Placer UHSD – Placer High School: Auburn, California

MAX TRODERMAN

MARKETING ASSISTANT

Max started as an intern in the summer of 2019. Upon graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2020, he landed a job with BrockUSA and has been here ever since.

Max plans social media posts, writes blog articles, and assists with video production work and other marketing tasks.

He enjoys hiking, snowboarding, photography, and playing ultimate frisbee in his free time, among other sports and outside activities.

“It ain’t over till it’s over.”

~Yogi Berra

MARK BUCKLEY

CFO AND VP OF ADMINISTRATION

Mark began working as a consultant for Brock USA in 2017, helping with financial forecasting and strategic managerial reporting. Mark’s background in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics made him a perfect fit for Brock USA, and he was brought on full-time as the CFO and VP of Administration in early 2018.

Mark enjoys skiing, traveling, and playing sports with his wife, Rachel, and two kids. He believes having a good sense of humor is key, and likes listening to podcasts and stand up comedy.

“The randomness of the world comes for us all but chance favors the prepared and self-aware.”

~Mark Buckley

JULIE TRULL

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION VICE PRESIDENT & MARKETING MANAGER

DEREK NEILL

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER

Derek primarily deals with pad testing, infill testing, turf sample testing, and shipping. He joined Brock because the work environment was a good fit, and he felt his opinions, work, and independence would be valued.

Derek has a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Aerospace, and a Minor in Math. His previous professional experience includes design, metalworking, and design invention firm work.

He enjoys reading, camping, and rock-climbing in his free time. In rock-climbing, there is a huge emphasis on safety and safety equipment, and Derek believes everyone should be able to be safe and do what they love. He feels passionately about improving surfaces to help protect young athletes.

“Banish the idea that one class must rule over another. Recognize the fact that the rights of the humblest citizen are as worthy of protection as are those of the highest, and your problem will be solved.”

~Frederick Douglass, “Lessons of the Hour,” January 9, 1894

EDGAR LLAMAS

INSTALLATION SUPERVISOR

Edgar joined Brock in the summer of 2014. He is responsible for supervising and assisting system installations to ensure quality standards. Having been involved in the construction industry since a very young age, Edgar has a knack for understanding the technical process and how to keep installs moving smoothly. Mostly, he enjoys being a part of the overall Brock installation experience. He also runs the California Research Facility for Brock and performs field assessments for Brock customers.

When not out on a Brock field, he enjoys training Jiu Jitsu, creating graphic art, listening to a good book on audio, catching a movie, and most of all spending time with his wife and two kids.

Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.

-Bruce Lee

ANDERS HOUSER

SALES OPERATIONS

With a collegiate background of architecture and environmental science, Anders headed west after graduating Carleton University in Ottawa to begin a new chapter of life in Colorado. With a bevy of experience in energy efficiency consulting, avalanche safety, lacrosse coaching, education, and a stint in EMS/firefighting, Anders is excited by the environmental responsibility and safety standards being embraced by Brock.

The sales operations role at Brock allows him to learn more about the industry and product offerings of Brock by assisting the sales team and all of our customers. He points out that the group of co-workers amasses a wealth of knowledge enabling case-studies to turn into learning opportunities. He plans to continue learning and sharing what he has to offer.

Outside of the office, he truly believes that adventure is only limited by the imagination and Anders loves having the options and ability to get outside and enjoy the weekends in all sorts of forms. Anders enjoys playing competitive indoor lacrosse, skiing, bikepacking, hockey, and laughing at his golf “skills.” Music is also a constant soundtrack in his world, and he takes pride in his small yet mighty vinyl collection.

esse quam videri (To be, rather than to seem)

~Cicero’s essay On Friendship (Laelius de Amicitia, chapter 98)

TOM MURPHY

SENIOR MATERIALS ENGINEER

Tom joined Brock in 2018 after relocating from Houston, Texas. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, and prior professional experience in plastics engineering at Dow Chemical.

Tom likes the work environment at Brock, and is excited to help make safer surfaces for kids to play on. Having two daughters of his own makes this mission especially important to Tom.

In his free time, Tom enjoys woodworking, and looks forward to doing more outdoorsy activities now that he is in Colorado.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

~C.S. Lewis

MATT HOGG

OHIO VALLEY REGION VICE PRESIDENT

Matt joined the Brock team after years of working in the synthetic turf industry. As a coach of youth athletes, a parent of two athletes, and former athlete, he is aware how serious concussions can be. Matt was a member of 3 national championship football teams at Youngstown State University, and was a team captain and All-American in 1997. He spent time with 3 NFL teams, played 2 seasons for the Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe) and 1 season for the Birmingham Thunderbolts (XFL).

Matt graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in Civil Engineering and worked professionally with 2 construction base turf providers. He was primarily responsible for sales, but he also ran jobs and occasionally worked on the civil side and installed turf. He is also on the board of Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation to help develop programs for at risk youth in 2nd and 3rd grade through literacy, personal development, and fitness.

In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and traveling with his family. In the fall, Matt coaches youth football, and in the spring he coaches youth basketball.

“That which does not kill you, makes you stronger”

~Friedrich Nietzsche

JULIE TELLER

ACCOUNTING AND PURCHASING ASSOCIATE

Julie joined Brock in 2017. She primarily deals with accounting, creating purchasing orders, and quotes. She was first intrigued by Brock because her daughter has suffered several concussions while playing soccer.

Julie enjoys working at Brock because she wants to spread the safer sports message, and likes the friendly office environment.

In her free time, Julie enjoys watching her daughters play soccer and softball. She also enjoys hanging out with her family and friends.

“Just do it”

~Nike

KRISTIN KOPERA

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER HAPPINESS

Kristin joined the Brock Team in 2007, passionate about elevating the Brock Customer Experience.  In her role as Director of Customer Happiness, Kristin and her team strive to make each customer interaction as smooth – and happy – as possible.

She initially joined Brock because she wanted to work for a ‘cool’ Boulder company that made an impact in the world, and she firmly believes in the products and the people in the organization. She wants everyone to consider the playing field (with a Brock shock pad beneath) as a piece of safety equipment, that can be an extension of any responsible safety program.

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, she is an avid Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan. In her free time she enjoys hiking and exploring all over Colorado, snow shoeing, skiing, child wrangling, watching shows at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, and sipping wine (not in that order).

Happiness is not a destination or an experience. It’s a decision.

~Carlos Santana

CHRISTINA PULASKI

SALES & MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Christina works on the PaverBase line of products from Brock and supports Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes so our customers can build their dream patios. She also assists in the software that makes the buying process easy and fulfills purchase orders ensuring the PaverBase products are available year-round.

Prior to working at Brock, Christina was a product manager at Trimble Navigation. That career took her all over the world and she simultaneously ran a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to high school and college students in Paraguay. Her caring nature doesn’t stop there. She is also involved in “P.E.O.,” a non-profit that provides scholarships to women in the U.S. and Canada.

“When you give, you get”

~Christina Pulaski

STEVE SAWYER

DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Steve is a co-founder of Brock International and the creator of the PowerBase and PlayBase lines. He lives in southern California and manages business development for Brock USA.

Prior to his move to the US, Steve managed all Brock business in Europe, and brings a wealth of technical knowledge regarding safety and performance standards to the US market. Steve is an avid surfer and environmentalist and a member of the Surfrider Foundation.

“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person. Your behavior does.”

~Shukhraj Dhillon

DAVID BROWN

NORTHWEST REGION VICE PRESIDENT

David has represented Brock since 2006 and possesses a wealth of sales and industry experience.

A native of Northern California, Dave graduated with an engineering degree from San Jose State University and has over 30 years of sales and sales management experience. Dave has hands-on knowledge of the turf industry through his experiences as the owner/operator of a turf company and his time as a Project/Construction Manager on 20+ synthetic field projects.

“Be who you are, say what you feel. Those who matter don’t mind, those who mind don’t matter”

~Dr. Seuss

ERIC HUGHES

NORTHEAST REGION VICE PRESIDENT

After 20 years in the sports surfacing world—including 12 years in synthetic turf, Eric joined the Brock team in 2015 to represent the Northeast region.  Even before his professional sales career, Eric grew up in and around sports, watching his father provide backyard recreational facilities to clients for over 15 years. This shaped Eric’s future in sales from early on. Brock has provided Eric the perfect platform to educate designers and end-users about safe field systems.  His two decades of experience in the industry allow him to provide hands-on customer service to each client.

Eric stays active playing soccer in his local “Old Man League” and kayaking the lakes and ponds in the Northeast with his wife, daughter, and son.

“Your best life will not be found in comfort. It will be found in fighting for what you believe in.”

~Maxime Lagace’

RONNIE PASCALE

NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF SALES

JIM FROSLID

CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENT

JOHN SHAFFER

DIRECTOR OF MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN SERVICES

John started at Brock in 2011 (1 month before he got married), helping to build the Brock PaverBase business.

He is a long-standing Freemason living in the heart of Pennsylvania. He does all Brock’s tooling and machine design on CAD, which he taught himself for fun, and was responsible for the prototype factory for BrockFILL. When Brock needs something done on the manufacturing or product design side, we send John the challenge, and he somehow gets it done.

He used to be a sponsored fisherman and drone designer/pilot before figuring out a way to keep him busy enough. But he still finds time to rebuild old cars for fun, and he loves spending time with his wife, daughter, and new baby boy.

STEVE KEYSER

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING

As the Chief Operating Officer, Steve Keyser is responsible for new product design and development, providing the technical interface with manufacturing, and leveraging Brock’s knowledge through outside technical resources. Steve holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Engineering from Cornell University and has over 40 years of product development and manufacturing experience in several industries including plastics, durable consumer goods, ag equipment, and medical devices.

Steve enjoys riding his motorcycle, golfing, and traveling with his wife, Becky, to see their four children and seven grandchildren.

“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”

~1 Chronicles 29:11

DAN SANTINO

VP OF FINANCE

Born and raised in NYC, Dan brings over thirty years of accounting and finance experience to Brock. After leaving the banking industry and moving to Colorado, he has successfully worked in the manufacturing industry as well as owning and selling small businesses.

“Failure is not falling down. It corrects us in getting back up”

~Dan Santino

DAN SAWYER

FOUNDER & CEO

Dan founded Brock in 1998 and has been the key creator and driver of many aspects of the company as it has grown exponentially throughout the years. He is a Boulder, Colorado native and a graduate of The University of Colorado. Brock is the third company his family started. The first two were in the medical product markets, where research and testing were essential for the product’s safety. Working with therapists and doctors, both companies created paradigm-shifting products focused on patient health. Dan began his work experience in the warehouse packing boxes and worked his way into customer service, product development, and marketing. After the second company was sold, he turned his eye to athletics, bringing science and research philosophy to Brock USA.

Dan is an avid Skiier, mountain biker, hiker, and tree hugger. Growing up in Colorado gave him a deep love and appreciation for the environment, which is why sustainability and programs like C2Zero are in Brock’s DNA.

“Old habits and paradigms are meant to be broken. That’s how we learn and grow. When we hear that we are trying something that has never been done before, we look at that not as a roadblock, but as an opportunity.”

~Dan Sawyer

AMY CHAMPION

GULF STATES REGION VICE PRESIDENT

Amy joined Brock USA in May of 2018. Before starting at Brock USA, Amy worked for Hellas Construction, based in Austin, TX, for a number of years. Amy’s sales territory includes Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas where she manages all the projects in that region. She enjoys building strong relationships based on the trust customers have in the quality and safety of Brock products.

Amy spent 22 years in college athletics as a former collegiate basketball coach and director of athletics. She finished her career at the University of New Orleans. This wealth of sports knowledge helps Amy communicate effectively when talking to clients and understand their needs since she was in that position herself not too long ago.

In her free time, Amy can be found playing a round of golf at her local course or kicking back on the beach and catching some afternoon rays.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

~Maya Angelou

DANNY HILLER

SENIOR SALES AND OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Danny began working at Brock USA on the Customer Happiness Team in April of 2018. Prior to joining the Brock team, Danny worked for seven years at a cycling apparel company as the custom sales manager. Before starting his professional career, he studied communications and the business of sports at the University of Colorado Boulder (Sko Buffs), served as the president of the CU Cycling Team, and raced competitively. As a former college cyclist, Danny understands how the sports world operates and how he can help better it with safer products.

In his current role at Brock USA, Danny provides customer service by supporting the sales team with logistics, forecasting, reporting, and quoting. He loves the team-first mentality at Brock and enjoys spending time with his colleagues.

Danny spends his free time with his wife, Erin, friends, and his awesome pup, Pearl. He is an avid CU Basketball and Football fan, attending most home games. He still rips in when he gets a chance and enjoys exploring beautiful Colorado!

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” 

~John Wooden

SCOTT POWERS

SOUTHEAST REGION VICE PRESIDENT

Scott joins Brock USA from Sports Turf Company, a specialty athletics construction company, where he worked with owners, specifiers, and construction managers to renovate and construct natural grass and artificial turf fields, and tracks. Scott will use his wealth of knowledge gained there when covering his territory of FL, SC, TN, GA, and AL for Brock. Prior to the turf industry, Scott’s background includes 10+ years with marketing agencies managing clients from the automotive and consumer products goods industries.

Scott is passionate about leading the athletics industry toward safer and better performing facilities. He believes Brock USA’s solutions, engineered to solve the three issues with artificial turf (impacts/stability/heat), focus on sustainability, and culture of stopping at nothing to take care of others, all make Brock USA an ideal company to work for and with which to do business.

Outside of work, Scott dabbles in carpentry and gardening. He is the proud father of two boys, Miles and Trent, whom he tries to get outside in the woods camping, hiking, and learning basic bushcraft skills together, as often as possible. Scott is also an active volunteer in his local community.

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.“

~Maya Angelou

Dylan Joiner

PLANT MANAGER

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

~Mark Twain 

JENNIFER YOUNG

SOUTHWEST REGION VICE PRESIDENT

Tisha Coven

ASSISTANT CONTROLLER

“Be mindful of others”

~Tisha Coven
 

TAMARA JONES

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING