Cultivating Opportunities in the Biobased Marketplace

Instructors: Ron Buckhalt, Manager of the USDA’s BioPreferred® program, has more than 40 years of communications and public policy experience, having worked as a congressional press secretary, executive branch political appointee, public relations executive, communications consultant, lobbyist, radio and television newscaster, and video producer. As CEO of his own consulting firm, he provided legislative, public relations, educational, and management services to many small business clients and the Federal government. For the last 19 years, he has been a USDA advocate for biobased industrial products. Ron earned a degree in journalism from Auburn University in 1969. Bill Wiley, Economic Development Consultant, University of Tennessee – Knoxville was the program manager for the Manufacturing Research and Development Institute and has over 20 years of experience in project management and marketing. He has coordinated research and technical assistance efforts between UT faculty and students, Tennessee manufacturers, and government clients. Mr. Willey has a B.A. degree in Radio-TV-Film from the University of North Carolina, State Certification in Building Construction from Asheville-Buncombe College and a M.A.ED In Educational Media from Western Carolina University. – Chapel Hill. Lisa Wood is the Statewide Director of the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) for the Ohio Department of Development. In this position, she supervises five regional offices that assist small businesses in contracting with government agencies and prime contractors at the federal, state and local level by providing training and guidance. The PTAC Team works closely with various federal and state agencies to further assist clients and local businesses in taking advantage of government contracting opportunities. Before joining the Department of Development, Ms. Wood was the Manager of Government Contracts for the Northwest Commission of Pennsylvania and a Contracting Officer for Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. She holds a BSBA in Management from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing her Masters in Organizational Leadership. Holly Schick is the Deputy Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) at the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this capacity, she provides strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight of three entrepreneurial development offices – the Office of Small Business Development Centers, the Office of Entrepreneurship Education, and the Office of Women’s Business Ownership.