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.”

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.

June LeCompte, Materials Manager has twenty-three years experience in Manufacturing. Her career began at BF Goodrich where she worked for five years as an assembler and for the last eighteen years at Nexus Custom Electronics where she worked her way to Materials Manager. She has created inventory systems with suppliers to reduce inventory on hand; maintained cost reductions; decreased lead times to the customer and increased cash flow for the company.