Mikel Lewis

Mikel holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Jacksonville University. He served five years in the U.S. Navy as a submarine warfare officer and qualified as a naval nuclear engineer. Before joining RIVANNA, Mikel held positions of increasing responsibility at Corning Life Sciences, culminating in his role as plant operations manager. He was responsible for manufacturing, warehouse, distribution, and supply chain. At the height of the global pandemic, Mikel led the rapid design, validation, and launch of Corning’s first Viral Transport Media line. He holds the regulatory and operational acumen required to support rapid product deployment from experience with product-line transitions into and out of the U.S. Mikel refined his operational strategy through a Lean Thinking approach to manufacturing, influenced by the philosophies of Henry Ford, Taiichi Ohno, and Peter Drucker. At RIVANNA, Mikel’s process rigor, efficiencies, and leadership principles are helping shape the culture necessary for operational excellence.