Blake is Lead Coach of FRC 4909, Billerica Bionics, where he has been instrumental in leading an agile transformation by driving efficiency improvements and fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment. Blake started the New England Robotics Derby and serves on the New England District Championship committee. He frequently volunteers as a CSA or FTAA at local events and works to optimize the team experience by debugging technical issues and connecting teams with the resources they need to be successful.

Kory is a Senior Application Engineer at Altair Engineering, specializing in advanced composites modeling, structural optimization, and fluid-structure interaction. His passion for engineering began with his involvement in FIRST Robotics and continued through his six-year contribution to the UMN Solar Vehicle Project, where he served as the Aerodynamics and Composites Technical Advisor. Kory holds a degree of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from the University of Minnesota. Over his five-year tenure at Altair, Kory has assisted in the development and implementation of simulation solutions tailored for the maritime and defense sectors.

Dr. Vincent Wilczynski has served as the deputy dean of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science since 2010. A member of the FIRST Board of Directors, he has been a truly extraordinary volunteer for FIRST since 1994. He started and mentored an FRC team in Groton, CT, used his sabbatical leave from the Coast Guard Academy to serve as the FRC program director, helped FIRST with exploration of a concept that turned into today’s FLL program, and piloted a summer outreach program in CT that trialed the initial version of FTC. Dr. Wilczynski served on the FRC Game Design Committee for 10 years, has been a critical part of creating the Showcase Presentation at the FIRST Championship since 2001, and has co-authored three books on innovative engineering in FIRST. Dr. Wilczynski currently serves as the co-chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board and as a member of the Steering Committee.

David is a 2013 alum of FRC 1071, Team MAX, and current mentor of FRC 195, CyberKnights, with 15 years in FIRST. He is a volunteer leader at all levels of FIRST programs, from FLL qualifiers to FTC scrimmages to FRC district events, and actively promotes volunteerism with his students. David is an exceptional Judge Advisor for all program levels and has held the Sr. Judge Advisor role for NE FIRST, where he helped standardize training, enhance consistency, and elevate the quality of the judging experience for teams. 

Jonah is a software mentor for FRC 6328 Mechanical Advantage and a student studying computer science and mathematics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Jonah has led Team 6328’s efforts to develop novel vision and localization systems for 5+ years. He is also a core developer for WPILib and the lead developer for AdvantageScope and AdvantageKit.

Joe is an engineer with Formlabs and holder of more than 80 U.S. Patents. He has extensive experience with technical aspects of FRC, co-founding Hall of Fame team FRC 47 and mentoring FRC teams 2849, 3958, 246 and now 88. Joe received the 2013 Boston Regional Woodie Flowers Finalist Award.

Ruth joined FIRST as a student in 2006 and never looked back. She is an aluma of FRC 1735, has mentored with FRC 190, 319, 1024, and is currently a mentor with FRC 2713. Ruth also volunteers as a Judge across all FIRST programs, as MC/GA in FRC, and is a Host and Analyst with RoboSports Network. She works for Sphero, Inc and talks to the customers so that the engineers don't have to as the primary interface for deployment and robot support for end users.

Michael leads ingenuityNE, inc. and the New England FRC district, a nonprofit organization that prepares students for the future through STEAM-based programs. A nonprofit leader with over two decades of experience in educational and youth development programs, the 2026 season will be his 6th with NE FIRST. His previous leading the Ronald McDonald House Charities of New England as their Chief Executive Officer showcases his background in education and non-profit management. He has spent his career leading youth-based non-profit organizations.

Melissa is a tenured UX Researcher and manager at Google Workspace. She is the first FIRST alum on the Board, having participated as a student in FLL and FRC 1251, and has actively volunteered in various roles over the years. She was the 2018 FIRST Inspire Gala Evelyn Kamen "Rising Star" Award Recipient.

Fun Fact: Christine Sapio, FTC Co-Program Delivery Partner, was my student teacher in 2006.

Sam is the NE FIRST Director of Communications + Advancement, focused on advancing the mission of the organization through fundraising and information sharing. An alum of FRC 230, she has lived (and volunteered) all over New England and mentored teams from CT, MA and RI. She is now the Lead Coach of FRC 3182, Athena's Warriors, a 4-H community team out of the largest makerspace in CT. She has been a volunteer for FRC and FLL since 2005 and strives to make competitions excellent for all as a Senior VC and event chair.

Jamee is the programming advisor for FRC 2648, Infinite Loop from Oakland, Maine, as well as the team leader for community outreach. She graduated with a degree in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She currently is the Director of the Robotics Institute of Maine and has led the New England District Championship event planning committee since 2023.

Scott has coached numerous teams over the years and is a wealth of FIRST Robotics knowledge. Serving as the Senior Mentor in Vermont and FLL regional coach, he is part of FIRST in Vermont and Executive Director of NEARS.

Dave is an FLL, FTC, and FRC Alum of 228, a mentoring alum of FRC 2168 and FRC 1678, and President of the Board and Technical Mentor of FRC 6328. Dave is excited to share some of the best kept secrets around building student, mentor, and parents systems to ensure sustainable, efficient, and effective build seasons. From CAD reviews to manufacturing pipelines Dave believes the key to success is around building systems for the kids and mentors to follow and improve, he’ll share the systems his teams use to succeed!

Coach Norm is the 2024 Woodie Flowers Award winner and lead mentor from FRC 2468, Team Appreciate from Austin, TX. During 17 years as a basketball coach, "Coach" learned how to inspire, a skill that was acknowledged when he received his Woodie Flowers Finalist Award at the 2013 Hub City Regional. Coach Morgan has a B.S. in education from Wayland Baptist College and an M.S. in education from Texas State University.

Arne Gericke is WPI's Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Undergraduate Research Office. He is the former Head of the the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and recipient of several NSF and NIH research and educational grants. His lab generally focuses on the biophysical characterization of lipid mediated protein functions.