Involved in welding engineering applications and consulting for over 40 years, both domestic and internationally. Graduated from The Ohio State University in Welding Engineering and holds an International Welding Engineer diploma. A Professional Engineer in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas plus Alberta, Canada. Life Member & Counselor – American Welding Society, Chair of AWS D10; Member on ISO/TC 44, Member on ASME Section IX – Welding and Brazing Qualifications, Former Chair of ASME SCII/IX Subgroup on Strength of Weldments, and member ASME SCII Working Group on Creep Strength-Enhanced Ferritic Steels. President of W. F. Newell & Associates, Inc., a firm that specializes in welding codes, application and processes; plus Co-Founder/Vice President – Engineering of Euroweld, Ltd. providing a variety of specialty welding consumables, training and consulting.

Michael got his start in the industry as a field expediter for a small pipe fabrication and construction company. While working, he successfully completed the pipe fabrication and welding programs with the local Associated Builders and Contractors School. He later transitioned to the fabrication shop where he held multiple roles as a Journeyman Pipe Fabricator, Journeyman Combination Welder, Welding Supervisor, Quality Control Inspector and held American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector (AWS CWI) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers Level 2 (NACE Level 2) certifications.
He ultimately moved into a Project Engineer role, where, in support of a large multi-billion-dollar refinery expansion project, was recruited to join an engineering procurement and construction firm as their Pipe Fabrication Manager/Subject Matter Expert. He later joined an Oil & Gas owner company to manage their pipe and steel program. With over 25 years in multiple roles, Michael has global procurement and contract management experience on domestic and international capital projects from fabricator, EPC and Owner perspectives. His diverse background in fabrication, welding, quality control, engineering, and supply chain operations have enabled him to serve as a key member on multi-discipline supply chain teams achieving optimized project execution.
Michael is a graduate of LSU (Bachelors of General Studies) and lives in Sugar Land, Texas with his wife. He is an avid golfer, equestrian trail rider, cyclist and kayaker.

Jeff served 30 years at Fluor, in Supply Chain executive functional roles as well as leading teams on major projects worldwide. In early 2020, Jeff launched Constructing Supply Change LLC, a consultancy focused on Digital Supply Chain concepts, Material Management best practices, and elevating and amplifying the role and impact of the Supply Chain function. He is a contributor to AWS’ Welding Journal, Engineering News-Record, and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Houston, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M University. Jeff is a member of the Project Management Institute, the Association for Supply Chain Management, and the Institute for Supply Management, and is an active committee member for the Construction Industry Institute.

John has been in the Houston maritime/logistics industry for 30 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Administration from Texas A&M. He is also an adjunct professor at Texas A&M. He started with Bertling in 2002 as Director of North America Vessel Operations. After moving to Bertling’s logistics division, he held various management roles within North and South America. He is currently the North America Director. He has also been an Adjunct Professor with Texas A&M University since 2002. Active in various industry and education initiatives, John is the current President of the Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association, chairs advisory councils for Lone Star College and Houston Community College, and is a board member of the Port Houston Partners in Maritime Education nonprofit organization. In April 2020, he founded the Houston Supply Chain/Logistics Education Collective to proactively minimize the logistics industry talent gap and foster industry relationships with educators and students in the Houston region.