ABOUT US
The Ohio Energy & Advanced Manufacturing Center (OEAMC) is a 501c3 Tax Exempt Non-Profit Corporation dedicated to assisting manufacturing companies in becoming more competitive in the emerging advanced manufacturing business arena. The OEAMC is a true public-private partnership with a Board of Directors that represents private industry, higher education and local government as recommended in the United States National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. The long term goal of the center is to assist U.S. manufacturing companies with their industry-driven research and development activities. The anticipated outcomes of our activities include:
- Growth of existing companies by re-shoring American jobs
- Commercialization of new technologies
- Creation of new companies
- Creation of new jobs
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Honorable David J. Berger
Former Mayor of the City of Lima
David J. Berger is a dedicated public servant and community leader. A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Dave moved to Lima in 1977 to serve as the Executive Director of the Rehab Project, overseeing the renovation of several hundred homes. In August 1989, he resigned to successfully run for the position of Mayor of the City of Lima.
Dave went on to lead a highly effective administration dedicated to positive community change, ultimately being re-elected to 8 terms of office and serving for 32 years. Following his retirement from public office in 2021, Dave transitioned to the private sector working in the space industry, and now leads Government Affairs for Virtus Solis Technologies.
He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America, as well as a Certificate in Community Economic Development from the Development Training Institute of Baltimore, Maryland.
John C. Hoffman
Owner and President of Hoffman Analytic Services Inc.
John c. Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Microbiology/Chemistry and a Master of Arts in Zoology, both from Miami University. He has over 35 years of experience in the water and wastewater analysis industry. He is a member of various professional organizations, including the Water Environmental Federation, the American Society for Microbiology, American Water Works Association, the Crystal Crucible, and 5S.
Judith M Cowan
President and CEO of The Ohio Energy & Advanced Manufacturing Center
Judith is the President and CEO of The Ohio Energy & Advanced Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. Judith started her professional career as the Vice President of The Bank of Leipsic Company where she was responsible for the administration of the lending division of the bank. She also served as the Mayor of the community where she lived. She left banking in 1996 when she was invited by then Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich to join his gubernatorial staff. She served a total of three Ohio Governors before leaving state government to take the position of President and CEO of the Ohio Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Center.
John-David “JD” Yoder, Ph.D
Dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering
Ohio Northern University
Dr. Yoder had previously served as Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering before accepting the role of Dean of Engineering at Ohio Northern University in 2017. He has been engaged in industry consulting for more than two decades and has 25 years of experience in factory automation and robotics, both in industry and research settings.
His primary research interests center on guidance systems in robotic and automated systems, with a number of patents in this area. He has published numerous articles in scholarly journals, including IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems; Journal of Field Robotics; IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation; and the AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics.
He has been recognized as a winner of the Society of Automotive Engineers Ralph Teetor Educational Award and the KEEN (Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network) Outstanding Faculty award. He has served as an Invited Professor at INRIA, and as a NASA Faculty Fellow. He has received grants at ONU in the areas of intelligent systems and entrepreneurship education.
Dr. Yoder earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Eric T. Baumgartner
President of the Milwaukee School of Engineering
Dr. Eric T. Baumgartner became the sixth president of Milwaukee School of Engineering on Jan. 1, 2026. Baumgartner served as MSOE’s Executive Vice President of Academics since 2017. Baumgartner came to MSOE from Ohio Northern University where he served as dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering and a mechanical engineering professor 2006-2017. While at ONU, he executed strategic plans and fundraising campaigns on behalf of the college and developed new partnerships and degree programs. He previously was a senior member of the engineering staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
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