About AWS

Michael Krupnicki was elected to serve as President. He is the owner of the Rochester Arc + Flame Center, a private welding, smithing, and glass arts school. He was previously involved with Mahany Welding Supply for 37 years. An AWS Life Member, his more than 35-year involvement includes supervising Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) exams and serving as District 6 Director. He also served as Chair and Treasurer of the Rochester Section..

Richard L. Holdren was elected to serve as Vice President. He is Senior Welding Engineer of ARC Specialties Technical Services and Principal Welding Engineer of Welding Consultants LLC. With nearly 50 years experience in welding engineering and nondestructive examination, he has served more than 40 years as member and/or chair of numerous AWS certification, education, and technical committees. He is also an AWS Life Member.

Dr. D. Joshua Burgess was elected to serve as Vice President, is the senior program manager of metallurgy and welding at the Tennessee Valley Authority. Throughout his 20-year membership with AWS, he has served the Society in many different capacities at the board, Section, and committee levels. This includes serving as chair of the Northeast Tennessee Section in 2013 and Dist. 8 director from 2013 to 2019.

Kerry E. Shatell was elected to serve as vice president and is retired from Pacific Gas & Electric Co., where he worked as a senior welding engineer for 16 years. A 26-year member of AWS, he has served the Society in multiple capacities, including director-at-large; chair of the CWI Lifetime Achievement Award Committee; Dist. 22 director for six years; and chair, vice chair, treasurer, newsletter editor, and executive board member of the Sacramento Valley Section. He is also an AWS CWI and CWEng.

Mary Bihrle was elected to serve as Treasurer. She is retired from Hypertherm Inc., where she worked as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, she worked as the company’s director of global finance from 2010 to 2013 and the director of internal controls from 2009 to 2013. Bihrle has been an AWS volunteer for more than five years, serving on the Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees.

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Edward Peterson is a degreed Welding Engineer with a B.S. from LeTourneau University in Longview, TX, is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), and is a past chair of the AWS Houston Section. He currently works for Laser Welding Solutions, LLC., a laser cladding and build-to-print job shop, as their Welding Engineer and Manager of Quality Control. Edward is involved in the development of the codes covering metal additive manufacturing as Vice Chair of the AWS D20 main committee and an active member of the AWS D20B and the API 20S subcommittees.

Jose (Joe) Ocasio is a high school welding teacher in the Syracuse Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Jose was first exposed to welding in Puerto Rico through his upbringing. Learning from a young age the value of community involvement, Jose has actively supported community projects involving students and lower-income communities. Jose has helped design and develop curriculum for Local schools, colleges, and SCSD's first high school welding Lab. He is currently a CTE Welding Teacher at SCSD, Adjunct teacher at MVCC, Adjunct Professor at OCC, District 6 Deputy Director, Section 49 Chairman, and the attendee of the 2023 Leadership Symposium.

Neil is a Welding Process Specialist for Airgas where he travels his region helping customers with weld process selection and optimization, as well as capital equipment purchasing and training. He earned an associate degree in Welding and Fabrication from Southwestern Oregon Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering Technology from Ferris State University.

Jonathan is a welding teacher at Chippewa Falls High School in Wisconsin who excels in developing strong, student centered, career and technical education (CTE) programs through community supported projects, business and industry partnerships, and specialized facilities and equipment. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-Stout in Technology Education while working as a welder and fitter in the sanitary process industry.

Brandy is the Program Director and Welding Instructor at West Virginia Northern Community College. She is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and earned an associate degree in Welding Technology from West Virginia Northern Community College.

Robert is a Welding Engineer with the Weld Execution Team at General Motors Corporation in Warren, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering Technology and an associate degree in Welding Technology from Ferris State University.

Dr. Richard Polanin was elected as President after serving three years as Vice President. He is a retired professor and program chair of the manufacturing engineering technology and welding technology programs at Illinois Central College, where he continues to teach. He is currently the co-principal investigator for Weld-Ed, chair of the AWS Peoria Section, vice chair of the International Institute of Welding Commission XIV, and president of WRP Associates. He is also involved in several AWS committees.

Mr. Lienert was elected to serve as president, was formerly a technical staff member and a R&D engineer 4 at Los Alamos National Laboratory for more than 16 years. He is also an active member and officer of several national-level committees, has served as chairman of the AWS New Mexico Section, and has been named an AWS Fellow.