Expertise in EMC, Environmental Stress & Photometric Testing

Raymond Klouda

President

Elite Since 1979 (44 years)

Ray Klouda has been active in the related fields of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and RF shielding design since 1979. He leads through experience in Military and Commercial EMC specifications, including MIL-STD-461, RTCA DO-160, FCC Regulations, ISED Canada Regulations, CE Mark Testing and International compliance including CISPR and IEC/ISO specifications. As a technical reviewer, he assesses and approves radio devices under the FCC Telecommunication Certification Body program. In addition, he leads the team responsible for the administration of Elite’s ISO 17025 quality system and ISO 17065 certification systems. He is an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer and a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois. He is an active member of the IEEE EMC Society and the Membership Officer for the Chicago Chapter. Mr. Klouda received his Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana B.S.E.E. (1981).

Thomas Klouda

Vice President / Director of Engineering

Elite Since 1985 (38 years)

Mr. Klouda is Elite’s technical expert for equipment management. He ensures that Elite remains a state of the art test facility. His specialized area of knowledge includes testing avionics to the indirect effects of lightning strikes and nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). His primary responsibilities include research and development of new test systems, equipment, and processes. He is also the manager of Elite’s Calibration Team having responsibility for management of existing test equipment and acquiring new instruments and systems. He is a member of the Strategic Planning, Safety, and Quality Teams. He is a member of the IEEE EMC Society and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). He currently attends the SAE AE-2 Lightning Committee meetings. He is an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer. Mr. Klouda received his Electrical Engineering degree from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago B.S.E.E. (1985). He has also received a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1997).

Craig Fanning

EMC Lab Manager

Elite Since 1986 (37 years)

Mr. Fanning is the manager of Elite’s EMC Testing team. As manager, Mr. Fanning supervises EMC laboratory scheduling, test resource management, and sector operations. He also oversees all EMC programs to ensure efficiency and customer satisfaction from scheduling through invoicing. In addition to managing the EMC lab, Craig drives Elite’s lean and process improvement efforts as well as new service development. Mr. Fanning’s area of technical specialization is in Automotive, Truck, and Construction Equipment EMC test standards and Military and Aerospace EMC testing. He is an active member of the IEEE EMC Society, IEEE SDECom, IEEE SACCom, IEEE EMC Chicago Chapter (board member), SAE EMC Committee, CISPR/D (Chair), CISPR/D/WG1, CISPR/D/WG2 (Convener), CISPR/D/A Chamber Validation JTF (Convener), CISPR/D USTAG (Lead Technical Advisor), and ISO TC22/SC32/WG3. Craig has also authored several IEEE EMC Symposium papers and workshops since 2006. Craig received his engineering degree from DeVry Institute of Technology in 1986 (B.S.E.E.T.). He also has a Certificate in Business Administration and a Certificate in Lean Operations and Principals, both from University of Illinois at Chicago. Craig is an iNARTE Certified EMC Technician and Test Laboratory Engineer and maintains Elite's status as an iNARTE Certified Organization.

John Lindberg

Environmental Stress Lab Manager

Elite Since 2003 (20 years)

Mr. Lindberg is the manager of Elite’s Environmental Stress Testing and Photometric Testing teams. He brings over 35 years experience in Environmental Stress Testing. In addition to his management responsibilities, he leads the development and implementation of new services and capabilities in the department. One of his key areas of expertise is in Vibration and Shock testing, and HALT testing, both in the application of the test as well as in the operation, engineering support, and maintenance of the vibration test equipment. He is a member of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (IEST). John received his engineering degree from DeVry University (1983) and received his B.A. in Business from DePaul University. He also received a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1997).

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Elaine Russo

Finance Manager

Elaine Russo is our Finance Manager. She also manages customer relations and supports the overall business--including securing purchase orders and equipment for testing. Elaine received her B.S. in Business and Urban Studies (1982) from Elmhurst College and two M.B.A. degrees in Business from Keller Graduate School of Management--Business (2006) and Human Resource Management (2013). Elaine has also earned a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Steve Laya

Sales and Marketing Manager

Elite Since 1997 (26 years)

Mr. Laya is Elite’s Sales and Marketing Manager. In addition to his technical sales and leadership responsibilities he also drives the development of new services for Elite. He is an internal auditor for the Quality Assurance team and assists with the administration of Elite’s ISO 17025 quality system and ISO 17065 certification systems. His specialized area of knowledge includes CE Marking and international compliance regulations, reliability engineering, HALT/HASS, and lithium battery regulations. He is a member of the IEEE EMC Society and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Mr. Laya received his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana B.S.M.E (1983).

Adam Rohman

Test Services Scheduler / Project Manager / Sr. EMC Engineer

Elite Since 2000 (23 years)

Mr. Rohman is Elite’s single point of contact for all EMC, Environmental Stress, and Photometric test scheduling. In his current role, he maintains constant interaction with clients regarding project specifications, development plans, project statuses, timelines, and results. During his tenure with Elite, he has tested and analyzed electronic products in accordance with national and international standards for electromagnetic compatibility and has directed complex, multi-system reliability programs. Adam is also on Elite’s Strategic Planning and Knowledge Management teams. He holds a B.S.E.E.T from DeVry University and is an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer.

Neil Hurley

Test Services Scheduler / Sr. EMC Engineer

Elite Since 1989 (34 years)

Mr. Hurley is responsible for EMC test project scheduling and leads the IT team. His specialized areas of knowledge include Military / Aerospace EMC Testing and technical writing of EMC test plans. He is an internal auditor for the Quality Assurance team and assists with the administration of Elite’s ISO 17025 quality system and ISO 17065 certification systems. He is a member of the IEEE EMC Society and an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer. Mr. Hurley received his degree from the College of Dupage, A.A.S. – Electronics Technology (1989).

Stanley D. Dolecki

Automotive EMC Test Team Leader

Elite Since 1988 (35 years)

Mr. Dolecki is Elite’s Automotive and Heavy Vehicle Test Team leader. In addition to his technical and leadership responsibilities for the group, he is also responsible for automotive test laboratory recognition required by General Motors, Ford, FCA, and A2LA. Mr. Dolecki works with internal test capability development, test setup and test stand design, works on all automotive correlation and characterization efforts, and reviews and critiques OEM/company internal test specifications. Stan also writes test plans and has authored several company internal EMC testing guidelines and specifications. Mr. Dolecki performs on-site consulting to troubleshoot EMC problems, developing ways to simulate issues seen in the field, designing test suites and writing test plans to help customers achieve their EMC compliance goals. He also works with Elite’s safety group and software development groups. Mr. Dolecki received his Electrical Engineering degree from DeVry University B.S.E.E.T. (1989). He is also an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer.

Patrick E. Hall

Military/Aerospace EMC Team Leader

Elite Since 1977 (46 years)

Mr. Hall is Elite’s Military/Aerospace EMC Test Team Leader. His specialized area of knowledge includes MIL-STD-461A through MIL-STD-461F EMC tests, DO-160A through DO-160F EMC tests and D6-16050-4 through D6-16050-5 EMC tests. He has developed Elite’s MIL-STD-461, DO-160 and D6-16050 EMC test procedures. He is also knowledgeable with the application of FCC, CE mark and automotive specifications. Mr. Hall received his engineering degree from DeVry Institute of Technology B.S.E.E.T (1981). He is also an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer (Certified August, 1989).

Richard King

Certification Department Supervisor / FCC/CE Mark Team Leader

Elite Since 1999 (24 years)

Rick is the Certification Supervisor and FCC/CE Mark Test Team Leader and an integral member of our FCC and ISED Canada Certification team. His expertise includes all testing and certifications for FCC and ISED Canada as well as CE and International Compliance to the EMC and Radio Equipment (RE) Directives. Rick earned a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2007) and is an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer. He also holds a B.S.E.E.T from Devry University.

Daniel Crowder

Elite Since 1989 (34 years)

Dan Crowder passed away on April 19, 2020. All of us at Elite are heartbroken as we say farewell to our colleague and dear friend.

Mr. Crowder is Elite’s Certification Department Supervisor. In addition, he is the FCC/CE Mark Test Team Leader and Senior EMC Engineer. His specialized area of knowledge includes transmitter certification and testing for U.S. and foreign markets, FCC testing and regulations, CE Marking and international compliance regulations. He is an internal auditor for Elite’s quality assurance team and assists with the administration of Elite’s ISO 17025 quality system and ISO 17065 certification system. He is actively involved in transmitter standards development including ANSI C63.10 and ANSI C63.26. He is a member of the Telecommunication Certification Body Council, IEEE EMC Society and is an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer. Dan received his B.S.E.E.T. from DeVry University (1989).

Frank Bowes

Senior EMC Engineer

Elite Since 1986 (37 years)

Frank Bowes is a Senior EMC Engineer in the Automotive EMC Test Team. Frank’s primary responsibilities at Elite include supervising and overseeing daily automotive EMC testing in the lab and reviewing and sign-off of all Automotive EMC test reports. Frank is an iNARTE EMC Accredited Test Laboratory Engineer and Certified EMC Technician. Frank is on the Electronic Data Management team at Elite. Frank received his engineering degree from DeVry University in Lombard, IL, B.S.E.E.T. (1986).

brandon lugo elite employee

Brandon Lugo

Automotive EMC Team Leader

Elite Since 2005 (18 years)

Mr. Lugo is the Automotive EMC Test Team Leader and has been part of that team since 2005 with additional experience with CE Mark and Marine Standard EMC testing. His expertise includes a wide range of automotive EMC test methods as well as test setup design and validation. His primary responsibilities include the daily operation of the Automotive EMC test team, test preparation, development of internal test procedures, and maintainence of ISO 17025 accreditations and OEM laboratory approvals. Brandon is also a member of our Quality Assurance team as an internal auditor and technical advisor. Brandon earned his BSEET from DeVry Univeristy (2005), Certificate of Business Adminstration from Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago (2008), and Masters of Project Management from DeVry's Keller Graduate School of Management (2018). He is also an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer (since 2017).

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Chuck Thompson

Environmental Team Leader

Elite Since 1995 (28 years)

Chuck leads Environmental Stress Testing at our north annex, with special expertise in Climatics and Exposure testing. He leads the development and verification of new test methods, custom test equipment fabrication, and laboratory maintenance in addition to reviewing test reports and supervising test operations. Chuck received his electronics degree from Tampa Technical School (ASEE) in 1985 and is an active member of IEST and RTCA standards committees.

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Mark Gabalewicz

Environmental Team Leader / Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Elite Since 2005 (18 years)

Mark oversees Environmental Stress Testing at our main facility, with special expertise in Vibration, Shock, Climatics, and Exposure testing. In addition to managing daily operations, Mark trains new employees, reviews test reports, and assists with testing projects. He is trained in CAD modeling and Operational Security (OPSEC) Awareness. Mark received his engineering degree from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2005 (BSME).

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Todd Bruhl

Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Elite Since 2016 (7 years)

Todd is the lead mechanical designer for our Machining, Automation and Controls (MAC) team, with special expertise in automation system and test fixture design and fabrication as well as CAD modeling (SolidWorks). With more 30 years of experience in mechanical design, Todd turns customer requirements into automated solutions for qualification and production testing. Todd received his engineering degree from Purdue University in 1995 (BSME) and earned a Certificate in Business Administration from St. Xavier University in 2017.

John Schmit

Inside Sales Manager

Elite Since 1985 (38 years)

Mr. Schmit is Elite’s Inside Sales Manager and is chiefly responsible for application engineering and customer support leading to the preparation of proposal for services. John has a broad background and an engineering understanding of the EMC test standards applied for Elite’s key markets. Mr. Schmit has authored several papers related to international compliance, as well as developed standards and client specific test plans for applications in the marine industry, construction industry, and for truck OEMs. Mr. Schmit received his degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Champaign. (1982).

Robert Bugielski

Technical Sales / Quality Manager / Sr. EMC Engineer

Elite Since 2006 (17 years)

Mr. Bugielski brings plenty of practical knowledge from the lab to the Technical Sales team and leads the Quality Assurance team responsible for Elite's ISO 17025 quality system and ISO 17065 certification system. His areas of expertise include Automotive EMC Test procedures, MIL-STD-461 EMC test procedures, Technical Sales and consulting for both EMC and Environmental testing. Robert is also an iNARTE Certified EMC Engineer with a certificate in Business Administration/Lean Operations from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as a one from Saint Xavier in Business Administration. Mr. Bugielski received his engineering degree from DeVry University B.S.E.E.T. (2005) and a Master of Business Adminstration from Keller Graduate School of Management (DeVry University, 2017).

Michael Cosentino

Sales / Marketing

Elite Since 2017 (6 years)

As a part of our Sales and Marketing Team, Michael's responsibilities include Business Development, Account Management, and Digital Marketing. Michael routinely meets with management and senior engineers and is an advocate for customer engagement. Michael received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management from Illinois State University (2011). Click here to connect with Michael on LinkedIn.

Calibration Department

Elite’s calibration department is responsible for managing the maintenance, calibration, and repair of over 2,500 pieces of test equipment. Calibration Team Members- Tom Klouda, Tom Mulloy, Derek Vallee, and Brelon Weathersby.

Software Automation and IT

Elite has a long history of optimizing its efficiency by applying test automation to its processes. Today, Elite software is primarily written in Visual Basic to run on the Microsoft .NET Framework. Supporting this function are Sebastian Gola and Rich Jesinowski, both software engineers with significant expertise in EMC testing. Elite’s IT infrastructure is managed by Neil Hurley and Rob Fredres.

Administrative Services

Elite’s cheerful and friendly administrative staff--Kathy Barri, Elaine Russo, Carrie Watson, Margie Klouda, and Julie Johnson--is responsible for managing Accounts Payable/Receivable and HR, report processing, records management, customer services, and other front office functions.

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