NVBDC Executive Leadership
Executive Leadership
OFFICERS

John Oleson
Interim CEO
Senior Principal at Fulcrum Edge, Inc. John has a broad range of experience including growing companies and positioning them for investment capital, mergers and sales. John served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Medical Services Officer

Tammi Hart
Senior Vice President
Tammi Hart is the Sr. Purchasing Manager with Tenneco Powertrain Division based in Southfield Michigan. Ms. Hart is a recognized Diversity Business Leader with 19+ Years of expernice.

David Brazda
Co-Treasurer
David Brazda directs Partner Development for Accounting Department.com and has vast experience providing outsourced HR & financial services to small businesses. In 2007, he helped Keith King create the VBDC, the predecessor to NVBDC.

Jeffrey Copek - Vice Chair
Co-Treasurer
Jeffrey Copek is the President of Aldez North America, a NVBDC certified service disabled veteran owned company. Mr. Copek is a Graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a retired U.S. Army Apache Pilot.
Board of Directors

Jim Cowper - Board Chair
Jim Cowper is the Mayor of Sylvan Lake, MI. He has over 30 years of knowledge in the Professional Services to the Automotive, Defense, Medical Device, Telecom, Semi conductor, Energy and Finance Industries. He is currently Chairman of the Board at
DFCU Financial and serves as the Director of Business Development at the Akkodis Group.

Jeffrey Copek - Vice Chair
Jeffrey Copek is the President of Aldez North America, a NVBDC certified service disabled veteran owned company. Mr. Copek is a Graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a retired U.S. Army Apache Pilot.

David Brazda
David Brazda directs Partner Development for Accounting Department.com and has vast experience providing outsourced HR & financial services to small businesses. In 2007, he helped Keith King create the VBDC, the predecessor to NVBDC.

Kathryn Poynton
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Kathryn Poynton is the National Director of Events for “Hiring Our Heroes” and has over 32 years of military service in staff positions for the National Guard Bureau and U.S. Army.

Sid Taylor
Mr. Taylor is the Founder and Chairman – SET Enterprises. He is a United States Marine and Vietnam combat veteran. He has over 48 years of service in the Automotive Industry.

John E. Taylor
John Taylor is the Senior Director of Global Supplier Diversity Solutions and Member of Gonzales Financial Consulting, LLC

Annette Stevenson
Annette Stevenson is the President of Stevenson Consulting Group. Ms. Stevenson is a U.S. Army Officer veteran with over 30 years’ experience in driving supplier diversity initiatives.
Advisory Board

Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson is the chairman and CEO of Eleven Bravo Enterprises, and was the chairman and CEO for HBO. Mr. Nelson also is a Vietnam combat veteran, having served with the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

Scott Lopez
Scott Lopez is the CEO and Founder of Zepol Productions Inc., (ZPI) which he founded in 2009. Scott brings over 25 years of channel experience both creating distribution specific brands and selling multiple service and hardware lines through the channel. Proud of his Veteran and Latino American heritage, as a NVBDC-certified, service-disabled and veteran-owned small business Scott is excited to bring more diversity to the IT Distribution channel.

James Bland
James Bland, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, is a business owner and private equity investor. He is a Partner at NextGen Growth Partners, Trustee for the Village of Glenview, and former Partner at HCP & Company, with board experience across multiple companies including Door and Window Guard Systems and NYX Cosmetics.

Steve Charles
Steve Charles is the Director of Strategic Sourcing in our Global Supply Management organization at Sonoco Products Company.

Ken Vennera
Ken is a strategic advisor and counsel to the Chairman, supporting cross-team execution and leadership success. With over 30 years of experience in corporate law, business strategy, and consulting, he has worked with firms like Accenture and PwC, led his own advisory practice, and supported hundreds of veteran-owned businesses through mentorship and leadership roles.

Charles White
Charles White is an accomplished procurement and sourcing executive with extensive experience across industries including financial services, technology, and consumer sectors. He has led strategic sourcing, supplier management, and procurement transformation initiatives, helping organizations drive efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen supply chain performance at an enterprise level.
OUR ENDORSEMENTS
RECENT NEWS
And Organizational Updates
From Compliance to Competitive Advantage: The Evolution of Supplier Procurement
Supplier procurement is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once viewed primarily as a compliance obligation—tracked through spend percentages, supplier counts and reporting requirements—is now increasingly recognized as a strategic lever for...
Why Third-Party Certification Is Essential in Supplier Procurement Programs
Supplier procurement programs have matured, and with that maturity comes heightened accountability. Boards, regulators, investors, and the public increasingly expect transparency, accuracy, and defensibility in procurement reporting. At the center of this scrutiny is...
The Strategic Advantage of Veteran-Owned Businesses in Corporate Supply Chains
Modern supply chains are operating under unprecedented pressure. Global disruptions, regulatory scrutiny, ESG accountability, and cost constraints have forced procurement leaders to rethink not just where they source, but why they source the way they do. In this...




