Introducing your FY19 Core Board Candidates
Below are the FY19 Candidates running for Elected Core Board Positions. Please consider their Bios below when electing the FY19 Core Board.
Note: Only paid society members are eligible to vote for the elected Core Board Positions. If you are a paid Society member you should of received an email from our Nominating Committee with the election Ballot.
Note: Only paid society members are eligible to vote for the elected Core Board Positions. If you are a paid Society member you should of received an email from our Nominating Committee with the election Ballot.
Katie Allen
Katie is an Electrical Engineer who works at Rockwell Collins. She has been active in SWE since her college years at the University of Notre Dame. She joined SWE-ECI in 2011 and has previously served as K-12 Outreach Chair where she inaugurated the popular Girl Scout Day event and president where she helped revamp the bylaws and bring in Rockwell Collins corporate sponsored memberships. She has been treasurer many times and earned the Leadership Award for SWE in 2015 and 2016. Katie has attended and organized numerous chapter events.
Katie would like to continue as treasurer as she feels that she is good at the role and has done a good job keeping SWE’s budget the last few years. She has ensured that our grant from Rockwell Collins is kept active, allowing many of the popular events to take place. Being treasurer allows her to help in many different aspects which she enjoys. It is also a good fit for her life, currently, as she has had to step back a bit with the birth of her son last November. The treasurer role allows her to support the chapter on her own schedule.
Katie would like to continue as treasurer as she feels that she is good at the role and has done a good job keeping SWE’s budget the last few years. She has ensured that our grant from Rockwell Collins is kept active, allowing many of the popular events to take place. Being treasurer allows her to help in many different aspects which she enjoys. It is also a good fit for her life, currently, as she has had to step back a bit with the birth of her son last November. The treasurer role allows her to support the chapter on her own schedule.
Nishigandha Kelkar
I graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, in December 2017 with a Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering. I moved to Cedar Rapids to work as a Systems Engineer in the Unmanned Platform Systems team under Government Systems. I am currently supporting the development of ground control stations for UAVs and working to build next-gen technologies, which makes me very excited to go to work everyday!
I joined Rockwell Collins in Summer 2016, as a Systems Engineering Intern and completed another rotation in Summer 2017 at Air Transport Displays and Platform Systems, with the opportunity to work on Boeing 757/767 Retrofit aircraft avionics. While at ERAU, I was actively involved with the SWE chapter, attending conferences and partaking leadership roles. I was the lead organizer for many events, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. My interactions with mentors at the SWE conference, has encouraged me throughout my professional career, and I hope to facilitate that for other budding female engineers as well.
By being the Communication/Marketing Secretary, I hope to grow the social media presence of SWE-ECI; by starting our own handles on the social media platforms, I hope to provide us visibility to the entire Eastern Iowa community of female engineers. I also see this as an excellent opportunity to encourage participation from within Rockwell Collins and develop eternal sisterhoods.
As a Professional Development chair, I hope to provide an opportunity for networking and collaboration between female engineers from different fields. Through forums, discussions, speed mentoring sessions, I hope to develop a strong bond between rising women, who help each other realize their dreams!
I joined Rockwell Collins in Summer 2016, as a Systems Engineering Intern and completed another rotation in Summer 2017 at Air Transport Displays and Platform Systems, with the opportunity to work on Boeing 757/767 Retrofit aircraft avionics. While at ERAU, I was actively involved with the SWE chapter, attending conferences and partaking leadership roles. I was the lead organizer for many events, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. My interactions with mentors at the SWE conference, has encouraged me throughout my professional career, and I hope to facilitate that for other budding female engineers as well.
By being the Communication/Marketing Secretary, I hope to grow the social media presence of SWE-ECI; by starting our own handles on the social media platforms, I hope to provide us visibility to the entire Eastern Iowa community of female engineers. I also see this as an excellent opportunity to encourage participation from within Rockwell Collins and develop eternal sisterhoods.
As a Professional Development chair, I hope to provide an opportunity for networking and collaboration between female engineers from different fields. Through forums, discussions, speed mentoring sessions, I hope to develop a strong bond between rising women, who help each other realize their dreams!
Jillian Nagle
Jill is a Project Manager for P&G Oral Care in Iowa City. She studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa where she graduated in 2013. At the University of Iowa she was very involved with the Society of Women Engineers. She held several exec board positions throughout her 4 years and rounded off with being the President her senior year.
Upon graduation, Jill got involved with the local professional section, SWE-ECI. Over the last 5 years she has held several different positions on the Core Board.
FY14 - Vice President & Interim President
FY15 - President
FY16 - President
FY17 - K-12 Outreach Chair
FY18 - Secretary & Interim President
Jill would love to continue being Secretary of SWE-ECI. She enjoys being involved with every aspect of SWE - Professional Development, Outreach, Networking, Conferences, and Education. She is looking forward to what FY 19 has to offer!
Upon graduation, Jill got involved with the local professional section, SWE-ECI. Over the last 5 years she has held several different positions on the Core Board.
FY14 - Vice President & Interim President
FY15 - President
FY16 - President
FY17 - K-12 Outreach Chair
FY18 - Secretary & Interim President
Jill would love to continue being Secretary of SWE-ECI. She enjoys being involved with every aspect of SWE - Professional Development, Outreach, Networking, Conferences, and Education. She is looking forward to what FY 19 has to offer!
Alexis Ortega
Alexis is a Systems Engineer for Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. She studied Aerospace Engineering at the California State University of Long Beach (CSULB). GO BEACH!
SWE has been the center of her collegiate career with being an officer for 4 years; serving 3 years in the Core Board. SWE has been the sisterhood that has helped her keep focus and strong through tough times while showing her how to become an inspirational leader to the younger generation.
Her inspiration and concentration is to promote STEM careers to children in less fortunate areas. Her dream is to make sure that every child has the opportunity to gain exposure to careers in the STEM field.
In FY18, she has served as your Communication/Marketing Secretary of the Eastern Central Iowa Region. Alexis is excited to continue being involved with SWE and looking forward to the next fiscal year!
SWE has been the center of her collegiate career with being an officer for 4 years; serving 3 years in the Core Board. SWE has been the sisterhood that has helped her keep focus and strong through tough times while showing her how to become an inspirational leader to the younger generation.
Her inspiration and concentration is to promote STEM careers to children in less fortunate areas. Her dream is to make sure that every child has the opportunity to gain exposure to careers in the STEM field.
In FY18, she has served as your Communication/Marketing Secretary of the Eastern Central Iowa Region. Alexis is excited to continue being involved with SWE and looking forward to the next fiscal year!
Victoria Png
Victoria works as a Project Engineer at International Paper – Cedar River Mill in Cedar Rapids. She graduated from Duke University in 2015 with a BSE in Mechanical Engineering. She has been part of SWE since 2008 when she helped start a SWE section at her high school that was associated with the North Jersey professional section (Pre-SWENext days!). At Duke, she held several different roles for her collegiate SWE section including section President, Vice President, and Membership Chair. Additionally, she was involved with Region D’s leadership as the FY13 SWEFL, FY14 RCCE and FY15 RCS. She joined SWE-ECI in FY16 and was the FY17 & FY18 Membership Chair.
Victoria would like to continue her involvement with SWE-ECI’s Core Board as section Vice President or President. As membership chair, Victoria has assisted with managing the influx of new members SWE-ECI received from the Rockwell Collins sponsorship. She has also been working with members employed at various companies in attempt to build SWE-ECI’s relationship with local facilities. Victoria looks forward to taking on more of a lead strategic role in helping SWE-ECI grow and advocating for the success of women in STEM fields.
Victoria would like to continue her involvement with SWE-ECI’s Core Board as section Vice President or President. As membership chair, Victoria has assisted with managing the influx of new members SWE-ECI received from the Rockwell Collins sponsorship. She has also been working with members employed at various companies in attempt to build SWE-ECI’s relationship with local facilities. Victoria looks forward to taking on more of a lead strategic role in helping SWE-ECI grow and advocating for the success of women in STEM fields.
Erin Vecchi
My name is Erin Vecchi, and I am a Maintenance Team Leader at General Mills. I've been involved with ECI SWE ever since moving to the Iowa City area in 2015, after graduating from the University of Minnesota. While I was in college, I was my section's SWE president, and in Iowa I have held both the marketing and the college outreach chair roles. I'm interested in being your membership secretary so I can take on a bigger role in helping to expand our local SWE section, and help build a strong community for lady engineers in East Central Iowa!
Kristen Wagner
Kristen Wagner is a Mechanical Engineer who works at PepsiCo – Quaker Foods & Snacks in Milling Research & Development. She has worked at Quaker for the past five years since she graduated from The University of Iowa. Kristen has been active in SWE for nine years; four years as a Collegiate and five years as a Professional member. Throughout FY18, Kristen has been Jr. Girl Scout Day Chair and fulfilled that role for the past two years. Prior to that, she was the SWE-ECI College Outreach Chair for three years. Aside from work and SWE, Kristen’s favorite hobbies are traveling and spending time outdoors with her husband, Devin, and their dog, Rylee.
For FY19, Kristen’s first choice is being Vice President. She is ready to take on a new role and feels that this one will be a good fit for her to contribute more to the section. As Vice President, Kristen would still be able to heavily support the section’s STEM outreach initiatives, which is one of her passions. Kristen’s second choice for FY19 is President. Kristen enjoys planning and organizing, and she thinks she could do a good job strategically leading the section. This is her second choice due to the added time commitment, but she is ready to take on this role after being on the SWE-ECI Core Board for five years.
For FY19, Kristen’s first choice is being Vice President. She is ready to take on a new role and feels that this one will be a good fit for her to contribute more to the section. As Vice President, Kristen would still be able to heavily support the section’s STEM outreach initiatives, which is one of her passions. Kristen’s second choice for FY19 is President. Kristen enjoys planning and organizing, and she thinks she could do a good job strategically leading the section. This is her second choice due to the added time commitment, but she is ready to take on this role after being on the SWE-ECI Core Board for five years.
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