CEO, Joel Melnick, originally from New York City, is a registered P.E., trained in electrical engineering at SUNY Buffalo. His first job was at Boeing, which gave him significant training in circuit design and safety controls. He was recruited to Vermont to work for what is now a division of BF Goodrich, where he developed a thorough understanding of patented technology.

Joel founded Nathaniel in 1984, and over time he has grown it from a small consultancy into a robust design, prototyping and manufacturing firm. He notes that the secret to success in the technical device work is control: “The trick is to figure out what the elements are that you need to control very closely – so you have reliable, accurate results from an instrument over the long term.”

The success of Nathaniel is due in large part, says Joel, to the culture of curiosity and innovation that he has worked so hard to create. “I started my business to be heard, and now I help others get heard.”

Barbara McDonald is Co-General Manager at Nathaniel. She joined the company as its seventh employee, originally to handle payables and payroll functions. Now she manages the company’s financials and operations.

A native Vermonter, Barbi has an extensive business background. In addition to owning and managing several businesses of her own, she is the treasurer for the local school system, and has served the City of Vergennes in numerous capacities. She traces her career in check amounts – as she notes, “I remember when I wrote my first check for over $1,000,000 (for someone else to sign), and I will never forget the first time I actually got to sign a check for a million.”

Barbi attributes her business success to her lack of fear: “I am not afraid to try things and figure them out.”

Co-General Manager Keith Williams is a veteran systems executive who has helped businesses across New England build their IT and human capacity. From his early days at Becton Dickinson Medical Systems to managing growth at Ben & Jerry’s, Country Home Products, and Fat Cat, Inc., he has helped businesses make the most of their information systems and human capital.

Keith notes that growth is always a challenge – making it happen, and then managing it effectively. “The real difference at Nathaniel is that we are as focused on maintaining our values as we are on maintaining our growth rate – and we are a very focused company.”

Julie Martin, Engineering Manager, is a mechanical and systems engineer with a background in aerospace and biomedical engineering. She earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Vermont, where she focused both undergraduate and graduate research in musculoskeletal biomechanics. Julie comes to Nathaniel from Goodrich Corporation, where her aptitude for approaching problems with a systems perspective gave her valuable experience in technical leadership roles as a systems engineer. At Nathaniel, Julie finds the perfect potential to merge her technical leadership skills, her interest in biomedical engineering, and her desire to make a worthy contribution in a culture of collaboration and creativity.

Quality Manager Shane Williams has 25 years of experience in quality system management and regulatory compliance. Shane graduated from Trinity College of Vermont with an A.S. Degree in 1993. His work history includes 16 years at Digital Equipment Corp. and most recently 13 years as Quality Assurance Manager at Nexus Custom Electronics, a contract manufacturer of printed circuit assemblies. Shane’s main goal is to coordinate efforts to streamline and enhance an already extremely effective quality system.