Leadership

Enroll Now: Request Info

Donate Today

Our Founder & CEO

Hernán Luis y Prado

Hernán Luis y Prado served in the United States Navy for 15 years as a Hospital Corpsman and then as a Surface Warfare Officer. Hernán saw three combat tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a graduate of the Navy Surface Warfare Officer School, where he completed the Chief Engineering Officer and Combat Systems Officer curricula. His personal decorations include the Navy Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon, as well as various unit and service awards.

An accomplished businessman and civic leader, Hernán was recognized by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for Workshops for Warriors’ extensive efforts and notable achievements in helping veterans successfully transition from the military into advanced manufacturing careers.

In 2012, President Barack Obama recognized Hernán as a Champion of Change. In 2014, he received the “Keith M. Turnham Humanitarian Award” in recognition of his military service and his continued commitment to serving the communities of San Diego. In 2015, Hernán was recognized by the California State Legislature as the “80th Assembly District for 2015 Veteran of the Year,” and “CEO of the Year” by the San Diego Business Journal in 2017.

In 2022, Hernán was selected by the SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration) as the “Small Business Person of the Year” for the state of California. In 2023, he was the featured speaker in the military category at TEDx San Diego, and was also asked to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. In 2024, Hernán was once again recognized as “CEO of the Year” by the San Diego Business Journal. Recently, he was a guest speaker at the Semafor Summit on Barriers and Breakthroughs: Building the Future U.S. Manufacturing Workforce in Washington, D.C.

Board of Directors

Amanda Barber

Amanda Barber is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Texas and is a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical). She currently serves as a Commander in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps in San Diego.

Rick Biben

Mr. Biben spent over 40 years in government and industry positions. He retired in late 2016 as the CEO/President of Gibbs & Cox, Inc., the leading independent naval architecture and marine engineering firm in North America. His previous executive positions included Senior Vice President at SAIC; Vice President at Computer Science Corporation (now within General Dynamics); Sr. Vice President at Anteon (now General Dynamics); and Sr. Vice President at Northrop Grumman. Mr. Biben is active on a number of Boards and holds leadership roles within the Shipbuilders Council of America.

Pete Peterson

Pete, over the last 50 years, has owned and operated companies involved in many different factions of business to include public accounting, real estate development, and health clubs, and, generally, holding the position of chief financial officer and/or managing partner. He is semi-retired from the company he started in 2005, PFW Holdings, LLC, which owns and operates Planet Fitness franchises in four states. His background and expertise helps support WFW’s efforts in construction, financial analysis, and expansion of its facilities and operations.

Mike Shoemaker

Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker, Ret., has over 20 years of senior executive experience leading complex and diverse organizations ranging from 250 to over 82,000 personnel culminating as the Commander of all Naval Air Forces. He is currently Vice President, Strategic Planning at Lockheed Martin, Aeronautics.

Peter Zierhut

Peter is the Vice President, Outside Operations for Haas Automation, Inc. Mr. Zierhut’s career at Haas spans more than 33 years, with experience including management positions in manufacturing, sales, marketing, and IT. He is a senior-level manager at Haas and is responsible for oversight of Haas Automation’s HTEC-branded education program comprising more than 2,000 institutions around the world that utilize Haas machine tools for educational purposes.

Board of Advisors

Our Advisory Board is comprised of industry leaders who make themselves available in support of our mission. They provide guidance on issues including machining education, nonprofit governance, fundraising, and other matters.