Career Skills Track
Leadership Skills and Professional Development Within the Automation Industry
As a leader, you need to stay up to date on the latest practices and professional development strategies as the automation industry continues to evolve. This track provides practical tips and advice for advancing your career and enhancing your leadership skills in the automation industry.
NAVIGATE career transitions and develop resilience in the face of setbacks.
UNDERSTAND emerging trends in the automation industry and explore opportunities for mentorship, networking and career advancement.
DISCOVER strategies for building and leading high-performing teams.
08:30-09:15
Keynote - Data Security in Generating Renewable Energy
Carolina Ballroom / Francis Marion Hotel
James Clark
Vice President, Information Technology, South Jersey Industries Information Security
Jamie will present a success story on delivering a secure solution allowing data to traverse OT to IT to gain central visibility across our entire portfolio of farms generating renewable energy. It is a very challenging project designed from the ground up, emphasizing cyber security for safety and compliance.
With 22 years of experience leading IT teams and 15 years in building cybersecurity programs across the chemical, medical, and utility industries, Jamie Clark is a visionary technologist who bridges the gap between security, IT, SCADA, and business teams. Currently, Jamie leads the Information Security (IT/OT) & GRC programs for South Jersey Industries (SJI), where he also manages the OT Solution Services Team. SJI is a leader in delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. Jamie holds a BS in Computer Information Systems (CIS), an MBA, and certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GISCP).
09:15-09:30
Break
10:00-10:30
Deeper Dive with Houston Green
Gold Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Moderator: Ashley Weckwerth, Project Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Presenter: Houston Green, Space Exploration Engineer, The Aerospace Corporation, NASA Johnson Space Center
Ashley Weckwerth graduated as a chemical engineer and then started her career as an instrumentation and controls engineer in the oil and gas industry for Burns and McDonnell, an EPC firm headquartered in Kansas City. She worked in that role for over 8 years before transferring departments in 2020 to be a Project Manager managing SCADA engineering projects in the electric utility space. Now, she manages a company-wide top contract with over 40 automation engineers on her team located across the country. Ashley has been involved in ISA her entire professional career including when she changed industries, roles and relocated. Ashley’s ISA journey started at the section level working her way through all the roles: Program Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, VP, and President, and Delegate. Later, she got involved in division leadership and became ChemPID’s Director-Elect and then Director. Ashley then was elected to ISA’s Executive Board and served a 3-year term there. She served in many various committees and task forces along the way too and as of the latest ISA election, she has been elected as ISA’s 2025 President-elect Secretary (2026 ISA President). Ashley credits ISA a lot for her ability to grow in her career, from the leadership skills and knowledge she has gained.
10:45-12:00
Emotional Intelligence for Engineers
Gold Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Karine Leblanc, Published Author & Professional Speaker in Coaching & Training for Growth, VP of Sales, iAIRE
For leaders in the automation industry, the challenge of building robust teams and nurturing client relationships often poses a stumbling block. In today ' s technical world, possessing technical skills alone is no longer enough. To truly thrive, we must also cultivate our human skills—those qualities that connect us to our humanity, define our personalities, and enable us to communicate and interact effectively with others. By developing emotional intelligence, you will transition from being task-focused managers to empathetic and inspiring leaders. This transformation will not only improve team performance and project outcomes but also create a positive and thriving work environment, leading your organization toward greater success and growth.
12:00-13:00
Lunch
Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel13:00-13:45
Career Journey Panel
Gold Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Moderator: Patrick Corbett, Senior Systems Data Engineer, Eli Lilly and Company
Panelists:
Colleen Goldsborough, Industry Sales Manager, United Electric Supply
Ashley Weckwerth, Project Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Brian Curtis, REFS Contract Manager, Novartis
Alan Bryant, Senior Automation Engineer, Oxy
13:45-14:00
Break
14:00-15:00
Working Backwards - A Culture of Innovation
Gold Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Andrew Page, Principal, Digital Innovation, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
15:00-15:15
Break
15:15-15:45
Reinventing Your Career Path: The Power of Lifelong Learning
Gold Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Brian Romano, Director of Technology Development, The Arthur G. Russell Co., Inc.
Brian Romano, currently the Director of Technology Development at The Arthur G. Russell Co., has been in the process and automation control systems industry for more than 40 years, starting as a bench technician. After serving as president of a division for an automated machine builder, Romano owned a systems integration company, growing and positioning it as one with expertise in connecting the factory floor to the front office. To keep current with the ever-evolving automation industry, Romano holds an AS, BS, MS, and MBA and Ph.D. in Technology and Innovation. Romano has been designing and implementing Industry 4.0 solutions starting initially in 2004 with connecting factory floor data systems to customer business systems. Understanding a skills gap and workforce shortage in the control systems engineering profession, Romano leverages is academic knowledge and years of experience to teach the next generation of engineers at two local universities. He also serves as an industrial advisory board member for two technology and engineering universities, as a member of the CSIA Digital Committee and as chair of the ISA Smart Manufacturing division IIoT committee, where he was awarded the 2022 ISA SM/IIoT Division Leader of the Year Award.
15:45-16:00
Break
16:00-16:15
ISA Standards Overview
Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion HotelPresenter: Charley Robinson, Senior Director, Standards Administration, ISA
16:15-16:45
ISA Standards Panel
Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
This panel is an extension of the ISA Standards Overview and will have time for audience Q&A.
Moderator: Scott Reynolds, Security Engineering Manager - ITD, Johns Manville
Panelists:
Ed Manns, Managing Directors, External Relations, ISA
Charley Robinson, Senior Director, Standards Administration, ISA
Dave Lee, President, User Centered Design Services