About Our Team

Co-Founder of Phillips Academy with over a decade of hands-on experience in industrial repair and a formal degree in Mechatronics Engineering, AJ Scherman brings a rare blend of technical expertise and instructional leadership to the field. A top graduate in his class, AJ has spent the last 10+ years successfully mentoring apprentices, developing workforce talent, and implementing high-performance maintenance strategies across diverse manufacturing environments. His career began in event coordination, where he honed his operational planning and leadership skills, strengths he now applies to orchestrating complex training programs and technical initiatives. In 2016, AJ was named the GACC Apprentice of the Year, a national honor recognizing his exceptional performance and commitment to advancing skilled trades.

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Mechatronic Service Engineer

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A.J Scherman

Brad Adams

Leads the strategic vision and execution of Phillips Education, advancing industrial workforce development through scalable apprenticeships, technical training, and national partnerships, particularly with the Department of Defense. Directed large-scale university partnerships and operational strategy for one of the premier digital education platforms. Specialized in academic operations, learning design, and institutional growth. Oversaw cross-functional teams in operations, product management, and technology support, delivering high-impact supplemental education services across multiple verticals. Led the transformation of online education systems through operational leadership, digital infrastructure innovation, and nationwide service deployment. Pioneered technology strategy for emerging edtech platforms focused on connected learning environments and instructional technologies. Managed enterprise-level telecom operations with an emphasis on scaling infrastructure, performance optimization, and organizational alignment. Advised organizations on IT infrastructure design and implementation, enhancing network efficiency and reliability. Supported educational programs globally through network administration and technical support in mission-driven, nonprofit settings.

President EDU

Brandon Hughes

Brandon Hughes M.Ac., L.Ac, SFMA LVL2, E-RYT is an Elite Executive Coach & Facilitative Strategist

With advanced degrees in Philosophy, Exercise Science, and Chinese Medicine and over 25 years of expertise in the healing arts world coaching patients to extraordinary outcomes, Brandon has turned that transformative power towards executives wanting better outcomes and greater breakthrough agility.

Brandon, through genuine and unrelenting curiosity, has honed an attention to internal human processes and patterns, both subtle and overt, that facilitate clients to create internal and external congruence and resonance that both unlocks new potentials in themselves and those around them who they need to perform, and establishes more effective means of communicating their desired outcomes.
Trained deeply in yoga and meditation, he brings a mindfulness and resilience to high-stakes leadership, facilitating a clarity of outcomes and the necessary internal and external conditions to support them, in complex environments.
His pioneering work developing collaborative medical programs with both hospitals and health departments showcases his ability to bridge systems and differing philosophies and drive impactful change.
A son of a Navy SEAL, Brandon embodies determination and grit, honed through backcountry off-grid hunting in rugged, high-difficulty terrain. His passion is finding new ways of being and interacting that accelerate performance. As a proud parent of an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu multiple time Pan American and American National Champion, he understands the dedication required to excel at the highest levels.
Brandon blends wisdom, tenacity, and strategic insight to guide executives toward unparalleled success, making him a trusted partner for those ready to elevate their leadership and achieve extraordinary results.

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Admiral Partner

Bridget Hughes

Bridget Hughes M.Ac., L.Ac., NBCCH is the coach and facilitator who helps you emerge what you need to know to create your outcome at the scale and in the personal intentionality and expression that you really want.

If your best thinking happens for you in the shower, or while running, or at dawn in a hunting blind, Bridget’s novel and cutting edge Emergent Knowledge methods take deep clarity, refined strategy, directed intention, effective communication, and radical Breakthrough ability to the next level.

Whether it’s figuring out a simple how to get your kids to do their chores in a good spirit and without reminder, or how to conduct an international team to Breakthrough profits and all of the complex, challenging, high-stakes elements that require your intentionality and expression to be dialed in at the highest level, Bridget’s facilitation is designed for World Class results. Most important, because Bridget’s methods center on Your expression of what you really want to have happen and in what manner, this is about World Class Results that are totally rewarding, meaningful, and purpose-driven unique to YOU.

When you are ready to turbocharge “shower and hunting blind insights” for you and for your team . . .
Got Bridget?

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Motivation Mentor, Admiral Partner

With over 30 years of experience in equipment maintenance, operation, and servicing, he brings deep technical expertise and leadership across both military and civilian sectors. He served 9.8 years in the U.S. Navy as a Gas Turbine Mechanic, followed by two decades in the power industry—five years as an operator, ten as a Compliance Supervisor, and five as a Maintenance Manager. He holds a bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health and is an authorized OSHA 1926 Construction Industry Trainer for the 10- and 30-hour safety courses.

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Project Manager Federal - NNSY

Ryan Bray

Co-Founder of Phillips Academy, the 2020 GACC Apprentice of the Year, and a seasoned Mechatronics Engineer, Ryan brings over nine years of experience in automation, industrial systems, and applied engineering. At Stihl Inc., he designed and implemented advanced control systems for electromechanical and pneumatic applications, contributing to environmental and quality innovations. His early years as a farmhand instilled the resilience, mechanical intuition, and work ethic that now define his leadership approach in high-pressure technical environments. Ryan also held leadership roles in retail operations, managing compliance, staffing, and multi-store coordination. A 4.0 GPA student in Mechanical Engineering, with certifications in Siemens PLC and FANUC robotics, he combines academic excellence with field-tested experience. Ryan is deeply committed to building not just systems, but the next generation of skilled American technicians.

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Mechatronic Service Engineer

Todd Price

With an impressive 32 years of Haas experience, instructor Todd Price is a cornerstone of Phillips, serving as the Service Training Manager. He has spent 24 years with Phillips Corporation, including 8 years as a training instructor and 16 years as a Field Service Engineer. Todd’s favorite part of teaching is the look on the students’ faces when they grasp a new concept. He believes Haas Training is invaluable because it equips students with lifelong skills and enhances companies’ efficiency by improving their troubleshooting capabilities. Outside of work, Todd is passionate about building and racing cars. As one of our top-rated Phillips instructors, he continues to make a lasting impact on every class.

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Service Training Manager

Chris Ray

Chris is a business development professional with expertise in workforce upskilling and apprenticeship. He has a Bachelor's degree in Economics, twenty years of business development experience, and an additional 15 years of solving skilled workforce challenges for manufacturers. This unique combination has led to the development of numerous programs that meet the upskilling needs of today's advanced manufacturers while structuring them in ways that are sustainable and profitable for all parties involved.

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Federal Training Program Administrator

Derrick Grant

Apprentice Feedback

Hear from our apprentices about their transformative experiences at Phillips Academy.

Phillips Academy provided me with the skills I needed to excel in manufacturing.

John Doe

Boston, MA

The hands-on training at Phillips Academy was invaluable for my career in skilled trades.

Jane Smith

Chicago, IL

★★★★★

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