Board Officers
Mary Derrick
Chair
Vice President, Power Products, Schneider Electric
Derrick is a customer focused leader with experience managing partner relationship management (PRM), CRM, digital marketing, journey mapping, and digital touchpoint and value proposition development. She joined Schneider Electric in 2009 and has held a variety of leadership positions, most recently being named the Vice President, Power Products in 2024.
Danna Stone
Chair Elect
SVP, Marketing, Graybar
Stone has over 23 years of experience in electrical distribution. She has led commercial and supply chain teams of up to 600 people during that time. From recruiting, to on-boarding, to training, to retaining talent, Stone has successfully built teams that consistently contribute to growth and profitability.
Larry Stern
Secretary
President & CEO, Standard Electric Supply
Stern is former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NAED. He previously has been involved with NAED serving on the LEAD Committee, as a member of the South Central Regional Council, leading the Region as its Vice President in 2008.
Brian DiBella
Treasurer
President & CEO, Legrand North America
DiBella joined Legrand in 2004 as Chief Information Officer. In 2007, he was appointed VP & GM of the Wiremold operation and named President of the EWS division in 2014. In 2024, he became President & CEO. Prior to Legrand, Brian held various management consulting positions.
Stephan Fulop
Board Officer
Chief Product & Technology Officer, DSG
Fulop is a people-centered digital and technology leader whose curiosity and strategic mindset guides his approach to delivering results and making meaningful transformation. At DSG, he guides the company’s product, technology, data, and digital initiatives with a focus on building practical, scalable solutions that simplify work for employees while enhancing the customer experience.
Tessa Myers
Board Officer
SVP, Intelligent Devices, Rockwell Automation
Myers started her career as an associate sales engineer for Rockwell Automation, and 20 years later, she leads strategy, people and talent development, and the worldwide growth of the Intelligent Devices segment, which includes drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products that are the foundation of smart production systems.
Martina Schubert
Board Officer
Chief Information Officer, Van Meter Inc.
Schubert, an accomplished information technology executive, joined Van Meter’s leadership team as Chief Information Officer in 2024. She brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology, transformational leadership, enterprise system management, business intelligence and cybersecurity.
Team Members
Patrick Knight
President & CEO
Patrick is President & CEO of IDEA, where he leads innovation and operational excellence across the electrical industry. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in renewable energy, electrical distribution, corporate strategy, M&A, and business devlopment, he has held senior roles at Rexel USA, IM Supply, OMNIA Partners, and Vanguard National Alliance. In each, he has driven national strategies, expanded market share, strengthened strategic partnerships, and built high-performing teams that deliver measurable results.
A New England native now based in San Diego, Patrick brings a unique perspective shaped by a career that bridges national markets and diverse industries. He is recognized for his ability to align strategic growth with operational efficiency, foster collaboration, and develop the people and partnerships that power sustainable business success.
Mike Wentz
VP of Sales and Marketing
Mike has nearly 40 years of experience in the electrical industry. His knowledge and experience make him a vital player in the organization. During his time with IDEA, he has grown the client base significantly, facilitated industry advisory groups and successfully rebranded IDEA’s products.
Heather White
VP of Finance and Administration
Heather has been an accounting professional for almost 25 years. She is an active volunteer and serves on the board of a foundation giving back to the community around her. Heather has a degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Georgia Southern University.
Brenda Maxwell
VP of Technology
Brenda has over 12 years experience delivering software solutions and managing teams of developers and business analysts. She collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for process improvements and deliver software solutions.
Brenda oversees IDEA's technology strategy and execution across the organization, ensuring we continue to innovate, scale effectively, and deliver high-quality solutions.
Sherri Thorne
Senior Director of Program Management
Sherri brings over 35 years of electrical industry experience to her role as Senior Director of Program Management at IDEA. She leads strategic initiatives that drive operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and customer value. With a deep background in wholesale distribution sales and operations, Sherri ensures that IDEA’s programs deliver measurable impact across the supply chain.
Shahan Syed
Director of Information Technology
Shahan earned his bachelor's degree in software development from Western Governors University and has nearly 12 years of experience in software development. He recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with IDEA in June 2025.
Tom Guzik
Director of Digital Integration Services
Tom brings to IDEA nearly 30 years of experience working with electronic data interchange (EDI), 20 of which have been in the electrical industry. Prior to joining IDEA, he also worked with SAP systems, inventory control, logistics and warehousing, and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI).
Angela Baraks
Director of Data Quality & Standards
Angela brings 25+ years of experience in the electrical industry. She has contributed to the industry data standards through her volunteer work on standards development and consulting work through DATAgility for the past 15 years. Angela has a master’s degree in communications from Eastern Illinois University.
Laurie McElroy
Director of Marketing
Laurie is an accomplished sales enablement and marketing leader with a background in developing and driving integrated strategic go-to-market plans for B2B eCommerce-focused companies. Areas of expertise include key messaging, branding, paid media, customer communications, social media, agency management, content and thought leadership activities.
Mark McGready
Director of Data Analytics & Solutions
Mark has over 20 years of experience in data analytics and system development in the electrical industry, including founding Jigsaw Systems Inc. With his engineering background, Mark questions conventional business processes and suggests new and innovative solutions to current business challenges.
Brett Anderson
Director of Business Products & Solutions
Brett is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. He is skilled in Customer Service, Data Analysis, Marketing Strategy, Sales Operations, and Strategic Partnerships.
Denver Thrash
Director of Product Management
Denver earned his Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Lamar University and began his career at Accenture, gaining valuable experience in technology and consulting. He joined IDEA in 2021 and has since managed efforts and teams focused on expanding IDEA Connector’s capabilities and improve the platform for customers.
Johna Aro
Director of Customer Success
Johna is a seasoned customer success professional with over 30 years of experience driving client satisfaction and organizational growth. Johna has been with IDEA for over 12 years and is currently serving as the Director of Customer Success, where she combines deep industry expertise with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences.