2024 WCNY Coatings & Corrosion Forum Presenters:
Dave Evans
Director of QP and Coatings Credentialing | Business Development for AMPP
Dave Evans is the Director of QP and Coatings Credentialing and Business Development for The Association of Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). Dave’s career brings decades of technical expertise working in the protective coatings and corrosion industry using his in-depth knowledge of quality assurance and control processes where he specializes in coating recommendations, specification development, failure analysis, facility audits, and Sales and Marketing from holding senior positions with leading organizations in the coatings field. He currently manages the QP Accreditation Program in addition to being heavily focused on Business Development and has been working collaboratively across AMPP to drive greater momentum to its core coatings certifications and educational programs. AMPP and its members have been honored to have Dave which holds NACE CIP III and SSPC PCS credentials, as a NACE CIP instructor for 33 years. For more information, contact him at dave.evans@ampp.org.
Alexander Kaplun
N.A.C.E. Level III Certified Coatings Inspector # 37446
American Welding Society Certified D.1.1 Welding Inspector #1505001
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Alexander Kaplun currently serves as a Permit Compliance Coordinator for the City of Rochester within the Department of Environment Services Architectural and Engineering group, in Office of Right-of-Way (ROW) Permits.
Mr. Kaplun is a graduate of both the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and the University of Rochester Simon School of Business (MBA) and brings over 23 years of varied experience in Engineering, Coatings Application, Surface Preparation, Corrosion Control, and Coatings Quality Assurance/Control. He is a part-time instructor for the Finishing Trades Institute of Western New York, and holds a wide variety of certifications including, but not limited to: AWS D1.1 Certified Welding Inspector, Bridge Inspector, OSHA 500 Trainer, ICC Structural Steel/Concrete Inspection, Lead Abatement, and NICET Construction Inspection. Mr. Kaplun has completed over 50+ successful coatings rehabilitation projects throughout the Alaska and New England, and also has extensive experience serving as a Health and Safety Trainer officer for previous employers and providing continued safety and CPR/ first-aid training with respect to OSHA and the American Red Cross.
In addition to supporting the enormous workload of overseeing approximately 1300 permits annually along 1000+ miles of City streets and areaways within the City of Rochester, Mr. Kaplun plays a key role in facilitating better coordination between the Permit Office and Construction/ Street Design divisions to mitigate the impact of private sector work on City of Rochester projects.
Justin Cigal
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Coatings Consultant
The Righter Group
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Experienced Coatings Consultant with over 22 years of experience in epoxy coating installation. Excellent reputation for resolving problems and improving customer satisfaction.
Michael Tynio
Asset Protection Manager-Water Infrastructure
Michael Tynio has been involved in the coating industry for over 23 years.
Michael Tynio started with Sherwin Williams in 2002. The last 12 years have been
dedicated to protective coatings including water, waste water, bridge and
highway, power generation, and resinous flooring. The last eight years has been
solely focused in the water infrastructure market.
Michael is an AMPP Certified Inspector, and AMPP CCI Level II. Past chair of Metro
NY/NJ Chapter and current member.
Michael is currently an Asset Protection Manager, supporting asset owners,
engineers and industrial applicators. Presenting educational programs such as
lunch-and-learns in addition to site surveys, budgeting, and specification
assistance in all aspects of water infrastructure.
Michael is located in Northern New Jersey and covers New Jersey, Metro New
York and New York State.
Michael is married to his wife Amanda, and has a son Michael. He enjoys
spending time with family, bass fishing, and camping.
Jack Walker
Technical Marketing Manager Tnemec Company
With over two decades in the coatings industry, Jack Walker brings a strong technical background and a passion for helping others navigate coatings challenges. He started his career as a painter before transitioning into laboratory and technical service roles, where he gained hands-on experience solving real-world problems in the industrial coatings industry. Over time, he turned to podcasting to share industry insights and make coatings knowledge more accessible to professionals.
Now, as Technical Marketing Manager at Tnemec, Jack uses his technical expertise to highlight how high-performance coatings contribute to asset longevity. Through his podcast, Coatings Decoded, and other industry outreach, he shares insights on coatings technology, application best practices, and asset protection. His focus remains on making technical information accessible and helping professionals make informed decisions about corrosion protection.
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Tom Tambe
Carboline Project Development Manager-Northeast
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Tom has been with Carboline for 2 years
and in the coatings industry for 20. In
his current role, he assists owners, specifiers,
engineers with design of to specifications,
industry regulations while developing projects
both nationally/internationally. He is an
AMPP Master Coatings Inspector and Senior
Certified Coating Inspector, which has
enabled him to recognize, evaluate and
promote unbiased coatings solutions with
integrity.
Daniel Kenimer
Blast One
Account Manager
Mr. Kenimer brings years of experience with coatings products, representing BlastOne as Logistics Coordinator, Warehouse Supervisor and Account Manager. He is a champion for the coatings industry and brings his analytical, communication and negotiation skills to bear on all his work.
Chad M. Sellman
KTA Tator, Inc.
Chad Sellman is an Area Manager in the KTA Coatings Group. He is a NACE Certified Coatings Inspector Level 3 (#21050), an ODOT certified inspector in Work Types 26 and 57, and successfully completed the OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour Construction Safety & Health training courses. Mr. Sellman is an ASTM D4537 Level II inspector as well as an SSPC C-3 Supervisor/Competent Person for Deleading of Industrial Structures. He holds a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
Midwest Area Manager. Responsible for technical and administrative oversight of personnel and projects in the Midwest area (PA, WV, OH, MI, WI, IN, IA, ND and IL) for various industrial structures including bridges, water and fuel tanks, pipelines, refineries, and commercial properties. Responsibilities also include financial accountability for the region as well as business development.
Continues to serve as Contract Project Leader for Marathon Petroleum Company by performing tank liner assessment services and managing QA coatings inspection work during maintenance painting operations. Mr. Sellman also conducts coating condition surveys and QA inspection work for nuclear power stations during refueling outages.
Hiedi Brooks
Director of Sales & Marketing, VCP Sales
As Director of Sales and Marketing for VCP Sales, Ms. Brooks oversees global sales and marketing strategy for innovative protective coating lines that fill voids in the energy, utility and waste/wastewater market. Heidi works in-field nationally with end-users and operators on the safe, certifiable training and implementation of Protective Coating Wraps for ther external corrosion management.
Ms. Brooks is a current member of the AMPP 2024 Eastern Committee. Outside of work she enjoys the outdoors, Lake Michigan and spending time with her family.
Rob Leary: Vice President of BSI - Real Time Corrosion and Health Monitoring - Advanced NDT, CP, Artificial Intelligence, In-service Tank Inspection Robotics, 3D Lidar Laser Scan, Advanced Data Analytics
Rob currently resides in Grand Haven, MI and is a proud husband to his wife, Kathy and four lovely daughters, Felicia, Reagan, Colette, and Cecelia. Rob has a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Buffalo and a Masters of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University. Die Hard Buffalo Bills fan, and 2025 is definitely our year!