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Nasdaq: EMKR  

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Cletus C. Glasener

    Chairman of the Board

    Chairman of the Board
    Mr. Cletus C. Glasener has served as a director of the Company since January 2024. Mr. Glasner is a seasoned c-level executive with over 30 years of experience within the aerospace, defense, technology and security industries. He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Leonardo US Corporation, a subsidiary of Leonardo S.p.A., and prior to that served as the Chief Financial Officer of Elbit Systems of America for 13 years. Prior to Elbit, Mr. Glasener held executive and senior positions at L-3 Technologies, Inc. and Collins Industries, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Glasener served for over 20 years in roles of increasing seniority at Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. He received an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a B.A. in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Glasener is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He is also certified in Financial Management.
    Director Since
    Independent Director
    Chairman of the Board
  • Bruce Grooms

    Member, Board of Directors

    Member, Board of Directors
    Mr. Bruce Grooms was appointed to the Board effective June 17, 2019.  Mr. Grooms has extensive senior management and executive experience in both the private sector and the U.S. Navy. From 2015 until June 1, 2019, Mr. Grooms served as Raytheon’s Vice President of U.S. Business Development Navy and Marine Corps Programs, where he was responsible for identifying and pursuing U.S. Navy and Marine Corps business growth opportunities for Raytheon and was one of its primary contacts with Navy customers, pursuing opportunities in the evolving cyber area, undersea growth and next-generation strike weapons.
     
    Prior to joining Raytheon, Mr. Grooms served in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Vice Admiral following a 35-year U.S. Navy career. Mr. Grooms’ U.S. Navy service included the positions of Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development at the NATO Allied Command Transformation, Joint Staff Director and Assistant Deputy for Operations, Plans and Strategy for the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff, and Deputy Director and subsequently Director of the Submarine Warfare Division. He also served as Senior Inspector for the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Company Officer and Commandment of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
     
    Mr. Grooms holds a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, graduating with distinction, and later attended Stanford University as a National Security Fellow.
     
    Director Since
    Independent Director
  • Noel Heiks

    Member, Board of Directors

    Member, Board of Directors
    Ms.Noel Heiks has extensive executive management and entrepreneurial experience in high tech companies, including defense and optoelectronics companies.  From March 2018 to April 2019, Ms. Heiks served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Duos Technologies, a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning for inspection and security applications. From August 2017 until March 2018, Ms. Heiks served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of MVTRAK, an early stage health monitoring company. In 2008, Ms. Heiks founded Nuvotronics, a manufacturer of radar and wireless systems for defense and telecom organizations, serving as its Chief Executive Officer and then board member until its eventual acquisition by Cubic Corporation in March 2019. In 1996, Ms. Heiks founded Haleos, a manufacturer of microfabricated optoelectronics components, and served as its Vice President until its eventual acquisition by Rohm & Haas in 2002, where she went on to serve as Marketing Director of Rohm and Haas (now Dow Chemical) from 2002 until 2007. Ms. Heiks holds a B.S. degree in Physics and an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech University and holds approximately 30 awarded or pending patents.
    Director Since
    Independent Director
  • Rex S. Jackson

    Member, Board of Directors

    Member, Board of Directors

    Mr. Rex S. Jackson has served as a director of the Company since December 2015. Since May 2018, Mr. Jackson has served as CFO of Chargepoint Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CHPT), a provider of charging solutions for electric vehicles. Mr. Jackson previously served as CFO of Gigamon Inc. (previously, NYSE: GIMO), a developer of network and security visibility solutions, from October 2016 until April 2018, and as CFO of Rocket Fuel Inc. (Nasdaq: FUEL), an advertising technology company, from March 2016 to October 2016. Prior to those roles, Mr. Jackson served as CFO of JDS Uniphase Corporation (Nasdaq: JDSU), a provider of network and service enablement solutions and optical products for telecommunications service providers, cable operators, and network equipment manufacturers, from January 2013 through September 2015, where he drove the separation of JDSU into two independent public companies in August 2015. Mr. Jackson joined JDSU in January 2011 as senior vice president, Business Services, with responsibility for corporate development, legal, corporate marketing and information technology. Prior to JDSU, Mr. Jackson served as CFO of Symyx Technologies (Nasdaq: SMMX) from 2007 to 2010, where he led the company's acquisition of MDL Information Systems and subsequent merger of equals with another public company. Mr. Jackson also previously served as acting CFO at Synopsys and held executive positions with Avago, AdForce and Read-Rite. Mr. Jackson holds a B.A. degree from Duke University and earned his J.D. from Stanford University Law School.

    Director Since
    Independent Director
  • Jeffrey Rittichier

    President and Chief Executive Officer and Member, Board of Directors

    Jeffrey Rittichier
    President and Chief Executive Officer and Member, Board of Directors
    Jeffrey Rittichier is the President and Chief Executive Officer of EMCORE Corporation. Prior to taking this position, Mr. Rittichier was the President and CEO of NanoStatics Corporation, a leader in production nanofiber technology. Previously, he was the President of Epik Energy; a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell and NanoDynamics which commercialized nanotechnology for the E&P industries. Mr. Rittichier was also the Vice President and General Manager of the Access Business Unit at Lucent Microelectronics and helped drive its $3.6B IPO as Agere systems. He has held various executive positions in General Management, Engineering, Manufacturing and Marketing in the Semiconductor Industry and was a driving force behind the growth and exits of Xponent Photonics (HOYA Corporation), and Polyscan (Etec Systems). Mr. Rittichier holds a BSME from The Ohio State University and is a Distinguished Alumnus of Ohio State’s College of Engineering. He has completed the Financial Management Program at Stanford University.
    Director Since
    • Jeffrey R. Roncka

      Member, Board of Directors

      Member, Board of Directors
      Mr. Jeffrey R. Roncka has served as a director of the Company since January 2024.  Mr. Roncka is an experienced senior strategist and industry expert in the global defense, aerospace, and government services markets. Mr. Roncka serves as the President and Founder of Sabot Advisors, LLC, an advisory firm focused on the global defense, intelligence, government services, banking, finance and related technology sectors. Previously, Mr. Roncka served as Head of Corporate Strategy for Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. and as a Senior Strategy Consultant to Booz Allen through MBO Professional Services, Inc. Prior to Booz Allen, Mr. Roncka held senior positions at various defense and consulting firms, including Renaissance Strategic Advisors II, LLC, CRA Industries, Inc. and Global Technology Partners LLC. Mr. Roncka began his career as an Industrial and Financial Analyst at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the United States Department of Defense. Mr. Roncka received an M.A. in National Security Studies from The George Washington University and an A.B. in Modern European History, magna cum laude, from Harvard University.
      Director Since
      Independent Director