Events 2022

Luncheon 1-7-22 - Mark Dapore

Topic: From Mason to Mars: One local tech firm’s role in sending rover Perseverance to the Red Planet

L3Harris in Mason OH provided the communication system which provided data real time for the exciting landing of the Perseverance Rover.  After the landing, all commanding, telemetry, and stunning pictures and videos were communicated through the L3Harris radio.   L3Harris is the preferred communication radio suppler to Jet Propulsion Lab for communication to and from the surface of Mars, and has supported many Martian missions.   This presentation will describe L3Harris’s contribution to the NASA exploration missions to Mars, past, present, and future.  When the rover Perseverance landed on the surface of Mars in February 2021, it was the first time NASA had sent one in a decade. And the space agency couldn’t have done it without the work of one Tri-State technology firm. 


About the Speaker: Mr. Mark Dapore, Chief Technologist at L3Harris
Mark Dapore is Engineering Fellow and Chief Technologist at L3Harris. He is responsible for the technology planning and new product development for Space products at Space and Sensor’s division of L3Harris.  In his customer facing responsibilities, he builds technology roadmaps and secures funding to meet future space market needs.  Mr. Dapore has a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati with a major thrust in signal processing, and holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Dayton. 

Luncheon 2-11-22 - Tony Gonzalez

Rescheduled to 2-11-22 due to the ice storm!

Topic: Gaining Clarity on the 2022 Supply Chain

From Mr. Tony Gonzalez: “I will be sharing insights on the state of the manufacturing industry with a particular focus on Supply Chain risks and Industry 4.0. The intent is to help participants identify areas of growth along with the associated risks.”

Tony Gonzalez is regarded as a transformational manufacturing business leader with a 33-year career in P&L operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, marketing, and sales within multiple market verticals including: aerospace, energy, medical devices, oil & gas, robotics, appliances, transportation, and consumer electronics for companies that include GE Aviation, GE Energy, Robbins & Myers, UmbraGroup, ELTEK Group, and Johnson Electric.  He holds a BSME degree from the University of Akron and is a certified six-sigma black belt.  When he’s not promoting Supply Dynamics’ SaaS platform for manufacturing supply chain illumination, he provides consulting services to businesses of all sizes with a specialty in business development, team leadership, and cultural change.  

Luncheon 3-4-22 - Ron Chambers

Topic: Benefits that Entrepreneurs Often Overlook

Join us on Friday, March 4th to hear Ron Chambers explain how business owners and employees could be missing out on programs that provide needed benefits. This is NOT a sales pitch, nor related to life insurance. Ron’s mission is to help people think about how they’re protecting their health and family by explaining some programs he knows about.

Mr. Ron Chambers launched The Chambers Group more than 20 years ago. He began offering LegalShield/ID Shield as a supplemental benefit. He expanded their offerings in 2020 with “Advantages for Life” to include Telehealth. The Chambers Group has always supported Associations and Chamber of Commerce, understanding the essential role they play particularly in small businesses. Ron also educates his clients about identity theft in the workplace including state and federal requirements, how it affects their employees, and how to protect the business and its employees. https://www.gochambersgroup.com/

Luncheon 4-1-22 - Michael Davis


Topic: Attracting More Clients and Sales

Join us on Friday, April 1st to hear how Michael Davis can help us give more effective presentations. You will gain new insights into how storytelling will help you earn trust faster and connect more deeply with prospective clients. Please welcome Michael back to MAC!

Mr. Michael Davis is the founder of Speaking CPR, author of THE Book on Storytelling and the upcoming book Stop Telling Just ANY Story. He’s also a presentation skills consultant, and speaker. https://speakingcpr.com/ 

Luncheon 5-6-22 - Scott Hasson

Topic: B2B Marketing Ideas Explained Clearly

Special Update (4/26/22) Our speaker for May, Mr. Steve Turner, has recently been hospitalized and has graciously rescheduled MAC for December. Steve is on the path to a full recovery and is doing well at the moment.

For the May luncheon, we will be networking and enjoying lunch as usual. Mr. Scott Hasson is stepping up to share his wisdom about B2B marketing. Come learn something new to help you increase your sales. Among other topics, Scott will cover:

Google Ads
The Waze App
Retargeting
Account Based Marketing
Privacy Regulations

Mr Scott Hasson: “Marketing and advertising has been a passion of mine for the past 20 years. Starting as an ad agency intern, I’ve taken that passion and grown it into a career as agency partner where I began. My journey has come full circle. My experiences have taken me from learning about all aspects of working with agency clients to becoming a contractor for a Fortune 100 company on the bleeding edge. Having returned to the agency-side, I now help companies tell their unique stories through digital marketing” 

Luncheon 9-2-22 - Andy Foerster

Topic: Preparing your Business for Growth
Brief Presentation Description:

Businesses grow through predictable stages.  At the core, growth requires three things:

Andy will focus on the first two, and how the ‘magic’ comes when leadership (the ‘who’) and organizational systems (the ‘how’ and ‘why’) fuse together.  Copies of his Amazon best-selling book ‘Leadership Fusion’ – which expands on these practices – will be available.

Mr. Andy Foerster. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfoerster/ 

Andy has a 40-year career of military and private sector business experience.  In the private sector he earned successive promotions through management and leadership positions in the electrical and automation industries.  He has served as CEO, President, CTO, and in other positions in large public companies and in privately held enterprises.

He began as a Navy nuclear submarine officer.  He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and has graduate degrees from Marymount and George Mason.  He is now a business facilitator in association with Academy Leadership.  In this practice he helps develop both the leadership skills of people and the management systems used by companies.

Luncheon 10-7-22 - Charles Cohon and Dan Beederman

Topic: Charles Cohon: Achieving Success as a Sales Representative

How can a sales representative achieve success as a sales representative? That’s the topic of this jam-packed, two-part presentation by MANA CEO Charles Cohon, together with MANA’s Legal Counsel Daniel E. Beederman. They will discuss the essential points to include (and to avoid) in rep agreements, how not to inadvertently undermine or change the rep agreement by your conduct, and how to capitalize on your success as a rep in the sale of your agency.

Part One: GETTING PAID FOR YOUR SUCCESS

In the first part of this presentation, Charles and Dan will examine how having a good rep agreement can increase the likelihood that you will be paid for the success of your efforts. In addition to providing ten tips to negotiating and maintaining a better rep agreement, Charles and Dan also will explore your legal options if you are terminated improperly, and the availability and power of statutory protection and remedies.

                        Part Two: PUTTING THE SUCCESS IN SUCCESSION PLANNING

In the second part of this presentation, Charles and Dan will review key points about selling a rep agency, including the valuation of a rep agency, how to structure transactions and related tax consideration, and other legal issues and documents. Charles will draw on his experience in the sale of his own rep agency in 2013.

Cohon and Beederman will be available to answer individual questions after the presentation ends.

Charles Cohon is CEO and President of the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA). He has been an invited speaker at Harvard Business School on salesforce outsourcing, https://youtu.be/YjVwKA3n1xw, and is a frequent speaker at industry trade events and conferences. Cohon earned an MBA with honors and concentrations in strategic management and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and was the founder and owner of a very successful Illinois manufacturers’ representative firm for nearly 30 years before joining MANA.  

Daniel E. Beederman is MANA’s legal counsel. He is a partner in Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC, a full-service business law firm in Chicago. Beederman and his firm also serve as legal counsel to the Electronic Representatives Association (ERA), Association of Independent Manufacturers’/Representatives, Inc. (AIM/R), and other associations whose members are independent sales representatives and the companies that use them. For over 35 years, Beederman has counseled independent sales representatives on matters unique to their profession, including commission-collection disputes and litigation, as well as reviewing and revising sales representative agreements, and succession planning. 

Luncheon 11-4-22 - Kylie Opelt

Topic: Improving the Profitability of Your Rep Firm

MAC welcomes Ms. Kylie Opelt who will discuss these topics at the November luncheon:

Top 3 things that the best CFO’s look for regarding profitability
When should rep firm owners seek help with the analysis
Process improvements that help future-proof your business

KYLIE OPELT is the founder of CFO A/Part a Fractional CFO and Advisory Services Firm located in Terrace Park, Ohio. 

Kylie is a senior executive with almost 20 years of experience in finance, strategic planning, commercial finance, purchasing and negotiations, and business development in the consumer products, real estate, e-commerce and insurance industries.  She began her career at Procter & Gamble and worked on several of the company’s biggest product launches, brands and transformational programs before moving into the Consulting and CFO space.

Throughout her corporate career, Kylie has led global teams negotiating billion-dollar facilities contracts, managed a multi-country supply chain restructure and has been responsible for profit management for multiple businesses and billion-dollar brands. She has developed breakthrough strategic growth management processes. She has managed marketing budgets, designed and implemented cost-savings programs and organization transformations, launched new businesses and assessed acquisitions and partnership models.

Since starting up CFO A/Part, Kylie has partnered with companies of all sizes, from Start-Ups to family businesses to multi-billion dollar conglomerates.  She specializes in strategic business planning and can assist with all of your Finance needs from preparation of Pitch Decks for Capital Raises to Business Turnarounds.  Kylie also enjoys providing C-Suite Support and Coaching, preparing financials for Board of Directors and assisting in Generational Transitions.

Kylie is well known for her ability to partner including Alpla Group, DOW, Frontier Homes, The AW Center for Cosmetic Surgery, BASF, Logoplaste, Jones Lang Lasalle, Fluor Corporation, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, YUM Brands, Hilton, Kroger, United Way, Clorox, Last Mile Food Rescue, Palo Alto, and Diageo.

She holds degrees in Economics, Finance, Risk Management and Urban Planning Development from The Ohio State University and an MBA in Strategic Management & Finance from University of Chicago – Booth School of Business.

Holiday Luncheon 12-2-22 - Cory Carlson

Topic: The Five Pillars and Relational Capital

The MAC Holiday Party is back! Spouses are welcome to join this festive and upbeat presentation. Join us to hear author Cory Carlson share an inspirational key concept from his book Win at Home First. This book is a resource for anyone striving to achieve work-life balance.

You will leave this session with tools to immediately apply to your life to help you with resilience and moving forward.

As an entrepreneur, former executive, husband, and father of three, Cory Carlson understands the pressures working parents face. He is passionate about helping business leaders win at home and work.

Twenty years in corporate America gave Cory amazing opportunities as he worked his way up to the executive level. But he also saw brokenness: work without purpose, burnout, lack of focus, strained marriages, and absentee parents. Business leaders especially were often not living life to the fullest.

When Cory discovered coaching, it helped him become a better leader, husband, and father. So he left his corporate career to help other leaders win at work and at home. Cory does this through executive coaching, speaking, and writing.

Currently, Cory lives in Cincinnati with his awesome wife and three amazing children.

Cory has a Civil Engineer degree from the University of Missouri and an MBA from Rockhurst University.

His first book released in June 2019 titled, Win at Home First, and is an inspirational guide for work-life balance.  His book was Amazon #1 New Release in 3 Categories and listed in FORBES as ‘7 Books Everyone On Your Team Should Read’.

Cory just released his second book, Rise and Go. This book is a resource to help leaders get back up quicker after getting knocked down from the challenges of leadership and life.

He hosts the leadership podcast, Win at Home First, a Top 1.5% global podcast per ListenNotes.