CANFIELD, Ohio – America Makes on Wednesday announced the recipients of its 2026 Ambassador Awards and Distinguished Collaborator Award at its annual Members Meeting & Exchange, or MMX, at Waypoint 4180.
Launched in 2017, the Ambassador Award program recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to advancing America Makes and its mission.
The 2026 class embodies a cross-section of the industry whose efforts have significantly shaped additive technology and showcased the strength of the additive manufacturing community, a news release states. The honorees also symbolize the progress achieved in additive manufacturing technology, industrial base expansion and workforce development.
“We are grateful to have such a passionate, proactive and powerful membership base, whose important work radiates beyond their industries,” said John Wilczynski, executive director of America Makes. “Their work boosts our institute’s efforts to expand our effective collaboration model, reinforce cooperation, advance education and illustrate the vigor of the [additive manufacturing] community. In collaboration with America Makes, the supporters we recognize here exemplify the essential efforts that are already strengthening the U.S. industrial base and revolutionizing technological breakthroughs in additive manufacturing.”
Ambassador Awards were presented to:
- Anil Chaudry, principal scientist, Applied Optimization.
- Greg Colvin, technical fellow, Honeywell Aerospace.
- Zac DiVencenzo, president and co-founder, JuggerBot 3D LLC.
- Benjamin Ewing, senior principal manufacturing engineer, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering.
- Eric Fodran, fellow, Additive Manufacturing & Emerging Programs, Northrop Grumman.
- Jeannine Kunz, executive director and CEO, Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
- Vijay Madi, program manager, Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Materiel Command.
- Tad Steinberg, additive manufacturing business development for the Americas, Siemens Energy.
- Sandra DeVincent Wolf, executive director, Manufacturing Futures Institute & Next Manufacturing Center, Carnegie Mellon University.
During the event, Brett Conner, chief manufacturing officer for Society of Manufacturing Engineers, was presented with the 2026 Distinguished Collaborator Award. Established in 2014, the award celebrates recipients who cultivate collaborative relationships with academia, government, and industry.
For more than 25 years, Conner has been a leader in manufacturing innovation. At SME, he leads its technology strategy and programs portfolio. He has a track record of driving the adoption of advanced technologies and aligning innovation with SME’s workforce and education initiatives to leverage the power of talent and technology, the release states.
Prior to his role at SME, Conner served as senior program manager for additive manufacturing with PM2 Strategies, supporting the Office of the Secretary of War. In that role, he led the 240-member Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group, coordinating across the Pentagon, military services and defense agencies to drive policy, strategy and investments that accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing.
Conner previously led Youngstown State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Center and held technical leadership roles at Honeywell and Alcoa. Earlier in his career, he served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Pictured at top: The 2026 Ambassador Award recipients, along with John Wilczynski, at right, executive director of America Makes.