Board of Directors

lex lEmmers

sECRETARY MAMA; Director of Program Management & resident engineering, Paccar

Lex Lemmers is Executive at PACCAR and as Director of Program Management and Resident Engineering responsible for Business development, Engine Program Management, change and configuration management at PACCAR Engine Company, a division of PACCAR Inc. He joined the company in 1996 at PACCAR’s European division DAF Trucks in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Mr. Lemmers progressed through increasingly responsible positions to become plant manager for the DAF Engine Plant in Eindhoven and in 2007 Plant manager responsible for build and startup of the PACCAR Engine Company in Columbus MS.

Before joining PACCAR, Mr. Lemmers was the Quality director for Fokker Aerospace in the Netherlands. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Manager Manufacturing Engineering for Fokker Aircraft.

Born in 1960 in Haarlem, the Netherlands, Mr. Lemmers was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering at the University of Alkmaar (the Netherlands). He earned his master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering at the Warwick University (the United Kingdom).

Mr. Lemmers joined the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association (MAMA) as Board member in 2013 and was elected President of this association between 2017and 2021. In his current role of Past President of MAMA he also serves on the board of the regional Southern Automotive Manufacturers Alliance (SAMA) since 2018. In addition, Mr. Lemmers joined the Mississippi Manufactures Association as Board member in 2015 and became Executive Board member and Treasurer for this association in 2021.

Mr. Lemmers, his wife, and two of their three children reside in Columbus, Mississippi.

Clay Walden

Executive Director, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS)

Dr. Clay Walden serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) and is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering within the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. Dr. Walden is a nationally recognized leader in engineering engagement and economic development having received awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce, University Economic Development Association, and the Southern Growth Policy Board. Under his leadership, the CAVS has provided direct technical assistance to over 150 companies within the state. These companies have, in turn, reported over $5.9 billion dollars in economic impact and 3,300 jobs either created or saved. He has trained and consulted with over hundred companies across a wide range of industries in the area of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing.

In addition, Walden has been an invited speaker at international, national, and regional conferences including – Computer Assisted Engineering Forum (Tokyo), Southern Automotive Conference , Southeastern Conference Symposium on Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, White House Rural Forum on Innovation and Economic Development, and the White House Rural Forum on Economic Drivers in Rural America.

Walden has authored papers in the areas of technology management, manufacturing, and quality engineering. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Ricardo anguiano

Senior director – manufacturing Operations, nissan north america-canton

Ricardo Anguiano currently serves as Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations at Nissan North America - Canton where his main role is to support the plant competitiveness improvement strategic planning and people development.

Ricardo has been a Nissan team member for more than 27 years, beginning his career with Nissan Aguascalientes Mexicana as a manufacturing supervisor in 1996. Anguiano worked his way up to manufacturing senior manager at Nissan Aguascalientes before joining Nissan North America – Canton in 2012 as Director.

Ricardo has held roles in Trim and Chassis, Paint Shop, Plastics, NPW, IE, integrate Factory Automation and SCM (Internal Logistics). He has conducted multiples Benchmark activities in different Nissan facilities such as, Novo Mesto Slovenia, Sunderland England, Oppama, Tochigi, Kyushu, Yokohama, China, India and Mexico.

Anguiano received his Bachelor of Mechanical Industrial Engineering from Instituto Tecnologico De Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco Mexico and his Certificate Program in Leadership Executives training by IPADE and Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Ricardo enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his wife Adriana and two daughters, Alejandra (24) and Vanessa (22). He also serves his church as a Bible study teacher.

lauren scheel GURTOWSKI

Economic Development Representative, Entergy

Lauren Scheel is an Economic Development Representative for Entergy Mississippi, focusing on existing industry and business retention in the Entergy territory. In this role, she assists companies with navigating expansions as it relates to utility capacity, workforce development, tax incentives, and grant opportunities.

Previously Ms. Scheel was the Chief Operating Officer at the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) where she worked to align the organization’s goals with that of the community to recruit new industry, help existing companies grow, and expand the industrial tax base. While at MCEDA she assisted in several location and expansion projects totaling over $1.5 Billion in corporate investment and over 2,200 jobs created in Madison County. Notable wins include Amazon, Nissan North America, Fastenal, UPS, and Systems Electro Coatings. Additionally, Lauren initiated and created an existing industry visitation program at MCEDA, where she worked closely with Nissan and numerous automotive suppliers. Through this program, she assisted them in business expansion and retention needs, and utilized applicable resources in their growth.

Before working for MCEDA, Lauren served as a project manager at the Mississippi Development Authority where she worked heavily on existing industry expansions throughout the state. In this role, she worked closely with Mississippi manufacturers to expand their footprint in the state, and also conducted company headquarter visits throughout the U.S. to encourage future growth in Mississippi.

Lauren is a graduate of the International Business Program at Mississippi State University, receiving bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Spanish. Lauren is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and an active member of the Mississippi Economic Development Council. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family and dog, Rocky.

Courtney Taylor

Executive Director, Accelerate ms

Courtney Taylor serves as the Executive Director of AccelerateMS. She joined AccelerateMS in November of 2021 as deputy director for strategy and programs, tasked with overseeing strategies and initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the workforce and the overall economic health of Mississippi. Taylor has served in higher education for over 15 years, most recently as the vice president for workforce and economic development at East Mississippi Community College. Before that, she was the regional director of workforce and economic development for the Alabama Community College System and served as the director of workforce solutions at Calhoun Community College. She is a past assistant director at Troy University’s Center for International Business and Economic Development. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of West Alabama and a Master of Human Resources Management from Troy University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Capital Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Ryal Siem

continental tires clinton plant, plant manager

Ryal leads the team at the truck tire plant in Clinton, Mississippi, for the leading technology company and premier tire manufacturer.

The Bossier City native and Louisiana State University Shreveport graduate built a career in manufacturing that spans over 41 years.  He spent 31 years mastering various areas of plant operations at General Motors, including Production, Quality, HR, Labor Relations, Supply Chain Management, and Safety. As a manager at GM, he managed the launch team of designers responsible for the Hummer H3.  Ryal has also used his expertise to help launch greenfield and brownfield sites around the United States.

Before joining the team in Clinton in March 2021, Ryal spent eight years as the Plant Manager in Barnesville, Georgia.

Outside of work, Ryal enjoys hunting and fishing. He and his wife, Terri, have been married for 40 years. When they are not involved in community activities and traveling, the couple enjoys spending time with their two adult children and their families in Louisiana. 

Bob Richardson

Shareholder, Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A.

Robert C. “Bob” Richardson is a shareholder with the law firm of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A., where he is the founding member and chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Law section. Bob’s practice also includes general business matters, litigation, and insurance company insolvency. Bob assists clients in the both the private and public sectors and has extensive experience representing employers before government agencies such as the EEOC, OSHA, NLRB, and Wage & Hour. In addition to administrative charges and litigation, Bob also assists employers in complying with the myriad employment-related laws affecting the workplace and with developing proactive measures and strategies to improve personnel relations and performance.

Bob is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law and is licensed in both Mississippi and Tennessee. He is a former chair of the Labor & Employment Section of the Mississippi Bar and has been named a Labor & Employment Star by Benchmark Litigation. Prior to joining Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, Bob worked in Memphis for the North American manufacturing division of electronics company Sharp Corporation of Japan, where he served as employee relations manager and legal counsel.

JUDY JOHNSON

Sr. Engineering Project Manager, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) Extension

Judy Johnson has over thirty years of experience in manufacturing and leadership development, primarily in manufacturing industries such as utility equipment manufacturing, power management solutions, and aerospace and defense.  Her roles have included Manufacturing Engineering, Business Systems Design and Implementation, Project Management, Business Acquisitions, Production Management, Operations Excellence, and Talent Management. 

As a Senior Engineering Project Manager at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension, she has provided professional training in the areas of Six Sigma Green and Black Belt Certification, Project Management and Facilitation, Statistical Process Control, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, and Root Cause Problem Solving.  She has also provided technical assistance to industries throughout Mississippi and surrounding areas in strategic planning, leadership development, training needs assessment, and process and quality improvements.  Prior to joining CAVS-E, she served as the VP of Talent Management for a software technology company enterprise leading the Human Resources function, including Talent Acquisition and Organizational Development. 

Judy holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an MBA,  with professional credentials such as Six Sigma Black Belt certification and Supply Chain practitioner certification (APICS).  She serves on the Mississippi State University Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board and has twice been named by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of the Top Fifty Business Women in Mississippi.