Thank you to our esteemed panel of judges, comprising leaders from engineering and technology fields, who bring decades of experience and expertise to the evaluation process, ensuring fairness and rigor. These judges were hand-selected by SAE Media Group’s editorial team for their breadth of knowledge and experience in the industry to evaluate the nominations for the Rising Star Awards 2026.
Rebecca Lemon
Industry Program Manager
SAE International
Kimberly Peicker
Program Manager
Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
Amalia Batori
Director of Sales, Power Solutions
Bosch
Christelle Keefer
Director of Training and Certification
Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
Julia Markardt
Nadcap Aerospace Critical Process Lead Auditor
MedAccred Medical Device Critical Process Lead Auditor
Jackie Mattox
Founder, President, and CEO
WE United
Shirley Segev
AI Marketing Director
Siemens Digital Industries
Veronica Dumford
Partner
Women in Automotive
Kim Ziomek
Founder and CEO
Automotive Women's Alliance
Ershela Sims
Executive Director and CEO
WEPAN