Our Team
Working with VanTran means working with family. Our team of experts has the knowledge, years of experience, care and attention to detail that keeps VanTran on the cutting edge of the industry. Learn more about our team members by clicking to read their bios below.
Don Bolin
CEO
Don Bolin
Don Bolin grew up in Vandalia, IL, where VanTran was founded. Don’s family moved to Waco when he was 11, when the company moved its main operations to Texas. Growing up, Don cleaned the offices on weekends until he was old enough to work in the plant in the summers. He spent 30 years selling VanTran’s product separately and remained on the board at VanTran to manage the business with his father, Al Bolin. He earned the role of CFO from 2011–2016 and took over the role of CEO upon the passing of his father in 2016. Today, customers can find Don navigating VanTran toward its goals, ensuring a safe work environment for employees and keeping the focus on its core values. Don spends time reviewing financial reports, company KPIs, interfacing with legal and accounting providers, reviewing sales and marketing proposals and staying current on industry and economic news.
J.P. Davis
President
J.P. Davis
J.P. grew up in Dallas, Texas, and has spent much of his life traveling and working in several states across the nation. He joined the VanTran team in 2016 as President. J.P. holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering and an MBA. Throughout his life, he has worked in design engineering, project management, sales and marketing, quality management, purchasing management, operations management, general management and more, working with high-profile organizations like Honeywell, GE, ABB, Alstom and CG. Our customers can find J.P. overseeing VanTran’s business operations in every aspect. J.P. is proud of the quality products, efficient deliveries, superior customer service and willingness to find solutions that VanTran consistently provides.
Jim Gentry
CFO
Jim Gentry
Jim joined VanTran in 2020. In his role as CFO, he oversees accounting, business support, financial planning and analysis, treasury, risk management, and the audit and tax functions at the company. Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, is a CPA and graduated from Harvard Business School’s OPM program. Prior to joining VanTran, Jim held the position of CFO and was interim COO for another electrical equipment company. His professional experience includes public accounting audit/tax, private manufacturing accounting as Controller, and various other accounting, business management, and human resource roles. Jim is excited to be part of the VanTran team where he can use his knowledge and skills to complement this growing and vibrant company.
Douglas Getson
Doug grew up in South Florida and moved to Waco to work with VanTran as our Sales and Marketing Director. He joined the VanTran team with experience as OEM electrical power equipment supplier having held roles in engineering, product development, general management, marketing and sales. Doug works hard to expand VanTran’s sales network and brand awareness through social media, trade shows and customer visits. Doug’s work ensures that VanTran customers are served efficiently and reliably, from tendering to order processing through post-product delivery. According to Doug, VanTran is a company where experts work beyond the specification to understand the customer’s needs. Doug is proud of the opportunity to be part of growing an already successful company by increasing its brand awareness and expanding its market coverage.
Jaber Shalabi
Engineering Manager
Jaber Shalabi
Jaber grew up in Amman, Jordan. He had family near Waco and decided to stay after starting a relationship with VanTran. After spending time as a Sales Engineer and Project Coordinator for several months, Jaber worked as a Transformer Design Engineer and Engineering Manager. Before joining the VanTran team, Jaber worked in a power plant as a performance engineer, performing several roles in quality control and facility management assurance. Today, our customers can find Jaber managing all incoming orders and factory support, as well as managing the internal testing department, leading R&D prospects and representing VanTran by engaging in technical conferences. Jaber enjoys building and strengthening relationships with VanTran customers at all times, ensuring above-expected results.
Amira Khader
Supply Chain Manager
Amira Khader
Amira grew up in Amman, Jordan. She came to the United States to study Electrical Engineering and graduated from the Washington University/UMSL joint Engineering program in Missouri. She later began working at VanTran as a Business Support Engineer, taking on different projects in Supply Chain Management and Engineering. After a brief period in the Sales department, Amira then transitioned to the role of Electrical Engineer where she designed transformers and took the lead on a variety of technical projects. Today, Amira represents VanTran as the Supply Chain Manager, utilizing her knowledge and experience in Supply Chain Management, Sales, and Electrical Design to oversee Purchasing, Inventory, and manage day-to-day supply chain operations. Amira is motivated to build and strengthen relationships with suppliers to ensure VanTran continues to grow and excel.
Daniel Marzan
Quality Manager
Daniel Marzan
Daniel Marzan, VanTran’s Quality Manager, has been with VanTran since September 2019. With nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, Daniel brings his extensive knowledge of transformers bear for VanTran. As Quality Manager, Daniel maintains the highest quality standards across all internal processes while also ensuring continual quality improvement within the facility. Daniel establishes, maintains and leads projects in conjunction with department managers and supervisors. Daniel goes above and beyond for VanTran by emphasizing the importance of viewing our products through the eyes of the customer.
Allison Bulkley
Allison Bulkley, VanTran’s HR Manager & Safety Coordinator, has been with VanTran since 2013. Graduating from Baylor with her BBA in Marketing & Management, Allison brings a fresh and high-energy dynamic. Allison’s prior experience includes both sports and collegiate marketing, but she has found great enjoyment in learning about the transformer industry, as well as the technical aspect of our products. With her go-to motto, “teamwork makes the dream work,” Allison is always looking to learn something new and improve business processes, helping in whatever way she can.
Paul Eldridge
A native of Midland, Texas, Paul currently resides in Houston as our SW Regional Sales Director. Paul brings more than 25 years of experience in the electrical equipment industry, working with distribution, manufacturing and operations. On a day-to-day basis, Paul is responsible for account development and relationship management with personnel in the electrical industry. Additionally, Paul aids in developing product application solutions and equipment specifications for application-specific designs. In all he does for VanTran, Paul places a heavy emphasis on application solutions and meeting commitments.
Richard Auerweck
Originally from southeast Pennsylvania, and now residing in Holly Springs NC, Richard joined VanTran in 2022 as a Regional Sales Manager supporting our business in the eastern US. Bringing over 25 years of experience in various aspects of the electricity transmission and distribution industry, Richard has held positions ranging from engineering and manufacturing management roles to marketing and sales. His strength in understanding the entire technical and commercial project requirements will ensure our customers have the best solution to meet their business needs.
Steve Varuska
Originally hailing from southcentral Minnesota and now calling Windsor, Colorado, home for over 20 years, Steve joins VanTran as our Western Regional Sales Manager. With a robust background spanning more than 25 years in the electric and communication industry, Steve has held diverse roles such as Product Management, National Accounts Manager, Regional Sales Manager, and Key Account Manager. In his day-to-day role, Steve works tirelessly to understand the wants and needs of both new and existing customers in his territory, ensuring timely and effective solutions. His extensive experience in manufacturing, coupled with his versatile roles, positions him as a valuable asset to VanTran. Steve’s commitment goes beyond just meeting expectations; he diligently collaborates with customers to achieve satisfaction with products and ensures timely deliveries. His dedication to excellence and comprehensive understanding of customer requirements make him an integral part of our team, poised to elevate VanTran’s presence in the western region.
Jeff Cox
Sales Engineer
Jeff Cox
Jeff grew up in Killeen, Texas and has worked for VanTran for over ten years. Before working with VanTran, Jeff spent 35+ years in Electrical Distribution Sales & Management. Our customers can find Jeff reviewing and analyzing specifications, quoting RFQs, working in customer service, processing orders, contacting potential customers and working with data entry and maintenance. Jeff loves working with his great team of my peers and meeting the challenges of technical and customer service requirements. VanTran customers can expect Jeff to go above and beyond our standards of on-time quote and order processing, quick follow-up and more. Jeff works to provide information to assist the customer, solve problems and maintain relationships within VanTran’s customer base.
Jack Wenberg
Sales Engineer
Jack Wenberg
Jack grew up in Belton, Texas and received his Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. While in college, Jack worked as a host and Radio DJ for the university radio station. Once he graduated, he began his search for a career that will allow him to utilize his interpersonal skills gained from the radio station, and apply his knowledge of fundamentals from his studies in a more technical environment. Jack will be the liaison between VanTran and our customers, both current and potential, to provide comprehensive proposals for bids after reviewing customer specifications. With his strong communication skills, and technical knowledge from his studies, Jack will prove to be a strong asset to the VanTran sales team.
Evan Smith
Application Engineer
Evan Smith
Originally from Virginia, Evan resided in numerous areas, including Spain, before joining VanTran and transitioning to Waco, Texas. As our Application Engineer, Evan provides tender design preparation and quotation support, which includes day-to-day sales and marketing in addition to medium- and long-term quotation systems and marketing preparation. Evan’s expertise is comprised of 20 years in technical marketing and sales roles, with 15+ years in the transformer industry. As a valued member of our team, Evan works with open-mindedness and the willingness to adapt to change in all situations.
Erica Clendenin
Erica grew up in Corpus Christi, TX, and moved to Waco in 2010. With over 20 years of experience as a customer service representative and manager and over ten years with VanTran, Erica has worked in our customer service, inside sales, production scheduling, purchasing, and shipping departments. VanTran customers know Erica as the front line of support. Her main goal is to take care of our customer’s needs and to help them find solutions to their problems and questions. Erica maintains the daily production schedule and updates it accordingly, based on the current load, customers’ required ship dates, and material availability. Erica also helps to purchase material for customer transformers and handles all outbound shipping. Erica’s favorite part about working for VanTran is the people, and she works to treat each customer as she would want to be treated.
Cory Childs
Cory Childs, VanTran’s Marketing & Project Specialist, started with the company in March 2020 to fill a new role as the company continues to grow. Cory received his BBA in Business Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. With a background in Event Coordinating and Marketing, Cory became a great asset to the team by bringing his business to consumer mindset to a primarily business to business industry. Cory can be seen managing VanTran’s online presence and creating digital/print materials as well as project management for our clients. His goal is to create a brand and image that exemplifies VanTran’s quality and world class customer service any way he can.