About

D. Ryan Miller – Chairperson

Executive Vice President of Sales & National Sales Manager, NEXGEN Building Products

Mr. Miller has worked in the building performance industry for the past 14 years after spending his first 8 years in management consulting and business process improvement roles with major corporations. In 2014, Mr. Miller founded North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA) where he served as the state’s “green building lobbyist” and industry organizer for nearly eight years. In 2017, Mr. Miller received NAHB’s Young Green Professional of the Year award in recognition of his work. In 2020 – 2021, NCBPA merged with a partner organization to support its member companies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, Mr. Miller joined MaxLife Industries as the Marketing & Business Process Director, beginning his work with magnesium oxide (MgO) building products through the ArmorWall product line. Mr. Miller’s marketing efforts played a significant role in the company being acquired by DuPont in 2021. Mr. Miller is currently the Executive Vice President of Sales & National Sales Manager for NEXGEN Building Products.

Dr. Chris Kitchens – Vice Chairperson

Individual Member

Dr. Kitchens has more than 20 years’ experience in research and education with a focus in magnesium oxide (MgO) building products over the past eight years. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2004 and an MBA from Clemson University in 2021. Dr. Kitchens’ research has long focused on the design, engineering, and sustainability of construction materials. In 2014, he began working with Jet Products, conducting fundamental research on MgO building products that resulted in three peer reviewed publications. Following the acquisition of Jet Products by MiTek Inc. in 2019, Dr. Kitchens took two years away from academia to assist MiTek with the expansion of the Triton MgO board product line. In 2022, Dr. Kitchens returned to academia as Professor and Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Villanova University. He has reestablished his research group at Villanova, which includes a focus on fundamental research on MgO cement materials.

Dr. Mark Shand – Treasurer

Director, Product Development Process, Premier Magnesia, LLC

Dr. Shand has worked in the magnesia industry for 34 years and has had an interest in magnesia cement for well over 20 years. He is currently employed with Premier Magnesia, LLC and is based in Ohio. Dr. Shand is responsible for product development and technical support.  He holds a PhD and BSc in Chemistry from the University of Warwick, UK. Dr. Shand has co-authored numerous patents and has written a technical book titled “The Chemistry and Technology of Magnesia” published by J. Wiley and co-authored “Magnesia Cements” published by Elsevier. 

Trevor Rajopa – Secretary

Research Scientist, Huber Engineered Woods

Mr. Rajopa specializes in research and development of magnesium oxide (MgO) building products through his current role as R&D Technical Specialist for Huber Engineered Woods and the company’s Exacor line of MgO products. Prior to his role with Huber, Mr. Rajopa supervised a shop producing steel products for the construction industry. During college, he participated in the design of controls systems, bioreactors, and other equipment for a plastic manufacturing plant in Brazil. Mr. Rajopa holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.

Cole Weinberger – Member-at-Large

VP of Sales, Triton MgO Products

Mr. Weinberger is a chemical engineer who has been working with magnesium oxide building products for 8 years. In his current role, he serves as the Director of Product Development for MiTek, Inc and focuses on the Triton product line, a magnesium oxide (MgO) tile backer board. Mr. Weinberger was first involved with magnesium oxide board products as a Process Engineer for JetProducts in Houston, TX, before they were acquired by MiTek in 2019. Mr. Weinberger is now the VP of Sales for Triton MgO Products. Mr. Weinberger holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.

Tara Hill – Member-at-Large

Vice President of Operations, US MgO

Tara Hill brings over a decade of strategic leadership and operational excellence to the MgOBPA Board. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from UNC Wilmington then her MBA from University of New Haven, where she focused primarily on marketing and data analytics. Beginning her manufacturing career as a Customer Service Specialist in 2022, she pivoted from custom contact pins to MgO building products and joined US MgO in 2024, becoming Vice President of Operations for US MgO in 2025. Tara is known for driving transformational change and fostering inclusive teams, and is dedicated to leveraging her expertise in governance, stakeholder engagement, and performance management.

Nate Deringer – Member-at-Large

Trader – Panel Division, Viking Forest Products

Bio coming soon…

Peter Amoroso – Member-at-Large

Sales & Marketing Manager, SIS Panels

Mr. Amoroso has worked with magnesium oxide building products for over four years, collaborating with some of the pioneers who first introduced magnesium oxide to the Canadian market. As the Sales and Marketing Manager at SIS Panels, he focuses on educating the Canadian building industry about innovative product categories such as magnesium oxide and other high-performance materials. Prior to his role with SIS Panels, Mr. Amoroso worked in the oil and gas sector and developed a background in public speaking through a variety of “Shark Tank” style business pitches, as well as presentations at tradeshows and educational seminars. He is passionate about helping builders and designers understand the practical benefits of new building technologies.