Ray L. Knowis is owner and principal of MCS. Prior to his early retirement, Ray served 31 years with Micro Craft, Inc., an aerospace company specializing in the design and manufacture of experimental aerospace test articles, engine test rigs and space flight hardware. During this period Ray held several positions of increasing responsibility including Design Engineer, Engineering Manager, V.P. of Engineering and Chief Engineer, Plant Manager, Corp. V. P. of Programs, Strategic Business Unit (SBU) for Aerospace Test Systems Group Vice President, Senior V.P. and Contract Manager for a major NASA Program, the Reliance Consolidated Models Contract (RECOM). The contract value was $90M. In addition to his experience with government contracting procedures, particularly with NASA, he has also been directly responsible for numerous projects for commercial aircraft companies, both domestic and foreign. Ray has extensive experience in operations management with P&L responsibility for varying size operations including a Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of multiple (up to 5) design and manufacturing sites across the U.S. having an operating budget of over $20M annually. For these operations Ray did the Business Plans, Strategic Planning, Market Analysis and Contract Phase-In and Start-Up. He was principally responsible for implementing ISO 9000 at these facilities. He has hands-on experience in Cost Analysis and Estimating, Value Engineering and Manufacturability Analysis, Proposal Management and Writing, and Plant Management. Ray was instrumental in the start-up of all of Micro Craft's new operations across the country. On a number of occasions Ray was sent on assignments by Micro Craft to a Field Office that was marginally performing to correct management problems and, without exception, he turned these operations into excellent performers with much improved customer relations. Since his retirement Ray has also managed the closing of a manufacturing plant and the disposition of approximately $1M of equipment while finishing all work-in-progress, keeping all customers satisfied, and maintaining employee morale during the plant closing. Ray has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (cum laude) from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Management (cum laude) from the University of Tennessee. He has attended a number of management short courses and the Hi Silver Course on "Writing Winning Proposals". Since his retirement, Ray has been retained on a number of occasions to provide litigation support services as an expert witness related to his experience in engineering and management.He has been an active member in ASME, and SME. He currently a member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Arnold Community Council (ACC), Hands On Science Center in Tullahoma and is on the Executive Committee of the Support Council for the University of Tennessee Space Institute. 

William H. (Bill) Comer is an Associate Consultant with MCS. Bill has over 40 years experience in the aerospace ground testing industry. As a practicing electrical engineer at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), Bill led the evolutionary development of integrated data acquisition and model positioning controls to achieve a ten-fold improvement in wind tunnel productivity and data quality. He participated on an industry team, during the preliminary design phase of the National Wind Tunnel Complex Project, in which he developed an Informational Quality Model (IQM) to propagate errors from the primary measurements and other error sources to the calculated output parameters. As the Senior Instrumentation and Controls Specialist at Micro Craft, Inc., Bill was responsible for the development of an instrumentation and controls capability within the company. He was subsequently responsible for the oversight of the development of the instrumentation systems for the HYPER - X (X-43) Project. As an independent contractor, Bill's communication and writing skills have led to numerous opportunities in marketing and proposal preparation to support companies seeking Government contracts in the aerospace industry. Bill has a BSEE from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MSEE from the University of Tennessee. He has completed extensive training in proposal preparation including Hudson Patten's "Power Graphics" and Shipley Associates' "Writing Winning Proposals" and has had numerous short courses in safety, quality and project management. Bill is a Licensed Professional Engineer" in Electrical Engineering in the state of Tennessee. He has memberships in a number of professional societies including ISA - The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society, to which he has contributed a number of technical papers. Bill is currently serving as the Chairman of the Industrial Board of Coffee County.

James (Jim) G. Mitchell, PhD, is an Associate Consultant with MCS. Jim is recognized as one of the nation's leading authorities on aeronautic ground test facilities. His 40 plus years experience in the aerospace industry began as a Facilities Planning Engineer at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) where he served as the Chief Scientist from 1983 - 1988. His experience since 1988 has been with Micro Craft, Inc. where he provided the senior technical leadership in positions that included: Director of Technical Services; Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer; Manager of Micro Craft Technology, a joint venture to operate the aerospace test facilities at AEDC; and President and CEO of Surface Treatment technologies, a spin-off from Micro Craft, Inc. Jim has served on more than 20 of the nation's most prestigious advisory boards, study groups and Governmental agency committees including: the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1983 - 1988); National Research Council Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Committee for review of aeronautical and space facilities (1993 - 1994); Past Member of the AGARD Propulsion and Energetics Panel; and Director of RT&E Space Facilities Study for NASA (1989 - 1990). Jim has over 30 major publications, technical papers and seminars relating to aeronautics ground testing to his credit. He has received many of the nation's major professional awards and received the French "Medaille de l'Aeronautique" for contributions to international aeronautics, November 1987. Jim has a BAE (cum laude) in Aeronautical Engineering from Auburn University, an MSE in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, an MSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee Space Institute, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and completed the Senior Executive Program at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA.

J. Kenneth (Ken) Davis is an Associate Consultant with MCS. Prior to his early retirement from UT-Battelle, one of the operating contractors for Department of Energy nuclear facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Ken actively practiced Patent Law before the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Agent. As a practicing Mechanical Engineer, Ken also has broad experience related to construction projects, manufacturing, machine design, and plant and equipment maintenance. As a Senior Patent Agent his responsibilities included writing and filing applications for patents on a wide variety of technical inventions developed by employees. Ken's experience in managing industrial construction projects was with Black & Veatch Architect Engineers at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he was responsible for ensuring cost, schedule and quality objectives were met. Other experience at the Oak Ridge facilities included Maintenance Engineer and Maintenance General Supervisor. As a Product Engineer, he was responsible for managing the schedules for testing of nuclear weapons components. He was also responsible for providing the interface between the Quality Evaluations Department and the design laboratories for the Department of Energy. Paralleling his work at the Laboratory, Ken also exercises FAA Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Technician ratings with Inspection Authorization. As an active pilot, Ken serves as a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, providing air transportation for needy medical patients using his personally owned aircraft. Ken has a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee where he paid for all of his expenses from earnings while participating in the Cooperative Engineering Scholarship Program and part-time work. Ken holds a Department of Energy "Q" Clearance.

Noah Risner is an Associate Consultant of MCS. His 35 years of experience includes engineering management, plant and operations management. This experience also includes project management and contract management. As the Site Manager of Micro Craft, Inc.'s Tullahoma Division, Noah directed the activities of Operations (Engineering and Manufacturing), Quality Assurance, Purchasing and Security. In this capacity he was directly responsible for establishing and achieving annual operating budgets, strategic planning, revenue projections and profitability along with salary administration, personnel equipment and the facility. Noah provided the senior leadership for the Quality Assurance Program and led the implementation of ISO 9000 at the Micro Craft Tullahoma facility. As a practicing engineer Noah has extensive experience and is recognized as an industry expert in the conceptual design, detail design, stress analysis and project management of aerospace R&D test hardware. He has exceptional skills in estimating man-hours and cost for the design and manufacture of this and related hardware. His experience includes the design of remotely controlled systems with position feedback devices and with several types of hot and cold flow systems with flow measuring devices. Noah has a BSME Degree from the University of Arkansas and has completed numerous continuing education management short courses and LSO 9001 Internal Auditor Training. His computer skills include MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Org Plus.

Wesley T. (Wes) McMinn is an Associate Consultant of MCS. Wes has over 30 years of a wide range of Mechanical Engineering experience including design, analysis, project management, supervision and management of an engineering department. As a practicing engineer at Combustion Engineering, Wes performed design and analysis of pressure vessels and heat exchangers in accordance with the ASME Pressure Vessel Code. These activities included heat transfer and fluid flow analysis, plus customer liaison, QA, purchasing, and scheduling. This work also involved the resolution of field problems and performance analysis of nuclear steam generators. At the University of Tennessee Space Institute Wes was primarily involved in the design of special purpose mechanical hardware, site inspections, collection and analysis of performance data, customer liaison and the preparation of reports and presentation to senior management. His responsibilities included design, analysis, specifications, fabrication and start-up of hardware and support systems for a variety of research test facilities. His engineering strengths are in hardware design and analysis and he is proficient in various computer based engineering analysis programs, AutoCAD and general purpose Microsoft business software (Word, Excel, Project, etc.). Wes has a BS Degree in Engineering Science from Tennessee Technological University, an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, an MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MS Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee. Wes is a Registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee, a Member and Past Officer of ASME and has served as Adjunct Faculty in undergraduate engineering, mathematics and physics at the Motlow State Community College and at the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

Gregory (Greg) J. Sandlin brings over 17 years of experience in the complexities of EPA environmental regulations.  This extensive hands-on experience is in Phase I & II environmental site assessments (ESAs), and the design, permitting, implementation, and operation of soil and groundwater remedial actions under CERCLA, RCRA and UST regulations.  Greg is a licensed Professional Engineer and provides civil and environmental engineering solutions to both the public and private sectors.  He is also experienced in writing USDA Grant and Loan guarantee applications.  Greg has been an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers since 1992. His speccfic technical experience includes the following:Remediation System Design:  Designed soil and groundwater remediation systems to treat floating, sinking and dissolved phase volatile organic compounds in KY, MI, MO, OH, and TN.  Treatment technologies have included dual-phase extraction, soil vapor extraction, and air sparging.  In-situ enhancement methods have included in-situ bio-remediation, pneumatic fracturing and hydraulic fracturing.  Treatment designs have included air stripping, gravity separation, activated carbon (liquid and vapor phase), steam regenerative vapor phase activated carbon (emissions control), and particulate filtration.  Performed treatability studies and pilot tests to support designs. Environmental Compliance:  Extensive experience with RCRA, CERCLA, SARA and UST regulations.  Prepared multiple SPCC Plans and compliance reports for bulk fuel facilities in KY and VA.  Prepared SARA Title III permit applications and compliance reports. Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs):  Conducted multiple Phase I ESAs on rural, commercial and industrial properties. Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs):  Conducted over 40 limited Phase II and Phase II ESAs for determination of the nature and extent of soil/groundwater impact in KY, MD, MI, MO, OH, TX, VA and WA.  Site Development Engineering:  Prepared civil/site design bid package including detention pond design, and utility design for construction of a 36,000 square ft. airplane hangar/maintenance facility. 

Patrick (Pat) Lynch is an Associate Consultant of MCS.  Pat has extensive experience as a Corporate Environmental Engineer; Environmental, Safety and Health Manager; Worker’s Compensation Manager; Manager of Environmental Studies; Safety and Health Officer; and Compliance Officer for the State of Tennessee, DoL/OSHA.  His related industry activities include:   Industrial hygienist

•  Project management

•  Management of groundwater investigation

•  Management of wastewater plants

•  Management of storm water and groundwater projects

•  Management of research and operational divisions for environmental,    safety and health

His certifications include:

•  Environmental Professional (QEP)

•  Industrial Hygiene Technologist (CLHT)

•  Safety Professional (CSP)

Mr. Lynch holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of Tennessee and an M.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the University of Tennessee Space Institute.  He currently has corporate oversight and accountability as Corporate Environmental Engineer for eight (8) sites located in TN, CA and MS. He has served as an officer in three professional societies.  Mr. Lynch has recently been called as an expert witness in litigation involving release and disposal of hazardous material including releases from underground storage tanks.