Ms. Robbins, President & CEO, is a founder of AmTech, and has managed the organization since 1997. She is a specialist in forming and managing collaborations. As an attorney, gifted intermediary, and skilled process facilitator, she has amassed an extensive track-record of successful alliances and organizational change initiatives. NASA relied on Ms. Robbins to architect a non-traditional contracting method to support government-industry collaboration and to form major R&D collaborations with the aeronautics and satellite communications industry worth over $550M in aggregate. She has contributed to policy-making at NASA, FAA, DOC and led collaboration projects for NASA, DOD, DOE, FAA, and the U.S. State Department. Prior to joining AmTech, she practiced law, representing small business persons, and writing for legal journals. She is an accomplished musician and student of flamenco dance and yoga. Ms. Robbins holds a B.A. degree from Pomona College and a J.D. degree from the University of Santa Clara Law School. She is a member of the California Bar.

Karen Risa Robbins
President & CEO

Eric Brachhausen, Vice President, has facilitated numerous collaborative projects in aeronautics. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of AmTech's project fiduciary management capability. Formerly, as a design engineer for General Dynamics, he helped improve existing missile and aircraft systems, and solicited proposals for new contracts. He later joined the New York investment banking firm of Lepercq, de Neuflize & Co., where he worked 5 years as a member of its portfolio management team. Subsequently, Mr. Brachhausen acquired extensive experience as a commercial lender to small and medium sized businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, working with both large and independent banks. Mr. Brachhausen earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois, and is a member of Tau Beta Pi. He also holds a MBA degree from the University of Phoenix.

Eric H. Brachhausen
Vice President

Scarlett Carmona, Legal Counsel, applies her legal training to create collaborative legal and organizational solutions. She has organized and incorporated organizations that support industry consortia and alliances, and drafted complex partnership agreements between government and industry. She has developed team governance processes and acted as the collaboration facilitator for groups. She is the collaboration facilitator for the UAV National Industry Team (UNITE) and the Access 5 government-industry program. Scarlett has a B.A. degree from University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. degree from the University of Santa Clara Law School.

Scarlett Carmona
Legal Counsel

Judy Blumenstein oversees AmTech's financial operations, with purview over the organization's internal accounting as well as the numerous technology alliances it manages. The technology alliances represent administration of over $20 million dollars annually. Ms. Blumenstein provides AmTech's clients with custom financial systems and supporting software tools for complete financial tracking and analysis of complex, multiparty projects. Ms. Blumenstein has over a decade of experience in budgeting, planning, analysis, reporting and accounting. She has worked for Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups in all facets of financial management. She holds a B.S. in biology from Tufts University and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School.

Judy Blumenstein
Chief Financial Officer

Charlene Tremelling handles a range of responsibilities requiring outstanding organizational skills. She serves as financial administrator for projects through which millions of dollars annually of government funding are dispersed to companies and other recipients, requiring precise record keeping, analysis, and reporting. She also oversees AmTech's internal accounting and benefits departments. Ms. Tremelling studied business and accounting at the College of San Mateo and Canada College. Prior to joining AmTech, she founded and operated for many years a successful home health care staffing business.

Charlene Tremelling
Business Manager

Risi Vera provides AmTech's clients with custom financial systems for complete financial tracking and analysis of complex, multiparty projects. She additionally supports AmTech's financial reporting processes through the development of financial systems and the analysis of the organization's performance. Risi comes to us with over ten years of industry experience including seven years of financial planning and analysis experience with Federal Express Asia Pacific and Mattel, Inc. Areas of expertise include business planning and forecasting, financial reporting, strategic planning, and project management. Risi holds a Bachelors of Science in Economics from University of California, San Diego and a Masters of Science in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.

Risi Vera
Finance Specialist

Dorina Coe came to AmTech with twenty years of experience in commercial banking. She assists in customer service and financial administration.

Dorina Coe
Finance Assistant

Pam Smith, Project Coordinator (Cook & Bottle Washer). Since joining AmTech in 2004, Pam has helped with planning and logistics for our diverse project meetings and workshops held throughout the US. Pam brings an entrepreneurial background to AmTech, with experience in marketing, product development, and operations. Prior to AmTech, Pam held professional, management, and consulting positions with large, mature organizations as well as venture-backed technology startups, including NBC, the University of California, Levi-Strauss, Academic Systems, Lawgic Publishing, Ask Jeeves, and Diversified Computer Consulting, an Oracle Training Partner. Pam's been an adjunct associate professor at Golden Gate University's Graduate School of Management in San Francisco for fourteen years. Pam's also been an active, working Soccer Mom/volunteer at several independent, parochial, and public K-12 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area doing everything from baking cookies to launching a high school literacy program. Pam earned a B.A. at UC Berkeley and an M.B.A. at Golden Gate University.

Pam Smithh
Events & Logistics

Chris Gianuario has expert skills as webmaster, computer network administrator, and graphic artist. She earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Canada College and a B.A. in Art from San Francisco State University. She has taken numerous advanced courses in web animation. She is experienced with a range of word processing, graphics, web design, and database software.

Chris Gianuario
Network & Web Operations

Lyn Gardiner is a strategic communication and organizational change expert, coach, and facilitator. Her experience spans a number of industries, from high tech to finance. She has led global change projects for Fortune 500 companies (including Cisco Systems and Charles Schwab and Company) designing and deploying new organization structures, processes, technologies and systems. She also has experience as a small business owner, providing strategic marketing, advertising and internal communications expertise for business-to-business accounts in national and global markets. Ms. Gardiner provides strategic support to organizations, business leaders and project teams to envision, design, manage and successfully realize organizational change that improves performance, builds organizational capabilities and achieves bottom-line results.

Lyn Gardiner
Strategic Communications

Dr. Jeff Conklin has 20 years experience designing and facilitating meetings and on-line collaborations. Clients have included NASA, FAA, Boeing, AOPA, Southern California Edison, World Bank, GSA, and Air and Army National Guards. He is Director of the CogNexus Institute, a collaboration research firm in Napa, California. His research focuses on collaborative tools for groups working on ill-structured or "wicked" problems. He is the creator of the "Dialog Mapping" facilitation technique and software, which he employs with clients, and teaches in tutorials and workshops (http://cognexus.org). His book on this process, Dialog Mapping: Building Shared Understanding for Wicked Problems will be published by Wiley in Fall, 2005. He received a B.A. from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is an instrument rated pilot and an avid sailor.

Jeff Conklin
Dialog Mapping &
Group Decision-making

Jon Welch brings to AmTech his expertise as a programmer, graphic & multimedia artist, IS administrator and project leader. He has designed and implemented electronic collaboration intranets utilizing an integrated suite of databases to provide contact management, event planning, project status tracking and document management tools. His client list includes Safeway, CRI (formerly RITA) and NASA. Jon is Technology Director of Architask, a construction drawing and digital modeling firm. He directs the production of numerous architectural building models and resulting media, including walkthroughs, flyover animations and "virtual building tours." He defines client modeling requirements, identifies appropriate viewing technologies, and prepares modeling work plans, all the while supervising project staff and facilitating client needs. He holds a dual major B.A. in Philosophy and Biology from the University of Delaware.

Jon Welch
Collaboration Tools & Software