Advisory Board

Edwin ‘Ted’ Carr has spent his professional career at the nexus of government, innovation, and the global marketplace. He has leveraged his decades of government and private sector management experience to serve as an accomplished international trade and investment leader. Mr. Carr currently heads economic development and global client activity at the business advisory firm Energyzt, where he advises domestic and international governments and global companies on innovation and related economic strategies.

Accomplished and experienced President, CEO, and Private Equity portfolio company Board Director, with a documented history of driving value creation while directing operations or providing strategic and compliance oversight in the consumer products, apparel, and industrial textiles industries.  A strong business development professional skilled in building collaborative teams, driving change management, mapping new strategies, and then implementing a comprehensive and contemporary "go to market" business plan.

Tracy brings significant expertise advising full-scale communications operations, developing messages and shaping media coverage to raise visibility, launching initiatives, affecting public opinion, and achieving victories. Her work as a media specialist has garnered national awards and recognition, including from The New York Times. As a senior advisor and public affairs strategist, Tracy is sought for her rapid response and messaging sensibilities and providing valued media counsel directly with principals and high-level executives.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of road safety, Tara Casanova Powell is the Principal of Casanova Powell Consulting, an independent traffic safety research consulting firm, and the current Executive Director for the Association of Traffic Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP). Tara is also the Program Coordinator for the Annual Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities, and the project lead for a NHTSA cooperative agreement with the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.

Tim Weil is a Security Architect/IT Security Manager with over twenty-five years of IT management, consulting, and engineering experience in the U.S. Government and Communications Industry. Mr. Weil's technical areas of expertise include IT Security Management, Enterprise Security Architecture, FISMA Compliance, Identity Management, and Network Engineering. Mr. Weil is a Senior Member of the IEEE and has served in many IEEE Program Activities.

Patrick Bench is the Founder of Benchmark Strategies. In this role, he provides public affairs and lobbying counsel to clients. Patrick specializes in economic development and procurement advisory services. Prior to launching Benchmark Strategies, Patrick served for five years as a Vice President of Public Affairs at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications.