Board of Directors/Advisory Board

Jim D. Caudle, Jr. Jim D. Caulde, Sr. Jay W. Newkirk Stuart M. Maples Charles Reid Stephen F. Thornton Ralph G. Petroff

Jim D. Caudle, Jr. (Chairman)

Jim D. Caudle, Jr. is Chairman, President, and CEO of Carina Technology, Inc. Jim has also served as Chairman and CEO of United Plating Inc. (ISO 9001:2000 certified), which has eleven production facilities for metal finishing, anodizing, and painting. Through United Plating, Jim has gained extensive knowledge and direct experience in all aspects of operations, manufacturing, and customer relationship management for large accounts in multiple industries including Aerospace, Military, Industrial, and Telecommunication.

Jim is a member of Bosch Supplier Leadership Team, The Alabama Automobile Manufacturer’s Association and the Automotive Industry Action Group. He is also a member of the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce Existing Business Committee, Huntsville Leadership Class 8, National Association of Metal Finishers, Young Presidents Organization, Young Business Leaders of Huntsville, and Ramey Forum.  He is a past President of the Huntsville Acme Club and served on the Board of the Huntsville Metropolitan YMCA.  Jim holds a BS from Auburn University.  He is past Huntsville Chairman of the Auburn Alumni Association Scholarship Committee.

Jim D. Caudle, Sr.

After graduating from college, Mr. Caudle spent three years in the Air Force as an Officer, then joined Teledyne-Brown Engineering in Huntsville. After nine years of employment with Teledyne, he purchased one of their business units and formed Cu Pex, Inc. Four years later, he sold Cu Pex, Inc., purchased three electroplating companies and consolidated them into United Plating, Inc. During this period, he was recruited and hired by Snapper Power Equipment Company as Vice President of Operations. He advanced to President and spent the next six years building Snapper from $50 million to $250 million in annual sales. In 1986, Mr. Caudle returned home to Huntsville and formed several other businesses where he still active today. Mr. Caudle has served on several Boards which were both privately and publicly held. Mr. Caudle received a degree in Industrial Management from Auburn University.

Jay W. Newkirk

Mr. Newkirk has had a distinguished career in computer based management information systems and applied mathematics in the field of commercial and government aerospace applications over 4 decades. He was the co-founder of Computer Systems Technology, Inc. (CST), an information technology support services company and served as the Director of Operations and later managed the Strategic Business Development activity. Following the sale of CST, Mr. Newkirk formed Jay Newkirk Enterprises, Inc. which focuses on three areas: (1) provides professional leadership and business consultation, (2) manages a diverse real estate, business and stock investment portfolio and (3) publishes a series of technology, health and wellness magazines.

Mr. Newkirk received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mathematics from Lynchburg College and a Graduate degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville in mathematics and operations research.

Stuart M. Maples

A native of Huntsville, AL. Practicing Attorney and partner in a local law firm, Mr. Maples has practiced law for approximately 20 years and focuses his practice upon creditor(s) rights, business reorganization, business litigation and general commercial practice. He is a Past President of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar. Mr. Maples currently serves on several volunteer boards in Huntsville, including being the current Chairman for the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center. Mr. Maples is a 1982 graduate of the University Of North Alabama and a 1986 graduate of the University Of Alabama School Of Law.

Charles Reid

Mr. Reid’s educational background is in finance and economics with a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of North Alabama. He has over 40 years experience in business management of which 35 years were spent with the Sonoco Products Company. Sonoco is an International consumer and industrial packing company with sales of 3 billion and over 15,000 employees. Mr. Reid was also with Baker Industries, a company where he was President where he negotiated the sale to Sonoco. The last 15 years he was Vice President and General Manager of the Baker Division of Sonoco and was responsible for all aspects of the business and was involved in ten acquisitions during that period. In 2001, he received the CEO award for the most effective manager in the Company. Mr. Reid has also organized a bank in Hartselle, AL and served as Chairman of the Board until he negotiated the sale of the Bank. He has been active in numerous other business ventures and brings a great deal of management expertise to Carina Technology, Inc.

Stephen F. Thornton

Stephen F. Thornton served as Chairman of Avocent Corp. from July 2000 to April 2003 and Chief Executive Officer and President from July 2000 to March 2002. Mr. Thornton served as Chairman of Avocent Huntsville Corp. (formerly, Cybex Computer Products Corp.) since 1987 and also served as its Chief Executive Officer and President since 1984. From 1981 to 1984, Mr. Thornton served as President of Schiller Industries. Mr. Thornton served as an Independent Director of Avocent Corp. since July 2000. He served as a Director of Avocent Huntsville since 1984.

Ralph G. Petroff

Ralph Petroff is a CEO with 30 years of successful global experience in high technology, including businesses in wireless communications, remote data acquisition and asset tracking, and clean technologies.  Currently, he is CEO of Magna Vista Group, providing management and strategic consulting to a variety of companies.

In 1975, Petroff, his brothers and father founded ADS Environmental Services, a pollution monitoring company utilizing NASA technology.  As CEO, Petroff grew the company to become a worldwide market leader.  Independent estimates show that ADS saved its municipal customers in excess of $10 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvement costs.  In 1996, Petroff became CEO at Time Domain Corporation and was credited with creating the UWB (ultrawideband) industry which employs a novel pulse radio transmission.  In 2005 Petroff was recruited by an Australian private technology center, NICTA, to become their "Entrepreneur in Residence".  He developed commercialization plans and provided strategic management to their most promising  start-ups.

Petroff has provided expert witness to 10 Congressional Committees on subjects ranging from water quality, infrastructure repair, spectrum management, to defense modernization.  He has been invited to speak at over 100 industry conferences such as Comdex, including 6 keynote speeches.

Petroff was born in Canada, and raised in Vietnam and the U.S.  His family moved to Huntsville where his father, Peter Petroff supported Von Braun's moon landing team.  Petroff is a graduate of Stanford University and is married with four teenage children.  He is an avid history reader, bicyclist, soccer player, and movie buff.

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