Meet our Team

Peter Yancey - Founder and Chief Technology Officer / Board Member

For the past 15 years, Pete has concentrated on developing the Atmospheric Plasma Coating Removal (APCR) process that is unique to APS.

He was involved for 10 years in the research of plasma deposition, etching and surface modification of materials at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Processes and Materials at North Carolina State University. His projects included numerous vacuum plasma processes, such as reactive magnetron sputtering, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, vacuum ion plating and hollow cathode enhanced plasma sources.

Pete has also worked as a consultant for a number of companies designing atmospheric plasma based processes and power supplies. At APS, he has focused his research on atmospheric-pressure plasma discharges. He’s developed extensive expertise in creating stable and controllable atmospheric pressure plasma discharges, using air as well as mixed-gas environments.

Pete is responsible for the design of numerous customized atmospheric plasma applications for both commercial and Department of Defense customers. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science & Engineering at NC State University.

Glenn Astolfi - President and Chief Executive Officer / Board Member

Glenn Astolfi is President and Chief Executive Officer of Atmospheric Plasma Solutions. In addition to strategy and fund raising, Glenn’s responsibilities at APS are Sales and Finance. Prior to joining our team, Glenn was CEO at Gateway Bank Mortgage. He has held a variety of positions in the travel and retail industries, including but not limited to founding team member and Senior Executive of Barnes and Noble and founder and Chief Operating Officer of TravelFest Superstores. Glenn received a B.S. magna cum laude in Finance from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Robert Ross - Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

In addition to strategy development and capital financing, Robert oversees the operational execution of major projects at APS. He brings to APS a varied background, combining experience in advanced technology development, strategy consulting, multiple executive roles, and early-stage financing. Robert has worked in or consulted with many industries, including defense, intelligence, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, eCommerce, retail consumer goods, food and beverage, and film production. He has served on multiple start-up companies and non-profit advisory/corporate boards and has helped secure capital for over a dozen companies. Robert graduated cum laude from Duke University with a dual BSE in Engineering (Electrical and Computer) and Mathematics, and as a Fuqua Scholar with an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Jeff Pavelka - PlasmaBlast^® Sales Manager

Jeff manages domestic and international capital equipment sales, and his responsibilities include creating new markets using his in-depth knowledge of commercialization strategies, product development, marketing, OEM partner relations, manufacturing, and distribution channel management. Prior to joining the APS team, he worked in technical project management and sales with numerous companies around the globe. Jeff received a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Industrial Technology summa cum laude from Texas A&M University, an Associate of Applied Science in Laser Electro-Optics Technology from Texas State Technical College, and a Master of Science in Manufacturing from East Carolina University.

William (Bill) Carter - Board Member

Bill is an experienced strategy, operations and transformation executive with significant experience in both strategy consulting and operating roles. He began his career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy, serving onboard the USS LABOON (DDG-58). After business school, Bill joined Bain & Company, Inc, and spent 12 years in strategy consulting as a Consultant, Manager and Partner. During his career, Bill spent the majority of his time focused on industrial manufacturing and services, wholesale distribution, and retail. Additionally, he led several major corporate and business unit growth strategy programs, business model transformations, and merger integrations.

Bill left Bain and joined Advance Auto Parts where he served in various operational and strategy roles. During his tenure at Advance, he played a significant role in the rapid growth of the Professional Business, the development of a new operating and real estate model, and the acquisition and integration of General Parts International. Most recently, Bill served as Chief Administrative Officer at Victra, one of the largest independent operators of Verizon Wireless stores in the US. Currently, Bill is an independent consultant, adjunct professor, and board member.

Bill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Duke University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. He and his wife Erica live in the Raleigh area with their three daughters.

Anthony W. Lengerich - Board Member

Rear Admiral, US Navy (Retired)

RADM Lengerich retired from the US Navy in 2005, after 34 years of active duty service as a Surface Warfare Officer, Engineering Duty Officer and Acquisition Professional. He served in a variety of leadership positions afloat and ashore, including naval combat operations in Vietnam, program management, naval engineering centers, and on the Navy Staff in Washington DC. His final duty was a Vice Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command.

Since 2005, RADM Lengerich has had a successful career as business development executive for Cypress International, Inc., Oracle America, Inc., and CACI International, Inc. He is currently Vice President for Naval Programs at Thales Defense and Security, Inc.

RADM Lengerich holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is also an alumnus of the Executive Management Program of the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University.

He is a member of the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE), where he served as President from 2015-2019, and is the 2020 recipient of the ASNE Law Award. He is a member of the Surface Navy Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Capital Council of the Navy League of the United States. He was also the founding President of the Low Country Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

He was a member of the Defense Science Board’s 2009 Task Force on Acquisition of Information Technology, the senior member of the 2012 Solid State Laser Study commissioned by the Office of Naval Research, and a member of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development & Acquisition) 2019 Senior Review Team.

Richard (Rick) McNeel - Board Member

Rick is an experienced international executive who began his career with Amoco Chemical as a chemical process engineer. Toward the end of his 30 years with Amoco, he rose to Group Vice President for all of Amoco Chemical’s Intermediate businesses.

Rick’s career highlights included turning around their Engineering Polymer and Carbon Fiber businesses as President, and an assignment in Hong Kong that included starting their first two joint ventures in China and starting new ventures in Indonesia and Singapore. He also represented Amoco on the Boards of joint ventures in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

Following BP’s purchase of Amoco, Rick went to London as Group Vice President for six of BP Amoco Chemical global businesses, in addition to heading Human Resources, Information Technology, Environment, Health & Safety and Legal for the Chemical Company. After three years in London, Rick retired and was recruited 11 months later to serve as President & CEO of LORD Corporation, a private Company in Cary, North Carolina.

LORD was a manufacturing Company that sold chemical, mechanical and electro-mechanical products to the automotive, aerospace, and general industrial markets. LORD’s focus was development of new technologies to solve customers’ problems, selling only when they had a clear value proposition. Rick ran the Company for ten years and served as Chairman of the Board for four years. LORD was sold to Parker Hanifin in October of 2019 for $3.7 Billion.

Rick has served on other company Boards in England and North Carolina, the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Boards of the North Carolina Museum of Art, The University of Nebraska Engineering College and his daughter’s non-profit “Alive Center” for teens in the Chicago suburbs. He holds a B.S in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He and his wife Carol have a combined five children and 10 grandchildren.