Tom Nelli

Biography

I was born and raised in Gastonia, NC where ACC basketball, NASCAR, and BBQ reigns. It was once the textile capital of the world, but it is most notable for being the birthplace to the elixir of the gods – Sundrop! (I never leave home without it). I graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology and my first job was with a small contract manufacturer… I’ve been a ‘plant rat’ ever since. My career has taken me back and forth from Virginia to North Carolina several times, but the tug of a local girl kept pulling me back to Virginia. I’ve been happily married and deeply planted in the Shenandoah Valley since 1995. I’ve been fortunate in my career to experience diverse industries and career growth. I’ve worked in electronics, textiles, automotive, and military aerospace; all with an underlying metal-trades component. I’ve been an engineer, supervisor, manager, operator, truck driver, and chief bottle-washer… whatever it took to help the company succeed. Most importantly, along the way I’ve become adept at implementing Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System in a multitude of business environments. I’m truly privileged to join Cadence which has such a strong culture of entrepreneurial spirit, technology, continuous improvement, and great people. Something that not many people know about me… I was foolish enough to play rugby in college; tackling with no helmets… which probably explains a lot. I’ve been an Assistant Scoutmaster for over 22 years. Volunteering in Scouting is a great community service and quite rewarding in the development of the leadership skills of our youth, but it’s really just an excuse to go camping every month.

Research Interest

Electrical engineering