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Sixth Annual Economic Development Summit

November 12, 2024

Program  |  Speakers

 

Program
Venue: UT Dallas Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center

11:30 a.m.

Sign-In / Networking / Lunch

12:00 p.m.

Introductory Remarks
Presenter: Dr. Calvin D. Jamison, Vice President for Facilities and Economic Development, UT Dallas

12:15 p.m.

Demystifying and Operationalizing Artificial Intelligence (AI [Artificial Intelligence] ) in North Texas
Presenters:
Jesús Mantas, Global Managing Partner, IBM;
Dr. Stephanie C. Adams, Dean, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, UT Dallas

12:55 p.m.

Break

1:00 p.m.

North Texas’ Semiconductor Boom - Perspectives from Industry, Academia and Local Government
Moderator: William C. “Bill” Sproull, Managing Director, Bill Sproull and Associates LLC
Presenters:
Robby Hefton, City Manager, City of Sherman;
Brent Omdahl, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Global Wafers;
Dr. Eden Zielinski, Assistant Director, North Texas Semiconductor Institute, UT Dallas

1:40 p.m.

Break

2:00 p.m.

University Update
Presenter: Dr. Richard C. Benson

2:15 p.m.

Keynote Presentation & Fireside Chat
Presenters:
John Olajide, President and CEO, Axxess and Chairman, Cavista Holdings;
Dr. Richard C. Benson, President, UT Dallas

3:00 p.m.

Closing Remarks / Announcements
Presenters:
Dr. Calvin D. Jamison, Vice President for Facilities and Economic Development, UT Dallas;
Jenny Mizutowicz, CEcD [Certified Economic Developer] , Consultant - Industry Engagement, UT Dallas

3:30 p.m.

Happy Hour / Networking

 

Keynote Presentation & Fireside Chat
John Olajide Dr. Richard C. Benson

John Olajide
President & CEO [Chief Executive Officer] , Axxess
Founder & Chairman, Cavista Holdings

Bio

John Olajide is an entrepreneur, investor, care at home innovator, civic leader, global community builder and philanthropist. He moves easily in all social, political, economic and intellectual circles to build constructive relationships and advance the best ideas to make the world better. Through Axxess and Cavista Holdings, he is helping improve access to healthcare everywhere and creating tens of thousands of jobs in various industries.

He is the Founder and CEO [Chief Executive Officer] of Axxess, the leading global home healthcare technology company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2007, Axxess has grown under John’s leadership to having a presence in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

As he thoughtfully engages around the world, John continues to support and partner with leaders in the U.S. and Africa across government, business, and technology. John is also the Founder and Chairman of Cavista Holdings Limited, a diversified holding and investment company with interests in technology, agriculture, hospitality, fintech, energy and other sectors. Portfolio companies include Cavista Technologies Limited, a global technology services company with operations in North America, Asia and Africa; Agbeyewa Farms, an agro-allied company operating in Africa; and Glocient Hospitality Limited, concessionaire of Ekiti State’s premier tourism destination, Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort.

In 2023, John was elected Chair of the Board of the Corporate Council on Africa, a business association which promotes trade and investment between the US and countries in Africa. In 2020, John served as the youngest-ever Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and executive committee, helping attract businesses to the most prosperous region in the United States. Among other accomplishments, he successfully led the Dallas business community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

He currently serves on the boards of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Presidential Precinct, the Dallas Regional Chamber, and the Dallas Citizens Council.

John is a graduate of University of Texas at Dallas, and in 2015 became the youngest person ever honored as a distinguished alumnus of the University and serves on the school’s executive board. He is the co-chair of the capital campaign raising $750 million to provide future opportunities for students at the school. He also serves on the Executive Committee for the Chancellor’s Council of the University of Texas System.

John has been recognized by various organizations as Outstanding Healthcare Executive of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, and a Leader in promoting inclusive growth among others, and Axxess has been recognized by numerous organizations as a “Best Place to Work”. Through his holdings’ corporate citizenship and philanthropic initiatives, John has benefited numerous organizations addressing healthcare, education, poverty and women’s issues, among others.

Dr. Richard C. Benson
President
The University of Texas at Dallas

Bio

Dr. Richard C. Benson is the fifth president of The University of Texas at Dallas, a young university of very high research activity (Carnegie R1) that is growing rapidly in size and stature. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, UT Dallas is one of the fastest growing public universities over the past ten years.

Benson earned a bachelor of science and engineering degree in aerospace and mechanical science from Princeton University in 1973, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1974, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1977.

Prior to beginning his university career, he worked for the Xerox Corporation as a technical specialist and project manager from 1977 to 1980. He joined the University of Rochester in 1980 as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and was named the top teacher in the College of Engineering and Applied Science in 1981. He progressed to associate professor in 1983 and full professor in 1989. He served as associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Engineering and Applied Science from 1989 to 1992 and as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1992 to 1995.

Benson’s research at the University of Rochester was primarily focused on the mechanics of highly flexible structures. With sponsorship from the Eastman Kodak Company, Hewlett-Packard, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox and others, he and his advisees modeled magnetic disks and tapes, paper sheets, soft contact lenses, photographic film and other easily deformed structures.

At Penn State University, Benson served as head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1995 to 1998 and head of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering from 1998 to 2005. He co-taught, with a partner from the Women in Engineering Program, first-year seminars on toy making and dancing robots.

As dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, Benson oversaw record growth from 2005 to 2016. The number of engineering applicants nearly doubled during his tenure. Also, the College of Engineering climbed to a top-10 ranking in the National Science Foundation’s report on engineering schools’ research expenditures.

Benson’s teaching interests are in the fields of structural mechanics, design and applied mathematics. At the graduate level he has taught courses in structural mechanics, structural stability, plates and shells, elasticity and continuum mechanics. At the undergraduate level he has taught courses in advanced mechanical design, statics, mechanical systems, kinematics, complex variables and boundary value problems.

Benson has received three significant honors from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In 1984 he received the ASME Henry Hess Award, which honors a research publication by a young author. In 1998 he was made a Fellow of the ASME. In 2009 he was elected to a three-year term on the ASME Board of Governors (2010-13). He also has held editorial positions with the ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, ASME Press and Applied Mechanics Reviews.

 

Speakers

Dr. Stephanie C. Adams, Robby Hefton, Dr. Calvin D. Jamison, Jenny Mizutowicz, Jesús Mantas, Brent Omdahl, William C. Sproull, Dr. Eden Zielinski

Dr. Stephanie C. Adams

Dr. Stephanie C. Adams
Dean, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
The University of Texas at Dallas

Bio

Dr. Stephanie G. Adams is an engineering education thought leader who has served as the fifth dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science since 2019. She is also a professor of systems engineering.

Adams is a pioneer in engineering education. In 2003 she received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to research effective teaming in the engineering classroom. In addition to teamwork and team effectiveness, her other areas of research expertise include broadening participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), faculty and graduate student development, global education, and quality control and management.

Adams’ passion and work toward expanding participation in STEM derives, in part, from her belief in the importance of engineering to society.

“Engineering is at the heart of everything,” she said. “From smartphones to smart homes, from driverless vehicles to renewable energy, engineering allows people to collaborate to solve the biggest problems we face. Our students and faculty members in the Jonsson School are fearlessly learning the principles, creating the prototypes and conducting the research leading to innovations that will profoundly impact our lives.”

Adams has served in leadership roles in several organizations, including as president of the American Society for Engineering Education from 2019 to 2020, on the advisory board of the National Society of Black Engineers and on the board of directors of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network.

Prior to joining UT Dallas, Adams was dean of the Frank Batten College of Engineering & Technology at Old Dominion University. She also served in various academic leadership positions at Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, South Plains Community College and 3M Co.

Adams is an honors graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. She earned a Master of Engineering in systems engineering from the University of Virginia, and a PhD in interdisciplinary engineering and management from Texas A&M University, where she concentrated on industrial engineering and management.

Robby Hefton

Robby Hefton
City Manager
City of Sherman

Bio

Robby Hefton was appointed Sherman City Manager in April of 2015. Since beginning his career with the City in 1996, he has served in several capacities, including Finance Director, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant City Manager. His professional career spans nearly 35 years, beginning with his role as a CPA [Certified Public Accountant] in Dallas in 1991.

As City Manager, he manages an annual operating and capital budget of nearly $200 million and has guided various City infrastructure projects totaling over $600 million since 2021. He was the City’s lead negotiator for various incentive and development agreements on several high-profile developments, including various mixed-use developments and industrial developments totaling nearly $40 billion. Hefton’s experience as a former CPA [Certified Public Accountant] has been useful in promoting public, private, and mixed-use developments within the City of Sherman. By combining his experience in public finance with his knowledge of Planned Developments, Public Improvement Districts, Municipal Utility Districts and general zoning regulations, Hefton has help establish Sherman a desirable place to live, work, play and grow a business.

Mr. Hefton received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of North Texas, and his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. As a fourth-generation resident, he lives in Sherman with his wife of almost 35 years, near the couple’s three children and six grandchildren. In his spare time, Robby enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, traveling, golfing, serving at his church, and playing guitar.

Dr. Calvin D. Jamison

Dr. Calvin D. Jamison
Vice President for Facilities & Economic Development
The University of Texas at Dallas

Bio

Dr. Calvin D. Jamison serves as the vice president for facilities & economic development at The University of Texas at Dallas. His office is responsible for overseeing the facilities management, economic development, construction, real estate, and auxiliary services enterprises of the University. In a time of tremendous growth for the University, he continues to lead more than $2.5 billion in development and the addition of more than 15 million new and renovated square feet to the campus, including a mixed-use development called Northside, also known as “Comet Town.” UT Dallas has received more than 36 awards for building designs, LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certification, and sustainability under his leadership.

Prior to his appointment at UT Dallas, Dr. Jamison served as senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Hampton University. He also previously served as CEO/city manager of Richmond, Virginia, where he oversaw almost $4 billion in new development with a $1.5 billion budget and 4,500 employees, held faculty and administrative positions at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech, and worked in the private sector with the Ethyl Corporation.

Dr. Jamison has served as a clinical professor at UT Dallas and received the 2013 UT Dallas Staff Diversity Award. An avid golfer, his office sponsors the Annual UT Dallas Scholarship Golf Tournament, which has added more than $1 million to three scholarship endowments for undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Jamison has spearheaded the completion of an array of university development projects that will have added more than $150 million to the university over the lifespan of the projects. In addition, his leadership in community service work has supported the procurement of more than $11 million in grant funding to benefit HBCUs and expand broadband access to underserved communities around the country.

Dr. Jamison is the immediate past president of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA [National Forum for Black Public Administrators] ). He previously served as the president of the Texas Association of State Senior College and University Business Officers (TASSCUBO [Texas Association of State Senior College and University Business Officers] ) and has held membership in the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the Research Universities Council, and the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO [Southern Association of College and University Business Officers] ). Dr. Jamison has also served as a past president of the Richmond Arts Council, past chair of Leadership Metro Richmond, and past chair of the Virginia Tourism Corporation Board of Directors where he received their Man of Vision Award. He received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Virginia Tech, and he was appointed to the Board of Visitors of Virginia Tech by the Governor of Virginia. Most recently, Dr. Jamison received the “Marks of Excellence Award” (highest honor) from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA). He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from Virginia Tech.

Jesús Mantas

Jesús Mantas
Chair Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board
Biogen Global Managing Partner
IBM Consulting

Bio

Jesús Mantas serves as an Independent Director and Chair of the Compensation and Management Development Committee in the Board of Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), a leading biotechnology company focused on neuroscience. He serves as a member of the Audit Committee as well.

He is also the Global Managing Partner in IBM Consulting responsible for Business Transformation Services, leading the $10B unit transforming and operating mission critical businesses with digital technology and AI [Artificial Intelligence] .

In his prior role as Global Managing Partner of Strategy, Innovation and Corporate Development, he defined IBM Consulting market strategy, offerings, ecosystem, acquisition and thought leadership, and led its successful execution.

He previously held multiple leadership roles in IBM as General Manager of IBM Business Process Outsourcing, General Manager of IBM Consulting in Latin America, and Managing Partner of North America Enterprise Market among others.

Before joining IBM, Jesús was a partner in the High Technology Practice of PricewaterhouseCooper Consulting. He also worked for Ernst & Young and lead supply chain systems for Procter & Gamble in Spain.

In addition to his role in the board of Biogen, he was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global AI [Artificial Intelligence] Council. He serves on the Boards of HITEC [Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council] and NACME [National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering] , non-profits focused on leadership development of diversity in technology careers. He supports minority founded startups as LP [Limited Partner] and Angel Investor.

Jesús holds degrees in Telecommunications, and Business Administration by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, was an adjunct professor at the MBA [Master of Business Administration] program of the University of California, Irvine; and served as an officer in the Air Force of Spain.

Jenny Mizutowicz

Jenny Mizutowicz, CEcD [Certified Economic Developer]
Consultant - Industry Engagement
The University of Texas at Dallas

Bio

Jenny Mizutowicz is an industry engagement consultant for the University of Texas at Dallas. In this role, Jenny develops partnerships between local industry and UT Dallas researchers that could lead to industry-sponsored research.

Jenny previously served as Manager of Economic Development Initiatives for UT Dallas from 2019-2022. She has also served as Economic Development Director for the City of Richardson, Economic Development Manager for the City of Carrollton and Director of Marketing for the former Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP [Richardson Economic Development Partnership] ), where she launched and managed the region’s first young professionals talent attraction campaign, “The Real Richardson.”

Jenny has a BBA [Bachelor of Business Administration] in marketing from UT Austin and an MA [Master of Arts] in emerging media and communication from UT Dallas. She is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD [Certified Economic Developer] ) and past Chair of the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC [International Economic Development Council] ) Young Professionals Advisory Committee and IEDC [International Economic Development Council] Education and Certification Advisory Committee. She currently chairs the UEDA [University Economic Development Association] Awards of Excellence Committee. In 2023, Jenny was selected by DCEO Magazine as one of the 500 most influential business people in Dallas. Jenny has one daughter and enjoys traveling to new places with her husband Cameron, Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys football, and reading books.

Robby Hefton

Brent Omdahl
Senior Vice President
Government Relations
Global Wafers

Bio

Brent Omdahl is the Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at GlobalWafers Co., Ltd where he manages the company’s interaction with local, state, federal and foreign government officials. In recent years, strengthening the semiconductor supply chain in the United States has become an important national objective, and GlobalWafers is playing a central role in bringing semiconductor wafer manufacturing for advanced chips back to the United States.

Prior to joining GlobalWafers in 2023, Brent served as a Senior Foreign Service Commercial Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC [Department of Commerce] ) where he managed DOC [Department of Commerce] Commercial Offices at U.S. Embassies around the world including in the Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Nigeria, and Taiwan. As a senior U.S. diplomat, Brent led his local teams in providing business support services to U.S. companies doing business in foreign markets. He also advised U.S. Ambassadors and senior USG [United States Government] policy makers on trade and investment initiatives, policies, and strategies and carried out those policies in his assigned markets. Over a 20-year period, Brent helped attract tens of billions of dollars in foreign direct investment into the United States and helped facilitate tens of billions of dollars of U.S. exports, thus helping create and support tens of thousands of high-value U.S. jobs.

Brent also has experience in corporate finance and marketing in the pharmaceutical and enterprise software industries and is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Tufts University’s graduate school of international affairs, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He and his wife Natasha are the parents of five children.

William C. “Bill” Sproull

William C. “Bill” Sproull, F.M. [Financial Management] , H.L.M. [Honorary Life Member]
Managing Director
Bill Sproull and Associates LLC

Bio

Sproull has had a 40+ year career in professional economic development and public policy. He most recently served for 17 years as President and CEO [Chief Executive Officer] of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, Tech Titans, and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership. After retiring from the Chamber, he started a government relations consulting practice focused on technology companies.

Sproull led Richardson’s economic revitalization after the bust of the Telecom Corridor® with a focus on industry diversification and creation of the Richardson Innovation Quarter.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed him for 6 years to the board of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, a half-billion public investment fund, which he Chaired during 2010-2011. The Fund invested approx. $200 million in over 120 early stage companies.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed him in 2020 as Chair of the Governor’s Broadband Development Council. The Council under his leadership recommended and the Legislature enacted a bill to create the State’s first Broadband Office, first statewide broadband plan, and a grant fund.

Sproull was elected Chairman of IEDC [International Economic Development Council] in 2014. As Chair, he focused on engagement of and support for young and minority professionals in economic development. In 2023, IEDC [International Economic Development Council] conferred upon him their Lifetime Achievement Award.

He previously held senior economic development positions at the Dallas Regional Chamber, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, and at the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri.

Sproull is a graduate of Baylor University with BA [Bachelor of Arts] in Economics and Political Science.

Dr. Eden Zielinski

Dr. Eden Zielinski
Assistant Director
North Texas Semiconductor Institute
The University of Texas at Dallas

Bio

Eden Zielinski received her B.S. [Bachelor of Science] , M.S. [Master of Science] , and Ph.D. [Doctor of Philosophy] degrees in Materials Science and Engineering, all from Stanford University, where she graduated with her final degree in 1995. She joined the semiconductor industry upon graduation, first working for Texas Instruments as an integration engineer on BEOL [Back End of Line] interconnects. In her 26-year career in the industry she has worked for Texas Instruments, Micron Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, and GlobalFoundries on BEOL [Back End of Line] processing and most recently was working on Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW [Bulk Acoustic Wave] ) filters for Qorvo. She has worked on improving Aluminum interconnect reliability, initial establishment of copper interconnects, integration of copper interconnects with low-k dielectrics, double patterning integration approaches, electrical optimization of BAW [Bulk Acoustic Wave] filter performance, and BAW [Bulk Acoustic Wave] filter integration challenges. Eden joined the North Texas Semiconductor Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2023 to serve as the Workforce Development Coordinator where she aims to increase the number of high school students engaging in careers in technology.