Joseph A. Petrolino  -  Vice President Heavy Vehicles
Center Director-University Transportation Center 

Joe came to NTRCI with twenty-eight years of multifaceted hands-on experience in both Corporate and US Department of Defense management, and documented successes in executive and program management of complex motor vehicle systems including engineering development, testing, contract management, sales and distribution (domestic and international), and production and logistics.

Joe spent three years as Instructor, Assistant Professor and Course Director in the Department of Engineering, United States Military Academy for Applied Mechanical Engineering courses.

As both the UTC Center Director and Vice President of Heavy Vehicle R&D at the National Transportation Research Center, Inc (NTRCI), a Tennessee based non-profit corporation chartered to enhance economic development, further transportation technology research and encourage transportation technology education. Joe is responsible for marketing and business development to the commercial transportation industry, creation of a heavy vehicle consortium in safety, emissions and human factors and for providing independent test and evaluation services to industry as well as transportation technology services to local and state governments.  He also provides critical management oversight to NTRCI research projects.

David Rice  -  Contracts Manager

David has over thirty-five years of direct, hands-on experience in government prime contract and subcontract/purchasing administration and management.  He has held increasingly responsible positions in the U.S. Air Force and private industry providing the full range of contract management and procurement activities in support of complex research, development, and testing and evaluation projects for  various government agencies including DOD, DOE, DOT, EPA; industrial clients and partners; universities, and state and local government agencies.  Contracting actions included prime contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements, grants and purchase orders valued between $500 and $500M+ depending on complexity.

Connie Smith-Holbert  -  Business Manager

Connie joined NTRCI in 2004 and has nearly 25 years of experience in business, finance and accounting roles as controller, accounting manager, auditor, marketing promotions specialist, and staffing manager. Ms. Smith was Controller for TAP, LLC, where she helped to build a small entrepreneurial corporate infrastructure to support growth from 3 to 50 people.  Previously she held multiple executive positions in her 20-year career in the automotive industry where her responsibilities included the controllership function; strategic, operational and capital planning processes; and market, pricing and customer/product optimization analysis. Connie graduated from Strayer University with a BS degree in Accounting and she earned a secondary BS degree in Marketing from the University of Phoenix.  She is a member of the American Society of Women Accountants, Institute of Management Accountants and the American Marketing Association.