Rhonda Germany Ballintyn: Chair and President
Ms. Germany grew up in Ypsilanti, MI and was the first member of her family to graduate high school, college, and to earn a Masters Degree.
Ms. Germany was honored to be admitted to University of Michigan’s College of Engineering where she earned a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1979. In 1988, she earned her MBA in Finance from University of Connecticut with highest honors, studying at night, while working full-time at Union Carbide as a Field Market Development Engineer.
Post MBA, she worked for 15 years at Booz Allen Hamilton where she was a Partner and Board Member. In 2002 she joined Honeywell International where she spent 15 years and retired as Honeywell’s Corporate Vice President and Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer.
She currently serves on the Board of Hypertherm where she chairs the Compensation Committee. Ms. Germany also serves on University of Michigan’s Chemical Engineering Advisory Board, WashU McKelvey Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board of University of Toronto’s AI Lab. .
Ms. Germany is humbled by her success and is passionate about enabling other under-privileged students to live their dreams.
Nicolaas J. Ballintyn: Treasurer
Mr. Ballintyn immigrated, with his family, to the USA from Holland in 1957. He grew up in Wilmington, DE, the oldest of four brothers.
Mr. Ballintyn earned his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from University of Delaware. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a member of Tau Beta Pi.
Mr. Ballintyn spent 26 years in various Research & Development Engineering roles applying his engineering and materials science skills to medical applications in orthopedic, wound closure and vascular procedures.
In 2009 Mr. Ballintyn earned a teaching certificate and spent the next 8 years substitute teaching math and physics and as Master Carpenter for The Pingry School’s Theatre Department.
Mr. Ballintyn is passionate about helping young students learn about science and technology.
John Mansfield: Board Member
Dr. Mansfield was born in Worcester in the United Kingdom and received all of his education there. His college studies, as a first generation student, saw him receive his Bachelors degree in Chemical Physics (1979), Masters degree in the Physics of Materials (1980) and his Doctorate in Physics, focusing on metallurgical analytical electron microscopy (1983), all at the University of Bristol.
His post-doctoral studies started in Bristol and continued, in 1984, at Argonne National Laboratory in the outskirts of Chicago. John moved to the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina in 1986 to oversee their high resolution scanning transmission microscope, while there he was approached by the chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan to manage the Electron Microbeam Analysis Laboratory at Michigan as a research faculty member. He assumed this position in 1987 and this was a perfect position for Dr. Mansfield as he enjoyed working with students and teaching them how to use the advanced instrumentation in the laboratory. During his thirty plus years at the laboratory, John worked with over five thousand graduate and undergraduate students. In addition he spent over 20 years doing outreach into the local K12 school systems, teaching students about the application of electron microscopy to a wide range of STEM disciplines . He retired from the University in 2018, becoming an emeritus faculty member.
Mansfield continues to collaborate with colleagues at the university and his outreach activities now involve taking a tabletop electron microscope into schools to allow students to study materials of their choice in the instrument. He also works closely with GBEF leadership to encourage and support students who are under-served and first generation in their scientific careers.
Deborah K. Masten: Board Member
Deb was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the younger of two sisters, both of whom were first generation college graduates. Deb graduated from the University of Michigan in 1977 earning a B.A. in Secondary Education.
Deb worked 36 years for the University of Michigan. The first four years for the Vice President of Student Affairs where she embraced mentoring students. The balance of her tenure at the University was with the centralized information technology division. In this role, she served as project manager for development, building and operationally managing 40 campus computing sites, employing hundreds of students during this time. Deb also was the enterprise-wide software licensing and distribution manager for the University.
Through the Office of New Student Programs, Deb mentored first year students and assisted these new members of the University community to become successful students, and instill her love of the University into these future alumni. She is grateful to be able to continue serving as a mentor for University students through the Foundation.
Since retiring in 2018, Deb continues to actively participate in University and Ann Arbor community events as an ambassador for these institutions.
Reggie Van Lee: Board Member
Reggie Van Lee is a distinguished Partner & Managing Director in AlixPartners' Performance Improvement Practice, with a career spanning over three decades as a senior advisor to corporations and boards of directors. Based in Dallas and New York, Reggie is renowned for his extensive global experience and strategic insights to help clients navigate and thrive amidst disruption.
Before joining AlixPartners, Reggie served as the Chief Transformation Officer at The Carlyle Group, leading comprehensive organizational change initiatives covering culture, structure, design, corporate strategy, diversity, and talent. Prior to The Carlyle Group, he worked for 32 years at Booz Allen Hamilton, overseeing various business units across diverse industries – with expertise in strategic transformation, pre- and post-merger integration, and high-performance organizational design – before retiring as Executive Vice President.
Reggie is also a dedicated advocate for diversity and philanthropy. He holds pivotal roles in the Executive Leadership Council and serves on the boards of various prominent organizations, including the Women's Venture Capital Fund II, National CARES Mentoring Movement, and more.
Reggie has been recognized as one of the top 25 consultants globally by Consulting Magazine and honored as Black Engineer of the Year by Black Engineer magazine. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University.