The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) is proud to announce the hiring of Todd Praneis as Vice President, Technical Division. In addition, three AGMA employees—Courtney Caroll, Robin McWilliams, and Jess Oglesby—have been promoted.

In the VP, Technical Division role, Todd will coordinate and manage the AGMA Technical Division and interface with association members and the public. He will oversee AGMA’s participation in the development of international gearing standards, liaise with the AGMA’s Technical Division Executive Committee (TDEC) to manage the functions of the AGMA Technical Division, manage AGMA standards projects in the development of AGMA technical standards and information sheets, oversee the technical functions of the American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA)—including ABMA standards—and ensure that AGMA and ABMA are in compliance with ANSI and ISO processes to stay accredited for standards certification.

“As AGMA continues to offer exceptional value and standards development leadership around the world as it relates to the power transmission industry, we couldn’t be more excited to have Todd join the team,” said Matthew E. Croson, President, AGMA. “His experience as a mechanical engineer, as our former TDEC Chairperson, and his understanding of the mission and strategic goals of AGMA, makes him the perfect person to lead our technical division into a new year of exciting developments.”

Todd Praneis has 30 years of experience as the Director of Product Development at Cotta, LLC, wherein he was responsible for all aspects of design, development, and testing of industrial and high-speed enclosed drives. Todd also served as Director of Quality at Cotta LLC starting in 2020, where he managed all aspects of the quality management system, including managing activities related to ISO standards, gage purchases and calibrations, corrective actions, improvement projects, and controlled documents.

Todd also served on two AGMA committees from 2017 through 2023: the Executive Committee and the Technical Division Executive Committee (TDEC). Todd served as Chair for the TDEC, coordinating and directing the work of AGMA’s standards projects, developing and maintaining AGMA standards, information sheets, and other technical publications, organizing and conducting the Fall Technical Meeting, and governing other activities of the AGMA Technical Division.

“Our AGMA staff is a varsity team that is poised to help members and the industry grow in 2024,” added Croson. “Welcoming Todd with his vast knowledge, coupled with the promotion of Courtney, Robin, and Jess, we are excited to deliver excellence in standards, education, networking, news, emerging technology, and so much more. These team members have demonstrated considerable work ethic and teamwork during their time at AGMA. We appreciate their member focus and look forward to a strong 2024.”

The AGMA is excited to announce the promotion of three employees, effective January 1, 2024:

•    Courtney Carroll is now Senior Manager, Technical Services; her prior role was Technical Publications Manager.

•    Jess Ogelsby is now Design Manager; her previous role was Graphic Designer.

•    Robin McWilliams is now Events Coordinator; her previous position was Program Assistant.

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