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Board Leadership

Learn more about the passionate leaders whose knowledge and experience make NE FIRST better every day:

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JoHn Bugeau, President

John retired in June 2019 as Deputy Vice President of Engineering for the Electronic Systems Sector within BAE Systems. He joined the company in 1983 from Ingersoll-Rand where he performed application and analytical testing for industrial process equipment, both internally and in the field.

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Brad Justus, VICE PRESIDENT

Brad retired to New England in 2022 following a long career in market strategy, communications, brand creation, and community development with both young and adult audiences. Most recently, at Riot Games, he led the global launch and publishing strategy for VALORANT.

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Mark Drapa, SECRETARY

Mark enjoys solving problems and finding efficiencies that increase quality and can scale. Experiences include everything from front-end, transistor-level circuit design through the entire backend flow and release process of all types of IP. 

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Frank Grossman, TREASURER

Frank was Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of Mindreef, Inc from its founding in 2001 until it was purchased by Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS) in 2008. Frank is also the chief instigator behind working to get FIRST Robotics into every school in New Hampshire.

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Brian Belley

Brian is a FIRST Robotics Competition alum of Team 1277 from Groton, MA. He joined as a founding member of his high-school’s inaugural FIRST team back in 2003–04, and has been involved with FIRST—as a student, mentor, volunteer, and leader—ever since. Today, Brian is the Founder and CEO at Crowdwise, LLC.

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JACQUELYNN GAROFANO, PH.D

Jackie is a Strategic Mission Account Executive for Microsoft, focused on U.S. Defense Industrial Base partners. She is the former CTO of Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. In addition to many other accolades, she was presented the 2020 Spark Award for mentorship by the Society of Women Engineers.

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Rina Leonard

Rina has over 25 years of Digital Technology experience with Fortune 100 companies and is currently Senior Director, Global Business Systems at Otis Elevator.

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DONATA MARTIN

Donata served as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of North Central Mass., including the cities of Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner, from 2009–21, where she worked to promote intensive and extensive Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) program at their facility.

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Michael Sperber

Michael is currently a Program Manager for Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense and served as Associate Director at Collins Aerospace (a unit of RTX), in East Hartford, Connecticut, where he was responsible for Product Lifecycle Management systems.

Contact NE FIRST

NE FIRST, 6 Liberty Square #2588, Boston, MA 02109

or P.O. Box 940, Bloomfield, CT 06002

Michael Fantom, Executive Director, mfantom@nefirst.org

 

Scott Heaton, Robotics & Logistics Director, sheaton@nefirst.org

Sam Spain, Communications & Advancement Director, sspain@nefirst.org

Thanks for getting in touch! We will respond as soon as possible.

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