AMUG Board of Directors

Shannon VanDeren
President
Ted Anderson
Vice President
Heather Natal
Secretary

Shannon VanDeren

President

Shannon VanDeren
Layered Manufacturing and Consulting
President@amug.com

Shannon has led her company, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting, as an AM enthusiast and evangelist, and continues to create impact by identifying applications for innovation, ideation, cost savings, throughput, and manufacturing efficiencies.

Through her AM journey, she has built strategic partnerships and strong customer relationships within our community.  She has led the AMUG Medical Track for the past 8 years and was recognized by our peers with the Distinguished Innovator Operator (DINO) Award in 2017.

Shannon contributes to the AM community with other industry organizations as well… ensuring our community grows in health and application.

Ted Anderson

Vice President & Director

Ted Anderson
GE Aerospace
VicePresident@amug.com

Ted has been working in additive manufacturing since 2005. His focus has mainly been in developing and industrializing the AM processes (metals, ceramics, plastics) for production. He’s worked AM production in the areas of aerospace, medical and automotive. His current focus is on AM in repair applications for flight-certified hardware for GE Aerospace.

Ted has led the AMUG Aerospace, Transportation and DoD track since 2015 and was recognized by peers with the Distinguished Innovator Operator (DiNO) Award in 2017. Ted also contributes to the AM community through other organizations.

Heather Natal

Secretary & Director

Heather Natal
GoEngineer
Secretary@amug.com

Heather Natal graduated from the University of Illinois – Chicago with a BA in Communications, minoring in French and International Relations. Upon graduation, she took on a role with a CNC manufacturer and got her first glimpse into the world of industrial manufacturing. This has fueled her passion for educating both sides of the conversation on how these technologies fit together to allow for great possibilities for the future of manufacturing.

For the past 20 years, Heather has worked in progressive Marketing and Communications roles for various global companies on both the additive and traditional sides of manufacturing. She is currently the Marketing Product Manager for Manufacturing Solutions at GoEngineer.

Robin Van Bragt
Treasurer
Gary Rabinovitz
Director at Large
Ed Graham
Director, Education & Conference

Robin Van Bragt

Treasurer & Director

Robin Van Bragt
Eagle Design & Technology
Treasurer@amug.com

Robin will serve as Treasurer on the AMUG Board as of July 1, 2023, after attending what is now known as AMUG since 2001.

She is President of Eagle Design & Technology, a start-to-finish product development company ranging from concept/CAD design to in-house injection molding using 3d printing for design verification, prototypes and patterns for silicone molds. After attending her first AMUG conference, she was inspired to learn how to build parts on their in-house SLA machines. She was honored to receive the DINO award in 2021 and one of the only three recipients that are second-generation DINOs.

While the 3D printing process is intriguing and ever-challenging, the business side of things has also been a passion of hers and is excited to give back to the AMUG organization in this capacity

Gary Rabinovitz

Director at Large

Gary Rabinovitz
Reebok International
DatLarge@amug.com

Gary Rabinovitz holds a degree in Physical Education from Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH. He has managed the Additive Manufacturing Lab at Reebok International Ltd’s world headquarters for over 25 years. This lab operates HP Jet Fusion, 3D printing technology (Z-Corp), PolyJet technology and FDM. 

Gary held the position of president of the SLS Users Group from November 2001 through the September 2002 conference. In the fall of 2002, Gary accepted the position of Z Corporation User Group President, a position that he held for four years.  

In 2007 Gary was awarded an AMUG Distinguished INovator Operator Award (DINO). At the 2014 AMUG Conference, Gary was presented with the prestigious President’s Award for long-time service to the additive manufacturing industry and the users group.  Gary is one of 11 recipients of this award in the 35-year history of AMUG.  Also in September 2014, Gary received the Plymouth State University Alumni Achievement Award for all his work at Reebok and in the Additive Manufacturing Industry. 

In 2012, Gary was voted by his industry peers as one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in Rapid Product Development and Rapid Manufacturing by TCT Magazine (UK). TCT Magazine is the leader in RP/AM and RP/AM-related technologies. 

Gary is currently serving in his 14th consecutive year on the AMUG Board and served Two terms as it’s President. He is currently serving as AMUG’s Director at Large. 

Ed Graham

Director, Education & Conference

Ed Graham
Prototek
DConfEd@amug.com

Ed Graham is an additive manufacturing industry leader with a true passion for the future of manufacturing.  Over his years in the industry he has developed and led new strategies and technology to move additive manufacturing towards end-use production.  His emphasis is on operational efficiency initiatives in post processing, quality, and automation.

In his leadership roles at Prototek (formerly ProtoCAM), Ed has supported and empowered staff to help establish a company culture that is energizing and rewarding.

Thomas Sorovetz
Director, Event & Hospitality
Claire Belson Barnes
Director, Membership
Tim Bell
Director, Sponsors and Exhibitors

Thomas Sorovetz

Director, Events & Hospitality

Thomas Sorovetz
T. A. Sorovetz, LLC
EventManager@amug.com

Thomas has been with Stellantis, formerly FCA, LLC, for more than 34 years, with 24 years as Supervisor – Vehicle Engineering Development, Rapid Prototyping Development, Wood, Plastic, CNC, and Carbon Fiber Shops. He has over 35 years of experience in automotive design and engineering and more than 30 years of experience in rapid prototyping/additive manufacturing. Along with publishing numerous articles in the field of rapid prototyping, rapid tooling, additive manufacturing and photoelastic stress analysis using stereolithography, he has been a presenter/speaker at many technical conferences.

Thomas has been on the AMUG Executive Board as Event Manager since 1993. He is the recipient of the AMUG Distinguished INnovative Operator (DINO) Award, the AMUG President’s Award, and the AMUG Distinguished Service Award for his 25+ years on the Executive Board. In addition to his service to AMUG, Thomas has served as an SME advisor on several committees spanning 25 years, including the Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Conference, Rapid Prototyping Association of SME, AUTOFACT Advisory Board; and, he was co-chair of the Bright Minds Mentor Program. Currently, Thomas is an advisor for the RAPID + TCT Conference and he holds the Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Master level certificate. In 2007, Thomas was voted by his industry peers as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Rapid Product Development and Rapid Manufacturing by TCT Magazine (UK). TCT Magazine is the leader in RP/AM and RP/AM related technologies.

Claire Belson Barnes

Director, Membership

Claire Belson Barnes
LightForce
dmembership@amug.com

Claire Belson Barnes graduated from the University of Alabama with MS and BS degrees in chemical engineering. She spent more than five years managing metal additive manufacturing in the control valve and industrial automation space for a Fortune 500 company. During that time, Claire completed an expatriate assignment and fell in love with Singapore. Currently, she leads a team of engineers working to improve the manufacturing of printed medical devices at LightForce, a high-growth orthodontic startup.

Claire started her AMUG career as the recipient of the Guy E. Bourdeau scholarship and has enjoyed volunteering on several committees over the years. She is honored to have been appointed to the Director of Membership position and is looking forward to contributing to the success of AMUG as a member of the board!

Tim Bell

Director, Sponsors and Exhibitors

Tim Bell
dspex@amug.com

Tim Bell is a seasoned manufacturing expert with a wealth of experience in the field. He began his career as a Journeyman Toolmaker in the 1980s and went on to spend the next two decades honing his skills as a machinist, programmer, designer, and entrepreneur of small contract manufacturing companies. In the early 2000s, he transitioned to additive manufacturing and has since become a leading authority in the field. 

Throughout his career, Tim has been focused on the production, advanced post-processing, and machining of components and assemblies supporting the aerospace, defense, and medical industries. He has launched four successful US companies, two of which were foreign-owned joint ventures, taking them from the ground up to profitability and becoming leaders in their respective fields. 

Prior to joining Meld Manufacturing as its COO, Tim served as the Head of the CoC for Additive Manufacturing for Siemens Digital Industries USA. In that role, he worked closely with machine OEMs and end-users to help them on the path to industrialization of AM through digitalization. Tim also played a key role in launching the newest Siemens AM Hub, the Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH), which brings together machine OEMs, end-users, and research facilities to tackle the toughest problems facing AM today. 

Vince Anewenter
Immediate Past Treasurer
Carl Dekker
Immediate Past President

Vince Anewenter

Immediate Past Treasurer

Vince Anewenter
Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)
Treasurer@amug.com

Vince Anewenter holds a BS in Business Finance from MSOE’s Raider School of Business and is a Journeyman toolmaker.  He is currently the Director of the Rapid Prototyping Consortium at the Milwaukee School of Engineering where he has been actively involved in the additive manufacturing industry since 2004.  As Director, Mr. Anewenter is responsible for providing strategic additive manufacturing guidance and new product development expertise to a non-compete consortium of over 45 companies located throughout the world. Areas of expertise include: additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, injection molding, stamping, castings and product design.

Vince has been attending AMUG Conferences since 2004 and has served on the Board of Directors as Treasurer since 2012.

Carl Dekker

Past President

Carl Dekker
Met-L-Flo
PastPresident@amug.com

Carl K. Dekker serves as the president of Met-L-Flo, Inc., a contract manufacturer specializing in additive manufacturing located in Sugar Grove, IL. He has been actively involved in research and product development using current technologies and innovative methods. He is constantly looking for new ways to advance manufacturing and produce products that will improve the quality of life.

Mr. Dekker has presented his work at various conferences globally, including those sponsored by 3DSNASUG, Amerimold, ANTEC, National Manufacturing Week, RAPDASA, RP&M, and SME. He has also provided training and installations at Abbott Laboratories, Delphi, Motorola and numerous other locations. Mr. Dekker’s work has been published in industry journals including Prototyping Technology, Rapid Prototyping Report, Time Compression Technologies, and the Wohlers Report (2003-8,13-19) to mention a few.

Currently President and Director of the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (past VP and Secretary), Past Chair of the ASTM F42 Committee on Standards for Additive Manufacturing and a Past Chairperson of SME’s Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing (RTAM) Community (formerly the RPA). He also serves as the Chair of the Direct Digital Manufacturing Tech Group of the RTAM, a trainer for the Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Technologies Certificate Programs and remains active in the Bright Minds Program as a member and Past Co-Chair.

He has received the Master Certificate in Rapid Prototyping and is a proud recipient of the SLA “Dinosaur” award.