Our Team

Dean Bartles, Ph.D., FSME, FASME

President & Chief Executive Officer, Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG)

After serving as a board member of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) since 2010, Dr. Bartles was named President and CEO in 2019. In 2020, he formed the parent organization of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG) where he currently serves as President and CEO. He is a past President of the National Tooling and Machining Association, the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Previously, he was the Director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire and the founding Executive Director of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) in Chicago. Prior to DMDII, Dr. Bartles worked for General Dynamics Corporation for 31 years setting up and running manufacturing operations in Egypt, Turkey, and the U.S., and also for Fairchild Republic Company as an Industrial Engineer on the A-10 Program.

He served as the 2016-2017 President of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, the 2016 President of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the founding Chairman of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, as well as Chairman of the NCDMM Board.  Dr. Bartles graduated from Indiana State University earning a Ph.D. in Technology Management with a concentration in Manufacturing Systems. He currently serves on the boards of the National Small Business Association, National Institute of Metalworking Skills, MTConnect Institute, Industry and Professional Advisory Committee of Penn State’s College of Engineering, and the Engineering Technology Advisory Committee of St. Petersburg College where he is the 2023 Chair.