Leadership Team

James Van Thof is a seasoned corporate executive, investor, and entrepreneur.  As President, Mr. Van Thof is responsible for overall growth of the organization including sales, marketing, engineering, and operations. He works closely with the Operating Partner and executive team to execute Jewett Automation’s strategic initiatives and drive the company’s mission forward. James has a long track record of  leading organizations through signfigicant growth and profitability.  James received a BA in Economics and Mathematics from St. John Fisher University and completed the Executive Leadership program at Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business. James lives with his wife and two children in Fairport, NY. 

Whitney Moon has built a career in Automation with 30+ years of service to global manufacturing companies focusing on Technical Sales, Product Development, P&L, and Cross-functional Team Leadership. His executive skill set sits at the intersection of Business Development, Engineering, and Operations.  As General Manager of Jewett Automation’s Richmond division, he leads a team of automation experts to design and build state-of-the-art automation solutions that meet clients’ manufacturing needs.  Whitney has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, and lives with his wife in Richmond, Virginia.

Scott is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of custom industrial automation experience in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and aerospace industries.  As the Director of Project Management, he leads the implementation of Jewett Automation’s custom solutions from receipt of P.O. to completion, serving as the voice of the customers throughout all phases of production. His deep understanding of customer-relationship management has been instrumental in identifying gaps and improving results. He has a business degree from Roberts Wesleyan, and he lives in Rochester, NY with his wife, and three daughters.

Jason started working in the machine shop when he was in high school working for S&J and taking machine shop classes at Prosser Vocational School. He worked his way up at S&J starting with sweeping floors, sawing and deburring parts. He then moved up into manual machining and then programming and running the CNC machines. He is currently the General Manager of the company.
Jason is a graduate of New Albany High School, and also has an Associates degree from Vincennes University in Machine Trades.

Renee is a seasoned corporate and non-profit leader with more than 20 years experience.  She is responsible for the vision for Jewett Automation’s product portfolio, with the goal of creating value and exceeding customers’ expectations. She also oversees the company’s marketing efforts, including branding, budgeting, and program implementation.  In addition to roles at Honeywell, Sherex Fastening Solutions, and Aristocrat Technologies, she has served on non-profit boards relating to her children’s schools and sports.  She has a B.A from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from the Ohio State University and has certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Product Management Professional. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Nashville, TN.

Tara Henderson is an accomplished Human Resources leader and project manager with over 20 years of experience across all facets of Human Resources, including Recruiting, Employee Relations, Career Development, Succession Planning, Compensation, and Benefits. As VP of Human Resources, Tara is responsible for guiding the strategic vision of Jewett Automation’s HR policies, processes, and programs. Tara has a successful history of managing national projects, building relationships at all levels, and providing the highest level of service to meet the strategic goals of the organization.