defense industries. Previously, from 2005 to 2013, Mr. Schlarbaum successfully led IEC Electronics’ revitalization journey resulting in its transformation from $19M and less than 100 employees to $145M and 950 employees. During that time, he held a variety of roles including President, Executive Vice President and President of Contract Manufacturing. Previously, Mr. Schlarbaum served in several executive management roles with various advanced electronics companies including Plexus Corp (Nasdaq:PLXS) and Seagate Technologies (Nasdaq:STX). Mr. Schlarbaum holds an M.B.A from Pepperdine University. Mr. Schlarbaum’s qualifications to serve on our Board include his experience as a publicly traded CEO and Board member as well as his expertise in global manufacturing, acquisitions, and turning around distressed organizations driving transformational growth and expansion.

Charles D. Roberson

Charles D. Roberson has served as a director, and our Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary since February 1, 2020. Mr. Roberson was our Chief Operating Officer from July 2018 to January 31, 2020. From 2009 to July 2018, he was our Senior Vice President, International Sales. Mr. Roberson joined our Company in 2004 as Technical Marketing Manager and later served as International Sales Manager. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Roberson was employed by Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. as a Market Manager from 1995 to 2001 and as a Nonwovens Manufacturing Manager from 1991 to 1995. He began his career as a manufacturing manager for Burlington Industries, Inc. in its Menswear Division from 1985 to 1991. Collectively, he has 30 years’ experience in the protective clothing industry as a manufacturer of both roll goods and garments. Mr. Roberson’s qualifications to serve on our Board include his prior business experience and knowledge of our industry and of our company.

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