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2026 SPESA Executive Conference
October 28-30, 2026 | San Antonio, TX
2026 Executive Conference Attendees
Laura Adams, President, Dürkopp Adler America*
Daniel Berzack, President, SPEC, SPESA Board Member*
Brett Bowden, Founder/Owner, Printed Threads, MADE Lab
Per Bringle, Aptean*
Lauren Caldarera, Founder, Manhattan Works
Marchell Camp, Chief Financial Officer, Jon Hart Design
Ambar Campos, Director of Industry & Member Relations, SPESA
Philip Champagne, President, Groz-Beckert USA, Inc.*
Giuseppe Cianci, Chief Operating Officer, bierrebi International*
Jill Coleman, Principal, RC2 Sales Consulting, SPESA Board Member*
Marie D'Avignon, Vice President, Operations, SPESA
Will Duncan, Executive Director, SEAMS*
Sharon Durham, President, Jon Hart Design
Bert Feinberg, President, Frontier Distributors/Phillocraft, SPESA Board Member*
Jiranya (Anna) Feinberg
Robert Finnegan, Head of Community, Education, and Workforce Initiatives, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America*
Charles Freeman, Director of Research and Creative Activities, Texas Christian University
Martin Gopman, President, Universal Sewing Machine Co., Inc., SPESA Board Member*
Mario Guajardo, CEO, Richter Goods
David Handal, General Manager/Director, AGENCIA JE HANDAL SA DE CV, SPESA Board Member*
Aimee Heuschkel, Vice President Marketing, Americas, Lectra*
Rick Horwitch, Chief Of Sustainability & Supply Chain Strategy, Bureau Veritas
Brittiany Hubbard, Owner/Creative Director, Black Elephant Designs
George Indelli, Senior Manager, NPA Products Solutions, SourceAmerica*
Zain Khan, Vice President, Commercial, Everra*
Dan Laturno, CEO, Peoria Production Solutions
Veronika Maerz, Director of Marketing, VDMA TFL*
Glenn Mattison, Aptean*
Shannon McCarthy, Head of Business Development, Datatex*
Maggie McDonald, Vice President, Communications, SPESA
Michael McDonald, President, SPESA
Nina Means, Director, Austin Community College Fashion Incubator
Charlie Merrow, Merrow Sewing Machine Co.
Cecy Mochel, Director of Manufacturing, Jon Hart Design
Britt Moore, Owner, BK Fabrics*
Lucas Moreno, Sales Representative, American & Efird*
Julie Nickel, Group Show Director - Texprocess Americas, Messe Frankfurt Inc.*
Antoine Norwood
Tabitha Oanda, Robotics Engineer, Sew Unit
Jeffrey Pacuska, FutureTEX - Government Program Manager, US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center
Jonathan Palmer, CEO, Autometrix, Inc*
Pam Peale, VP of Global Sales & US PLM Operations, DeSL
Michael Rabin, Chief Commercialization Officer, Unspun, SPESA Board Member*
Nancy Richardson, CEO, San Antonio Shoemakers
Casey Russell, CEO, Wild Pony Hat Bar
James Ryan, Business Development Manager, H. B. Fuller Company*
Margaret Ryan
Sergio Sanchez Llano, CEO, Tramex USA LLC
J. Xavier Santander, President, JXS Consulting Services*
Eric Schlossman, Vice President, Consew, SPESA Board Member*
Stephen Sharp, Chief Innovation and Manufacturing Officer, Futuretex
Julie Shelton, Jon Hart Design
Devin Steele, Owner & Publisher, eTextileCommunications*
Ned Steiner, Managing Director, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg
Saige Thomas, President, Texas Fashion Industry Initiative
Erin Tillery, Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas Christian University
Bronte Treat, COO, Richter Goods
Lionel Vargas-Cruz, VP Manufacturing & Innovation, ISAIC, SPESA Board Member*
Michelle Washington, TV Style Expert, Michelle E. Washington LLC
Chad Whitcher, President, Liberty Awnings and Shades
Gary Whited, Sr. Account Manager, SourceAmerica*
Gregg Woodcock, Executive Director, AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists)*
*SPESA Member
About SPESA's Executive Conference
The annual SPESA Executive Conference is a key education and networking event for SPESA members, their customers, and anyone interested in learning more about the current issues, trends, and policies impacting the global sewn products industry.
The two-day conference features a combination of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and industry case studies to provide an opportunity for attendees to both learn and engage. While our speakers are experts in their fields, no one has all the answers and thus this conference aims to build communication among both speakers and attendees to address the issues facing our industry and find solutions together.
And did we mention networking? SPESA’s unofficial mandate is to always provide open dialogue, open minds, and an open bar. This conference effectively balances educational sessions with more casual off-site events providing an opportunity to make both business connections and lifelong friends within the industry we all love.
In addition, each iteration of the Executive Conference is in a new city to ensure it is accessible to interested sewn products professionals from all over. So, invite your colleagues, bring your family, and make the SPESA Executive Conference part of your annual travel plans.