TTA Meeting Speakers

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Raymont Harris, Founder
Elite Mindset & Performance

Presentation

Control the Controllables

Control the Controllables is Raymont Harris’s signature EMP keynote built on eight controllables that separate what you can own from what you can’t. Audiences leave with a clear system to perform under pressure, lead with confidence, and deliver when it counts.

          Biography

Raymont Harris is a former NFL running back, Ohio State Buckeye, and the founder of Elite Mindset & Performance. He speaks to companies, associations, athletic programs, and leaders who want a real approach to mindset, pressure, and performance.

After playing for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and other NFL teams, Raymont shifted from the field to leadership development. He spent more than fifteen years inside Ohio State’s athletic department, advising executives, coaches, athletes, and major donors while helping raise over one hundred million dollars in philanthropic support. His work gave him a direct look into how high performers think, respond to adversity, rebuild, and reach new levels.

Raymont is the author of Control the Controllables, a framework built from his experiences growing up in Lorain, pushing through the NFL, and rebuilding himself during the hardest seasons of his life. His message connects because it is lived, not memorized. He speaks on leadership, mindset, pressure, resilience, and performance, delivering a real voice that audiences feel. Through EMP and the EMP Collective, Raymont coaches high performers, builds leaders, and helps teams create cultures rooted in belief, effort, and accountability. He also serves through the Jean and Raymont Harris Foundation, supporting families facing maternal health challenges and former athletes navigating life after sports.

Raymont is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Away from the stage he brings balance into his life through golf, travel, and enjoying the art of cigars and bourbon.

David Forgue, Partner
Barnes, Richardson & Colburn

     Presentation

       Customs, Tariffs, and Trade: Where are We and What's Next?

As we are all aware, importers into the United States have faced an ever-changing landscape. Customs and International Trade attorney David Forgue will tell us where we are (as of the morning of the presentation) and where it looks like we're headed.

David is a Customs and international trade attorney at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn in Chicago. He has practiced Customs and international trade law for almost 30 years and represents companies across the globe. He is from Chicago and has a political science degree and a law degree from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Ales Bertuzzi, VP Sales
GEORG NA Transformer Division

Presentation

Improving Core Losses to Meet DOE 2029

Adjusting your Distribution Transformers to be adapted for the new Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) set from DOE starting on Jan 2029 could be a challenge for many, but seen also as an opportunity looking through technological innovation at all Process Level, meaning a potential new design of stacked cores (Method) which could take into consideration highest level of low loss GOES (Material) ensuring the use of latest technology and automation process (Machines) and skilled and well trained labor (Man) that, along with the possibility of controlling and measuring core losses from mother roll to finished product, will allow to design and obtain optimized cores matching high quality standard at competitive prices. 

Speaker Overview

• Italian
• Background in Electrical engineering, enthusiast on process approach and Innovation
• Following machine market for Transformers since 1990 (35 years)
• With GEORG since 2020

Michael Fernald
Head of Central Certification Body at TÜV SÜD America 

       Presentation:

        ISO 9001:2026: The Next Evolution of Quality Management - What’s Changing and How to Prepare

After nearly a decade since its last major revision, ISO 9001 is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global landscape. The upcoming ISO 9001:2026 revision is expected to introduce a sharper focus on topics such as risk management, digital transformation, sustainability, and organizational resilience reflecting how quality is now intertwined with innovation and long-term value creation. 

Michael Fernald, Head of Central Certification Body at TÜV SÜD America, will discuss the potential changes and impacts of the final draft version from an auditor and Certification Body’s perspective. Attendees will also have a dynamic opportunity to ask your questions. In addition, this session will cover:  

• What’s driving the changes and how they align with emerging trends in quality and business performance
• Expected new and revised clauses to watch, including those related to the context of the organization, leadership, risk-based thinking, and process performance
• Practical guidance on transition timelines, preparation steps, and gap analysis strategies

Whether you’re new to ISO 9001 or managing an established QMS, this presentation will help you anticipate what’s ahead, understand the impact on certification, and turn the updates and changes into opportunities for growth and competitive advantage. 

Sean Reynolds
Senior Managing Director, Data Center Solutions
JLL

        Presentation

       Data Center Outlook

Sean Reynolds, Senior Managing Director at JLL, will provide an in-depth analysis of the current and projected state of the U.S. data center market. This session will explore the national development pipeline and construction landscape, supply and demand dynamics, and current rent trends shaping the industry. Attendees will also gain insight into the geographic regions positioned for growth, as well as the key challenges facing data center development — including zoning and regulatory hurdles, NIMBY opposition, misinformation, and ongoing labor shortages impacting construction.

       Biography

I am a Leader in the Data Center practice at JLL. With 25 years’ experience, I co-lead the Midwest Chicago Data Center Services. Within the last 4 years, I've led over 25 projects focused on the acquisition and disposition of data center specific sites across the U.S. Those projects represent over $4 billion in value. Focusing exclusively on data center real estate, Sean assists his clients in utility due diligence, zoning / entitlements, PSA negotiations, acquisition and disposition transaction models, financial analysis, lease and MSA analysis, and market valuations. My industry relationships are incredibly important to me and my customers know that I will do whatever it takes to find unique solutions for their business.

 SPECIALTIES:

❖ Data Center Real Estate

❖ Strategic Real Estate Planning

❖ Tenant Representation

❖ Development Work including zoning, entitlements, and power applications

❖ Data Center Land / Building Acquisitions & Dispositions

❖ Lease and PSA review

Current responsibilities

Sean Reynolds is a Senior Managing Director with JLL and is Co-Leader for the firm’s Midwest Data Center Solutions Team. Sean assists his clients in acquisition and disposition of data center real estate assets, greenfield / brownfield data center development expertise, financial analysis, lease analysis, market valuations and general consulting services. He has managed local data center projects in the Chicago area and acted as a single point of contact for multi-market clients. Sean has a strong sense of loyalty towards his clients and has been able to grow his customer base through numerous client referrals and recommendations.

Experience

Prior to joining JLL via The Staubach Company merger in 2008, Sean worked at CBRE where he analyzed market activity and historical trends to present, current and future trends to the real estate community. He worked his way from Associate to Partner at The Staubach Company in under 6 years . Sean has been focused on mission critical, high power density, data center and office users since 2000. Focusing on data center development,  tenant representation, acquisitions and sale leaseback dispositions  with JLL, he has been involved in the acquisition of 3.5+ million rsf valued at over $980 million, and the disposition of 2.5 million rsf of excess real estate valued at over $675 million. Sean has led over Sean’s clients include Cloud Centers, MapleTree, American Farm Investors, Harrison Street, GI Partners, Iron Mountain, QTS, NTT, Pritzker Realty, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Comcast, Walgreen Co., HSBC,.

Education, affiliations and honors