 | Chris Downing, P.E.
Director, Industry Services
Chris Downing is director of Industry Services in the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. In that capacity, he manages more than 60 professional staff members who provide technical and business growth services to industry throughout the state of Georgia. These services include lean enterprise, quality improvement, technology deployment, product development, energy and environmental services and strategic planning. The Enterprise Innovation Institute is a member of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Before becoming director of Industry Services, Downing served as associate director of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), where he oversaw expansion of the ATDC into the Technology Square campus and helped develop the Georgia Tech Venture Center. While at ATDC, he also served as the chief operating officer of EmTech Bio, a life science incubator operated by Georgia Tech and Emory University.
Downing has more than 20 years of experience in technical and engineering assistance to industry, technology business incubation and economic development services.
He is a registered professional engineer in Georgia and Florida and holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida. He is a founding member of the Alliance of Clean Energy Business Incubators, and a member of the Georgia Industry Association and the American Small Manufacturer's Coalition. He also serves on the Governor's SBAP Compliance Advisory Board.
Industry Services
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0640
Phone: (404) 894-7700
Fax: (404) 894-1192
E-mail: chris.downing@innovate.gatech.edu |  |  |
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Marla Gorges
Director, Trade Adjustment Assistance
Marla Gorges is director of the Southeastern Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (SETAAC), administered at Georgia Tech for more than 25 years. The SETAAC is one of 11 such centers nationwide funded by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to assist import-impacted manufactures with business plan development and project funding to better compete in global trade. Before becoming director, she served in both business development and project management roles with SETAAC, developing and implementing outreach and referral network strategies and petitioning EDA for program certification on behalf of firms in the center’s eight-state region. Before coming to Georgia Tech, Ms. Gorges worked as a consultant in the consumer packaged goods industry and held senior project management positions at national and international food and beverage companies. She has a bachelor of science degree and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the University of Central Florida.
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, N.W., Suite 330
Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0640
Phone: (404) 894-6787
Fax: (404) 894-8194
E-mail: marla.gorges@innovate.gatech.edu |
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Tim Israel
Group Manager, Atlanta Metro
Timothy Israel is group manager for Lean Enterprise and Quality Services at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute. He and his 15-person staff work with companies and organizations to reduce waste and improve manufacturing operations by implementing continuous improvement techniques, quality management systems, and lean manufacturing principles.
Mr. Israel is a RABQSA -certified Quality Systems Lead Auditor and Environmental Systems Lead Auditor. He has trained more than 5,000 individuals representing more than 500 companies on all aspects of lean, quality, ISO 9000, and ISO 14000. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has been an active member of the Georgia Oglethorpe Award Process, serving on the council and as an examiner in past years.
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30332-0640
Phone: (404) 894-2272
Fax: (404) 894-1192
E-mail: tim.israel@innovate.gatech.edu |
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Bill Meffert
Manager, Energy and Environmental Management Center
Bill Meffert manages Georgia Tech’s Energy and Environmental Management Center and oversees the development, transfer, and adoption of energy and environmental best practices for industry and business. The center conducts more than $1.5 million in research annually. He has nearly 20 years of experience in providing energy conservation, alternative fuel, and energy efficiency assistance to industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. At Tech, he also helped develop the first energy management system standard, ANSI/MSE 2000, and has designed and presented numerous energy-related courses. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 1987, Meffert worked for Combustion Engineering and Thermax. A Certified Energy Procurement professional, he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a B.A. in natural science from Covenant College.
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, N.W., Suite 330
Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0640
Phone: (404) 894-3844
E-mail: bill.meffert@innovate.gatech.edu |
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Don Pital
Growth Services Manager
Don Pital is the growth services manager for the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, a role in which he routinely coaches companies on organizational growth through ideation process management. In addition, he coaches organizations in lean product development techniques leading to design and prototyping services. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech in 1998, he served in the telecommunication manufacturing industry in key areas including quality, operations and engineering management positions for more than 12 years.
Mr. Pital has regularly coached and consulted with all levels of client organizations in quality management system implementations (ISO 9001 and sector-specific standards) and best practice training in areas such as root cause analysis, process improvements, SPC, process mapping, high-impact auditing, project management, and creativity. He has also been a lead staff member in the Center for International Standards and Quality (CISQ) within the Innovation Institute. He serves as a Georgia Tech Certified Lead Instructor and is a nationally certified (RABQSA) Quality Management Systems Lead Auditor. He has taught quality management courses and techniques to hundreds of employees and organizations in the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors. Don’s passion is to facilitate creative group problem solving activities with an emphasis on turning ideas into reality that generate organizational growth.
A Business Growth Coach, certified by Ohio-based Eureka Ranch, he has M.S. and B.S. degrees in Ceramic Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ).
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring St. N.W.
Atlanta GA 30332-0640
Phone:(770)-595-8921
E-mail: don.pital@innovate.gatech.edu |
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Chuck Schadl
Acting Program Director and Counselor, Atlanta
Chuck Schadl has been a procurement counselor with the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center since 2003, and has 35 years of experience in marketing and government contracting. He specializes in: teaching how to market to government agencies; consulting for federal, state, and local governments; assisting small, disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses; preparing bids and proposals for government work; developing effective marketing and communications programs; and designing and conducting training on government contracting and related topics. Chuck is an active member of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers and has achieved the highest level of professional certification from that organization. He is a founding member of the National Contract Compliance Association, operated his own public policy consulting firm, worked for governments at the federal, state and local levels, and attended the University of Akron.
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, Suite 336K
Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0640
Phone: (404) 894-0932
Fax: (404) 894-0267
E-mail: chuck.schadl@innovate.gatech.edu |
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