The Pandemic's Impact on Manufacturing and Supply Chains

Lake Ray is an eighth generation Floridian who was raised in Jacksonville. He and his wife Brenda have celebrated over 37 years of marriage, having three sons and five grandchildren.

Lake attended the University of Florida graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Following graduation, he took an entry level position with Harbor Engineering Company, later becoming a professional engineer registered in Florida. He became a full partner of the firm and President in 1993. In 2006, he merged his company with Halcrow, an international company with offices worldwide and based in the United Kingdom. The firm was multi-disciplined in transportation, water resources and maritime operations consisting of over 7500 engineers. As a Vice President of the firm he managed multiple maritime projects across the Southeast and throughout the Caribbean.

Lake has a passion for history and enjoys research and study of events that changed the course of the United States. He remains active in seeking the location of Fort Caroline a settlement founded by the French in 1564, which has remained a mystery for over 450 years. Additionally, he is writing a book on how the timing of events changed our history.

Paul Bertozzi is the Founder and CEO of Live Oak Contracting, a multifamily general contractor based in downtown Jacksonville. Since founding Live Oak Contracting in 2014, Paul has grown their portfolio to include projects up and down the East Coast from Florida to Maine. Live Oak Contracting’s mission statement is a true reflection of Paul’s goals for not only his company, but for his employees as well; building long-term relationships based on integrity.

Under Paul’s leadership, Live Oak has successfully managed projects in an array of industries, including Market Rate, Tax Credit, HUD Multifamily, Mixed Use, Industrial, and Commercial.

Paul has grown Live Oak Contracting exponentially over recent years. In 2015, the company reported $7.5 million in revenue, growing to $96 million in revenue by 2018 and to $189 million in 2020. Paul drove these results through his example and management, and led Live Oak Contracting to be recognized as one of Jacksonville’s top 50 fastest growing companies by the Jacksonville Business Journal in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Paul’s management has elevated Live Oak Contracting to an award winning status. Categories of recognition include quality of work, commitment to employees, and overall growth rate.

Personally, Paul was selected as one of Jacksonville’s 40 Under 40 in 2017 and, in 2018, was a finalist in Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Florida. Paul has also been recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Commercial Real Estate Executives in America and was on the Jacksonville Business Journal’s list of Ultimate CEOs in 2019. Most recently Paul was awarded a 2021 Top Entrepreneur by the Daily Record.

Paul was born and raised in Jacksonville and feels a strong connection to the community. He is passionate about giving back to local charitable organizations and creates an environment where his employees can do the same. Organizations he supports include the Monique Burr Foundation, Jaguars Foundation, Jacksonville Children’s Chorus and Safe Harbor Boys Academy.

Robert Hooper Jr. serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Atlantic Logistics LLC. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and attended the University of Florida, earning degrees in History and Economics. He attended graduate school at Indiana University (Bloomington) where Rob earned a Ph.D. in Economics in 1999. While in Bloomington, he also worked as a college pastor for several years. In 2003, the Hooper family returned to Jacksonville so that Rob could help run Atlantic Logistics Inc., a transportation logistics company started by his parents, Evie and Bob Hooper. Atlantic Logistics now has 38 employees with an annual gross revenue of $25 million and moved 24,906 loads in 2020. Rob has had many public speaking engagements about Autonomous Vehicles. He has also spoken internationally on the subject at the Autonomous Trucks Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. Rob has had many public speaking engagements. Rob serves as an elder in his church and is on the board of 6:8 Ministries, the Federal Reserve Advisory Council, the First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA), Truckstop.com Customer Advisory Board and a member of the Florida Freight Advisory Committee.

Pauline Sevigny joined GRACE Aerospace in 2017 to assist her father with the growth of his small aerospace manufacturing business and she is now the President of GRACE Aerospace.  Pauline graduated with an Accounting degree from Bentley University and obtained her MBA from UMASS Boston.  Prior to joining GRACE Aerospace, Pauline spent 20+ years in financial services, primarily supporting medium to large organizations improve upon operational effectiveness and efficiency.  Pauline brought her prior knowledge of large institutions to the small business arena, implementing shared technologies such as Office 365 and assisted with obtaining AS 9100 Rev D certification for the Jacksonville, FL facility.  Pauline introduced benefits programs to GRACE Aerospace, including health benefits and a 401k plan for all full time employees.  She also worked with management to improve operations including automated inventory, job, and time tracking.  Pauline and GRACE Aerospace actively collaborate with the First Coast Manufacturer’s Association, Florida Makes, CareerSource Northeast Florida, and GROW Florida, to grow and improve the local manufacturing landscape, including upskilling the workforce.

Education: Denison University, BA Economics 1980

40 years of experience in the designing, developing, sales and marketing of products in the fields of

spill containment, spill response, stormwater management, construction compliance, facility protection,

bio-remediation (microbes), oil spill, radioactive waste management and nanotechnology.

• Founded and operated four businesses servicing the environmental, industrial, safety and advanced technologies markets.
• Inventor or co-inventor of over sixty-five patents.
• Developed over 350 new products.
• Numerous new product of the year awards, three times named one of the fastest growing

companies in NE Florida and Best Place to Work in NE Florida 2010.

• Founder and Principal in UltraTech International Inc. and Interpak, Inc.
• Credited with starting the Spill Containment Industry in the early 1980s.
• Extensive international business experience covering over ninety-seven countries with fifity-one countries visited.
• Numerous published articles, speeches and papers, including a TED Talk in 2013, TEDx K.C. in 2016 and co-writing a monthly series on patenting and inventing in the Jacksonville Business Journal. 
• Viral video (40,000,000+ views) on a new nanotechnology, superhydrophobic spray-on coating.