About Us

Dr. James Albrecht is a founding member of WTCI. He has contributed to the organization in many ways, including being the lead sponsor of and brains behind two fellowship programs – one for high school students and one for college students. The programs reflect his lifelong commitment to youth education and global issues. Before retiring in 1998, he worked as a leader in the food industry for more than 40 years, including at McCormick & Company.

Heather Armentrout has been in her current role since May 2021. Prior to that, Heather led MS International Strategic Development for the company. From 2016-19, she served as the director of global business development in the Northrop Grumman Corporate office, leading the company’s assessment of geopolitical, economic and industry trends to inform C-suite decisions on the company’s future positioning. She also has worked in Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems in a strategy, government relations and business development role. Prior to Northrop Grumman, Heather worked for 15 years in the United States intelligence community. She was the lead author of the country’s first National Strategy to Combat Terrorist Travel and completed a legislative affairs fellowship in the U.S. Senate, in which she focused on Middle East policy issues. Heather served as a visiting fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Eduardo Bonefont is the Worldwide VP of Technical Services for the BD Life Sciences Segment. He joined BD in 2015 and has since transformed BD Life Sciences Technical Services into a recognized global leader through his extensive technical expertise, a commitment to continuous innovation, and a focus on delivering a best-in-class customer experience 
 
With over 30 years of experience in management and service, Eduardo has a proven track record of success across multiple industries, including medical devices, healthcare, and energy. Before joining BD, he was the Senior Global Service Director at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, spearheading inventive initiatives that drove business growth and service excellence. Before that, he held pivotal leadership roles with increasing scope and responsibility across multiple business units at GE.s at GE. 
 
Eduardo holds a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He is also a Six Sigma Master Blackbelt. In his free time, Eduardo enjoys sailing, water activities, and traveling with his family. 

Jim Casey has been the CFO at Pompeian Inc. for three years (as of April 2023). Before Pompeian, he spent 20+ years at McCormick & Company, Inc., the Spice Company in Hunt Valley. His prior role before joining Pompeian was CFO of Mojave Foods, a subsidiary of McCormick & Company, Inc. He also spent time in Commercial Finance, Sales Finance, Financial Shared Services, extended M&A support, and various areas of Supply Chain Finance, including Plant Controllership, Logistics, Freight Management, and managing the Corporate Inventory Team. Additionally, he spent two years on the Multiple Management Board at US Consumer, a division of McCormick and Company, Inc. During his tenure on the board. He enjoyed collaborating with peers and driving cross-functional projects on various topics. He graduated from Towson University with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics and received his MBA in Accounting from Loyola University. He is also a CPA in the State of Maryland.     

Casey currently lives in Fallston, Maryland, with his wife, Laura, and two girls, Makayla (16) and Alayna (14). He’s lived in Baltimore his entire life, apart from his role at Mojave Foods, where he spent two years in California. He joined the CFO Council in late 2001 and enjoys hearing the perspectives of all the C-level Executives with varying points of view and various industry backgrounds. He enjoys playing golf, working out, cooking with his smoker, and spending time with his family.      

Carol Dalton has more than 25 years of experience in corporate banking. She is a senior vice president of M&T Bank and the senior manager for the bank's National and International Banking Divisions. Within M&T Bank, she serves as a rotating member of the Managers Loan Committee. Additionally, she has served or is currently serving on the following committees: Commercial Deposit Advisory, Commercial Service Advisory, Commercial Technology Review and Commercial Management. Carol is a graduate of Emory University, where she earned her bachelors of business administration in finance.

Elizabeth (Beth) Dolce currently leads the financial planning, commercial management, and business operations teams of Ciena Corporation’s Blue Planet Software division and is a member of Blue Planet’s senior leadership team.  In this role, she is responsible for all planning activities, negotiation and pricing of customer contracts, and divisional financial reporting and controls. She also leads a team responsible for designing and supporting a variety of operational processes to support sales, product management, and the services delivery teams- and has advised in the structure and strategy of this division, including the acquisition and integration of three businesses, since its inception in 2015.  

 Beth joined Ciena Corporation in July 2010 as the Vice President and Treasurer prior to moving to the Blue Planet Division.  As Treasurer, she has global oversight and responsibility for the Company’s debt, cash, investments, banking and liquidity, where she led several capital markets transactions and arranged the company’s first bank and term loan credit facilities.  Ms. Dolce also managed the Company’s risk management programs, including foreign exchange, insurance and enterprise risk and served on Ciena’s Corporate Compliance and various Pension and Investment Committees.   

Prior to joining Ciena, Ms. Dolce was the Assistant Treasurer and Risk Manager at The Black and Decker Corporation in Towson, Maryland.  She has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, having held positions in treasury and capital markets, investor relations, business development and corporate banking at companies such as Cablevision Systems in Bethpage, New York, General Motors’ Treasurer’s Office in New York City, and Bank of America in New York City. 

Ms. Dolce holds a M.B.A. from The University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware.  She is a graduate of the Leadership Baltimore Country program and served on the board of directors of the non-profit New Pathways, Inc.  She is currently engaged as Ciena’s executive sponsor with the Building STEPS organization.  She lives with her husband and two children in Forest Hill, Maryland and enjoys spending time traveling, hiking, and kayaking.   

Kathleen Flanagan has served as president and CEO since 2009. Prior to assuming this position, she launched an international workforce and education practice, winning projects from such entities as United States Agency for International Development, The World Bank and the United States. Department of Labor. In addition to serving on the WTCI board, she is a board member of the Professional Services Council, the Massachusetts Women’s Forum and the CEO Forum of the Washington D.C. Chapter of the Society for International Development.

Dr. Leslie Mancuso has more than 25 years of experience in developing public and private partnerships with various organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Chevron, ExxonMobil, GE Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Laerdal Medical and Merck. She is a recognized international business leader specializing in bringing accountability to and navigating changes in the international nonprofit sector. In addition to serving on the WTCI board, she serves on the boards of US-ASEAN Business Council, Inc., where she is acting Chair of the Health and Life Science Working Group, and Life Science Innovation Forum of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization.

Brant Matthews is responsible for creating and directing worldwide procurement strategies and programs for raw materials, packaging materials, ingredients, commodities, services and non-inventory items. His global team was responsible for the development and application of procurement strategy, standardization of sourcing processes and systems, establishment and sharing of best practices and global procurement talent management. Before joining McCormick, Brant was source strategy lead for Johnson & Johnson, where he was responsible for creating, aligning and deploying functional strategy in conjunction with the company’s supply chain transformation. His 22-year career with the company included positions in manufacturing, quality assurance, external manufacturing and procurement at various operating companies in the United States, Belgium and Switzerland.

Bruce McIndoe is a recognized leader in risk management, technology and intelligence. Prior to his current role, he was one of the founders of WorldAware and was a key contributor to the company’s strategic growth. He helped secure the company’s position as a leader in global intelligence and business resiliency with the development of the Worldcue Global Control Center. In addition to serving on the WTCI board, he serves on the risk committee for the Global Business Travel Association.

Mr. Nolan represents McCormick’s tax and governmental interests globally. He oversees the company’s real estate strategy and investments to create value. Before joining McCormick, Mr. Nolan began his career as an Associate in the Washington office of Davis Polk & Wardwell. Since then, Mr. Nolan has held executive-level positions across the industry, including roles focused on tax, mergers and acquisition financing, and public policy for various companies, such as AT&T Corporation, Host Marriott Corporation, and Concert Communications, Inc. Mr. Nolan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a New York State Bar member and the District of Columbia Bar.  

Mr. Nolan serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including the World Trade Center Institute, Tax Council Policy Institute, Alliance for Competitive Taxation, and The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, where he is also the Finance Committee Chair and an Executive Committee Member. He is a member of several professional associations and non-profit organizations, including The Tax Council as Finance and Executive Chair; National Foreign Trade Council as Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Steering Committee; Maryland Chamber of Commerce as a member of the Executive Committee; Financial Executives Institute Committee on Taxation as member of the Executive Committee; Tax Council Policy Institute as a Board Member; National Association of Manufacturers as a member of the Tax Policy Committee; and the Consumer Brands Association as a member of the Government Affairs Council. 

Christine Potter is the Chief Platforming Officer in the Tools & Outdoor business segment at Stanley Black & Decker.  In her role, she leads the strategy to expedite the ability to embed modular designs and standard parts, enabling flexibility in the product development process to better adapt to changing market demands. Her team works closely with the Marketing, Brand, Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams to accelerate innovation while also increasing profitability and enhancing product quality.

She joined the company in 1995 as a design engineer for the professional power tools business.  Christine subsequently held roles with increasing degrees of responsibility for the power tools group in engineering, innovation and product marketing.  In 2015, she joined the Outdoor group to lead product development for the legacy SBD product lines and subsequently worked on the strategy and integration of the newly acquired MTD Products and Excel Industries businesses.  Prior to her current role, she was President of the Outdoor strategic business unit for the newly combined Stanley Black and Decker, MTD and Excel Outdoor business unit.  In that role, she led product innovation and new product development for outdoor power equipment sold under brands including Black+Decker, Craftsman Troy-Bilt, Cub Cadet, Wolfgarten, Hustler and DEWALT.  She was responsible for the development of new technology and product road maps that delivered solutions for home owners up through landscaping professionals.

Christine holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland.  

Marc Pritchard believes in the power of brands to serve people with the best performing products, while also being a force for good through ethics and responsibility, community impact, diversity and inclusion, gender equality and environmental sustainability. He has more than 20 years of experience in the Beauty and Personal Care categories. As chief brand officer, he is responsible for brand building disciplines worldwide, including marketing and advertising strategies, leading marketing innovations and brand building for an extensive portfolio of clients.

Eddie has worked at WTCI since 2007. He has served in various leadership roles, including chief operating officer. His passion for international business and affairs, coupled with a desire to develop the next generation of global leaders, has contributed to the success of many of WTCI’s professional development programs.

Prior to WTCI, Eddie worked with TESSCO Technologies Inc., a leading global supplier of wireless communications products. He also played a central role in the development of Gems of the Earth, a nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic development in the rural communities of Brazil, making modern technology accessible to all who seek it.

Eddie and his family migrated to the United State from Brazil when he was 11. He is an advocate for human rights issues and serves as vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services. 

Eddie earned his bachelor’s degree in international business from Towson University and Master of Business Administration degree from Georgetown University. He has also studied culinary arts at Académie de Cuisine.

Fun fact: Eddie is an All-American Soccer Player.

Tammy Ridgley has more than 20 years of experience working in the constantly changing wireless technology industry. She works closely with the best global suppliers in the world to build strong partnerships, go-to market strategies, solutions and services to the commercial market. Prior to assuming her current position, she held several leadership positions in sales, program management and product management.

Over his 28-year career, Peter Stanford has developed deep expertise with Occupier clients by leading Global Occupier Services teams delivering transaction and portfolio advisory services for clients across Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and and Latin and South America. He also has experience as a managing principal and director of asset services in the Baltimore region. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and earned a masters in business administration degree from The George Washington University.

Sylvia Toense is a Vice President at T. Rowe Price.  Mrs. Toense is the Global Head of Institutional Marketing for T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services, the organization responsible for the firm’s institutional business worldwide.

Sylvia has extensive experience in a range of marketing initiatives including strategic planning, branding, advertising, research, creative, and client communications.  Prior to joining the firm in 2007, she held various marketing roles at Legg Mason including director of marketing for the private client business before it was sold to Citigroup/Smith Barney and more recently director of corporate marketing.  Previously, she held marketing and investor relations positions at Dynex Financial and its predecessor firms, as well as the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

Sylvia has an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Business – Finance concentration from Johns Hopkins University and attended the Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School.

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. has over 60 years of investment management experience with US$400 billion in assets under management for institutional and individual investors worldwide as of 31 December 2007.

T. Rowe Price is focused exclusively on investment management and related services. It is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ and included in the S&P 500 Index. It has offices in Amsterdam, Baltimore, Buenos Aires, Colorado Springs, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tampa, Toronto and Tokyo.

Krish is the President and CEO of Global Refuge. She previously served in the Obama White House as Policy Director for First Lady Michelle Obama and at the State Department as Senior Advisor under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry.

Krish has committed her career to public service because she knows how differently life could have turned out. Krish was 9-months old when she and her family escaped a country on the brink of civil war and built a life in Maryland. Her parents came to this country with no jobs and $200 in their pockets.

Krish is a graduate from Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County and then attended Yale College, where she earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, where she received an M.Phil. in International Relations, before returning to Yale Law School, where she served on the Yale Law Journal.

Krish’s interest in public service and grassroots politics began at an early age. In elementary school, Krish went knocking door to door with her mother in support of Senator Barbara Mikulski when she won her historic first race for the Senate. In college, Krish worked for another great public servant when she spent her summer back from college working for Senator Paul Sarbanes.

At the White House, Krish served as Policy Director for Michelle Obama and led the First Lady’s signature Let Girls Learn initiative. At the State Department, she coordinated development and implementation of multiple programs including those concerning refugees and migration, engagement with religious communities, the legal dimensions of U.S. foreign policy, and regional issues relating to Africa and the Middle East.  She worked closely with USAID, Health & Human Services and the Department of Defense.

Before joining the White House, Krish practiced law at Jenner & Block in Washington, DC, clerked for Chief Judge Michael Boudin on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and taught at Georgetown University as an adjunct. She has been recognized as one of The Daily Record’s “Top 100 Women” and serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration.

Krish and her husband, Collin O’Mara are the parents of a young daughter, Alana.

Dan Whelan has more than 30 years of experience advising globally- active companies in risk and financial management. He is also a risk advisory services partner with RSM and a member of their national risk consulting practice. He has extensive experience in delivering Sarbanes-Oxley consulting services for public companies, risk-based assessments of key controls, optimization and on-going quarterly testing and sustainability. He has also piloted an international Sarbanes-Oxley engagement for a $2 billion optical network solutions company with locations in over 50 countries around the world.

Paul J. Wiedefeld is the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), where he oversees MDOT’s six agencies – the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration, and Maryland Transportation Authority. He leads operations and maintenance of state highways, bridges, tollways, transit systems, motor vehicle licensing, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. He serves serve as Chair of the MDTA Board, the Maryland Port Commission, and the Maryland Aviation Commission; and a member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board.  

Secretary Wiedefeld most recently was Vice President with the international architectural and engineering firm HDR, where he served as the US Northeast Transportation Business Director. Prior to joining HDR, he was General Manager/CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from 2015 to 2022, the CEO of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport for 10 years, and the Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration. 

He was prepared for these executive-level public sector challenges by holding various county, regional, and state-level government positions during his career. Most notably, serving as the Director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of System Planning and Evaluation. Additional private sector experience includes a decade as a consultant with the engineering firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff.  

Secretary Wiedefeld has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Towson University and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. A Baltimore native, he attended Mount St. Joseph High School. 

Dr. Daria J. Willis serves as the fifth president of Howard Community College. She assumed office as the first African American to lead the college in its history after a unanimous vote by the college's Board of Trustees.  

Prior to her appointment at Howard Community College, Dr. Willis was the president of Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. Among her accomplishments are the adoption of the Guided Pathways framework across Everett Community College to help close achievement gaps and promote student success and achievement, the adoption of a new advising model to assist students with course selection and degree completion, and securing a $43.5 million from the Washington Legislature to fund the new Learning Resource Center that broke ground in September 2021. 

She currently serves as a 2021 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and on the American Association of Community Colleges’ Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, the Howard County Economic Development Board, Local Children’s Board, Rising Leaders, and Phi Theta Kappa advisory board. Dr. Willis most recently received the Daily Record’s 2022 Most Influential Marylander, Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, 2023 cohort of VIP Women of Influence and was honored as a Living Legend by Councilmember Opal Jones. 

Earlier in her career, Dr. Willis was the provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Onondaga Community College; the dean of academic studies at Lee College in Baytown, Texas; executive dean of centers/dean of instruction at the Lone Star College-North Harris Greenspoint Center and Victory Center; department chair of social and behavioral sciences and kinesiology at Lone Star College-University Park Campus in Texas and the Faculty Senate president; an adjunct faculty member in history at Florida A&M University; and an adjunct faculty member in history at Tallahassee Community College (Florida). 

Dr. Willis earned her Ph.D. in history from Florida State University. She holds a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s degree in history education from Florida A&M University, a historically Black college in Florida. 

Dr. Willis and her husband, Dr. Isiah David Brown, are the proud parents of daughter Lyric, son Isiah, and daughter Imani.