Our Team
Select engineers and academic thought leaders make up the leadership team for the Vehicle Technology Centre.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Ron Vanderwees, P.Eng.
President & CEO
rvanderwees@vtci.ca
Ron has over 40 years of experience in heavy equipment and vehicle design and manufacturing. A part of the Vehicle Technology Centre since 2003, he is working to position the Vehicle Technology Centre as a collaborative connector within the heavy equipment and vehicle manufacturing cluster of companies in Manitoba.
Nestor Dudych, MBA
Executive Director
ndudych@vtci.ca
Nestor holds an MBA from the University of Manitoba. He has served as the Executive Director of the Vehicle Technology Centre since 2010.
Board of Directors
Kiera Young, P.Eng.
With over 20 years of experience in design and manufacturing in Manitoba’s aerospace and heavy equipment sectors, Kiera is experienced in strategy, customer service, new product development, supply chain, engineering, and operations. She is currently the Vice President of Product Development at MacDon Industries, a manufacturer of specialized harvesting equipment.
Glen Naylor, P.Eng.
Glen has over 35 years of experience in leading design teams in the product development of heavy-duty vehicles. Over the past ten years Glen has focused on developing electric and fuel cell transit buses. He is currently working in an advisory role related to vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure.
Ray Hoemsen, FEC, P.Eng.
Starting out in the agricultural tractor industry, Ray has spent 30 years working in the public sector supporting technology transfer, applied research and innovation in a variety of fields including the heavy vehicle sector. Most recently, Ray worked as the Executive Director of Research Partnerships & Innovation office at Red River College Polytechnic and currently consults in the innovation field.
Doug Duncan, CA
Doug has extensive experience in transportation issues in Canada which developed over his lengthy career which spanned work spent at the University of Manitoba’s Transport Institute, the Canadian National Railway, and through public practice as a Chartered Accountant.
Gordon Draskovic, P.Eng.
With over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment and vehicle design and engineering, Gordon has work experience in three countries focused on truck, bus, heavy diesel engine and powertrains. Gordon currently works as the Director of Engineering for Fort Garry Fire Trucks, Canada’s largest fire truck manufacturer.
Kevin Dickson, P.Eng.
Coming with over 35 years of experience in design and manufacturing of electronic system, Kevin specialized in direct application for heavy duty vehicles for the last 25 years. Managing a global engineering group in five countries, Kevin has spearheaded several international business development initiatives. Currently, Kevin enjoys semi-retirement while consulting on select projects in the vehicle technology sector
Jojo Delos Reyes
With more than 10 years of experience, Jojo brings expertise and knowledge in system-level testing, hardware integration, as well as research and development. Jojo is currently the Research Program Manager at Red River College Polytechnic’s Research Partnerships & Innovation office where he oversees applied research and development initiatives related to heavy vehicle emissions improvement, performance testing, and electrification.
Thomas Small, P.Eng.
A product development expert, Thomas currently leads New Flyer’s New Product Development team focusing on innovation, design and development process. With over 20 years of engineering experience and leadership, he oversees New Flyer’s assessment of emerging technology and implementation of new products and mobility solutions into the North American market.
Grant Adolph, P.Mgr.
With nearly 50 years spent in the tractor and agricultural equipment manufacturing sector, Grant brings an immense depth of experience to his work. Grant currently works as the Chief Operating Officer at Buhler Industries, the only high horsepower four-wheel drive tractor manufacturer in Canada.
Marcia Friesen, P.Eng.
Holding a doctorate in biosystems engineering, Marcia is the Dean of the Price Faculty of Engineering and the NSERC Chair in Design Engineering at the University of Manitoba. She previously served as the Director of the Internationally Educated Engineering Qualifications Program, and as the Director of the Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education.