|
ABOUT US
|
|
Theodore P. (Tip) Fowler is CEO of JDC Phosphate and leading the commercialization effort for JDC Phosphate. He brings to the assignment a broad range of international management and industry experience. He served as President of Commercial Carrier Transportation, Florida’s largest intra-state motor carrier for three years and led his company to be among the top 10% of the nation’s safest trucking companies. As President of Freeport McMoRan Sulphur Company, he was responsible for retooling the company from a sulphur mining enterprise to a sulphur transportation company in the face of radical changes in supply and demand, ultimately resulting in the successful sale of the company. As President of Fertiberia SL in Spain, he helped turn around the dominant domestic fertilizer producer to profitability. As Senior Vice President – Operations for both Agrico Chemical Co. and the IMC-Agrico JV, he was responsible for mining, chemical plant and logistical operations in Florida and Louisiana throughout much of the 1990’s. He has consulted with mining and fertilizer companies in India, Saudi Arabia, West Africa, Russia and elsewhere both individually and as VP of Business Development with Crescent Technology in New Orleans. He has served on Boards of Directors for the Florida Concrete and Products Association, The Sulphur Institute, The Fertilizer Institute, The European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association, Coromandle Fertilizers (India), The Florida Phosphate Council and The United Way of Central Florida. He was honored as Volunteer of the Year in 2005 in connection with the establishment of the PolkVision organization in Central Florida. He is a graduate of Tulane University in Electrical Engineering and earned an MBA from Loyola University of New Orleans.
|
|
Dr. Megy is Chief Technology Officer of JDC, Inc. He received a BS (Mathematics,
Chemistry Minor) in 1967 and a PhD (Chemistry and Chemical Engineering)
in 1975 from Oregon State University. In 1978, he completed the
Advanced Studies Program at MIT in Materials Engineering and
R&D management, and then joined the corporate research staff
of Occidental Petroleum at Irvine, California. During 1978 he
was a group leader, and from 1979 - 1983, he was the director
of pyrometallurgical engineering. Two major projects, including
the KPA process, were developed to the pilot-plant stage under
his direction.
Dr. Megy started CM Tech, Inc. in 1988. During
the next 12 years, he developed production plants in West Virginia
and Missouri producing potassium titanium fluoride and titanium/zirconium
additives used in the aluminum industry. Dr. Megy was SBA "Small
Businessman of the Year" and his companies twice won the
Governor's Award for exporting excellence. All three of his products
became dominant in their markets. All of the processes were invented
and developed by Dr. Megy, who holds over 20 U.S. patents and
a number of foreign patents on metallurgical processes. In 1996 Dr. Megy started JDC, a company primarily focused on the development of processes related to Dr. Megy's manufacturing plants. In 2001, Dr. Megy turned over direct operations of his companies to a president to expand his activities on behalf of JDC, Inc.
|
|
Ronald F. Hartung is a consultant
with Issues Over, LLC. He received his BS degree in Mining Engineering
from the University of Wisconsin, graduating with Honors in 1974.
After a year working as a researcher at Battelle Memorial Institute
in Columbus, Ohio Mr. Hartung moved to Florida to begin his 30-year
career in the phosphate industry with International Minerals
and Chemical Corp. (IMC). Mr. Hartung became a recognized expert
in slurry pumping which he used to advance his career in Operations
and Maintenance management with IMC. He holds a patent for
developing a device to obtain internal pressure without welding
a nipple into the steel pipeline, a common practice at the time.
His innovative problem solving methods resulted in regular re-assignments
to facilities that needed a fresh approach to changing mining
conditions. In 1997, Mr. Hartung joined IMC's Technology Development
Group where he participated in the development of and patented
a process for thickened clay disposal. He also conceived the
process of long-running steady state pumping to allow greater
throughput for the wash plants while achieving substantial reductions
in energy consumption and improved dragline productivity.
Mr. Hartung shared The President's Award from
IMC for innovative solutions to challenging issues for the development
of the thickened clay process. He was also honored by the Florida
Section of SME with the 2006 Hero of the Industry Award presented
to him in recognition for his contributions to the Phosphate
Industry. .
Mr. Mark Vignovic is Manager
of Environmental Affairs for JDC, Inc. Upon graduation from the
Pennsylvania State University in 1980 with a B.S. in Environmental
Engineering, Mr. Vignovic began his environmental career as a
permit engineer with the West Virginia Department of Natural
Resources where he prepared NPDES Permits for a wide range of
industries in northern and central West Virginia.
Beginning in 1985 Mr. Vignovic was employed
for nearly 19 years by the Weirton Steel Corporation, an integrated
steel facility. During his tenure with Weirton Steel, Mr. Vignovic
assumed positions of increasing responsibility within the Environmental
Control Department and was eventually promoted to Director of
Environmental Control and was responsible for the operation and
maintenance of the plant's pollution- control facilities, as well as compliance with all State and Federal air, solid
waste, and wastewater laws and regulations. While at Weirton,
Mr. Vignovic negotiated discharge permits, compliance orders
and revisions to environmental regulations with various State
and Federal agencies and developed and maintained strong, cooperative
relationships with environmental agencies and local and county
officials.
In 2004, Mr. Vignovic was hired as the Vice
President for Jamegy, Inc., a processor of titanium and zirconium
materials. During his term at Jamegy, Mr. Vignovic developed
and implemented an environmental management system that led to
ISO-14000 certification for the facility. He also oversaw the
completion of previously negotiated Voluntary Remediation Agreements
with the WV DEP and secured Certificates of Completion with environmental
liability releases for the facility. He also negotiated modifications
to an existing Consent Order and NPDES discharge permit to allow
for the processing of accumulated wastes and resumption of wastewater
discharge to the local POTW, which avoided disposal costs and
permitted recovery of titanium materials for sale.
Mr. Vignovic has also served as the Chairman
of the Hancock County Solid Waste Authority since its creation
in 1989 for which he has received numerous awards from the WV
Governor, WV DEP Deputy Secretary and regional planning commission. .
|
