All of these individuals were nominated and completed an application for consideration. Evaluators scored applicants on professional achievements, community involvement, and leadership.
If you know a young alumnus deserving of recognition for next year’s 20 Under 40 list, please email foundation@sae.net. Individuals must be SAE alumni members in good standing and under 40 years old by March 31, 2026. Individuals who made previous SAE 20 Under 40 Successful Alumni Lists are not eligible.
Mason Cagle (Union ’20)
Mason is the Chief Operating Officer at Youth Town of Tennessee, a faith-based, nonprofit residential treatment facility for adolescents struggling with substance abuse. Under his leadership, the organization increased its capacity and started necessary renovations. Mason holds multiple positions at his church, including serving as the Team Leader for the Recreation Committee, where he oversees the youth basketball league.
Riley Cagle (Penn State-Harrisburg ‘20)
Riley is an Advocacy Associate at the American Industrial Hygiene Association, representing certified industrial hygienists at government agencies. His research on migrant labor abuse in the agriculture industry was cited five times by the Department of Labor while changing the H-2A program to expand protections for temporary agricultural workers. Riley also serves as the SAE Chapter Advisor for Penn State-Harrisburg.
Christopher Chaffee (Southern Methodist ‘11)
Christopher is Assistant Chief Counsel for the U.S. Government, representing the Department of Homeland Security and providing legal advice to Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Houston, Texas. Christopher has received a Performance Award every year since 2014 and a Special Act Award in 2023 for his contributions to interagency cooperation.
JT Contrestano (Cal State-Fresno ‘11)
JT is a Real Estate Broker and Investor who works in residential, agricultural, commercial, and investment real estate. He has earned two Elite Agent Awards for Sales and was recognized on Business Street’s 40 Under 40 in 2023. As a former professional mixed martial artist, he volunteers by hosting self-defense seminars and mentors new fighters.
Seth Crawford (Houston ‘18)
Seth is a Vice President of Marketing & Expansion at Challenge Entertainment, overseeing marketing strategy and technology systems. He holds several volunteer roles with SAE, including Province Sigma Deputy Archon. Additionally, he serves on the University of Houston’s Valenti School of Communication Board of Directors, where he helps raise scholarship funds and organizes networking events for alumni and students.
JJ DeForest Jr. (Houston ’19)
JJ is a Senior Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Advisor at Merrill Lynch. After being recognized by Forbes for several years, his team, TSPN Wealth Management, was awarded the #5 spot on the Forbes 2025 Best-In-State Wealth Management teams for Texas – Houston. JJ volunteers for SAE by serving on the Texas Epsilon Alumni Board, where he advises the Chapter’s Executive Officers.
David Farris (Nevada-Reno ‘16)
David is the Owner and CEO of OFF THE HOUSE, a digital marketing agency. He was recognized as the youngest recipient of Vegas Inc’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2021. At his previous company, Planet 13, he created a meal program that donated 10,000 meals to at-risk senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to give back to his community.
Jack Gombach (Albright ‘14)
Jack is a Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, overseeing daily operations and managing a $120 million budget. Jack works closely with the Mayor, City Council, and community leaders to revitalize the city and attract businesses to invest in Reading. Additionally, Jack serves on several boards for organizations and companies based in Reading.
Drake Goodman (Pennsylvania ‘24)
Drake is an Investor at Blackstone. He founded Recycle for Africa, a nonprofit that improves infrastructure and provides lunch programs to schools in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. He also founded the San Francisco Bay Area branch of Junior Dec My Room, a national nonprofit that decorates pediatric patient hospital rooms. Since its inception in 2016, he has helped decorate over 170 hospital rooms.
Matt Gosa (Kennesaw State ‘12)
Matt is the Senior Manager of Design Integration at McCarthy Building Companies. He was selected to participate in the company’s exclusive Emerging Leadership Program. Matt serves as a company mentor and volunteers with the ACE Mentor Program. Matt is involved with several organizations in the St. Louis area, including F3, where he organizes free workouts for men in his community.
Adam Grothouse (Cincinnati ‘12)
Adam is a Regional Process Expert for SABIC, responsible for improving manufacturing efficiency, quality, and production stability across several manufacturing sites. He has received the SABIC Manufacturing Leadership Award seven times, which recognizes excellence in manufacturing performance. Adam volunteers with SABIC’s Mentor Program providing guidance to an elementary student mentee, and works with their Discover Science Program, promoting STEM careers.
Chase Johnson (Morehead State ‘16)
Chase is an Information Security Architect in the cybersecurity industry. He was honored by the State of Kentucky with the title of Kentucky Colonel, the highest civilian honor, recognizing notable achievements and contributions. He serves on his alma mater’s Alumni Board and Department of Engineering Sciences Advisory Board. He is the SAE Province Xi Secretary and the ISACA Kentuckiana Technology Chair.
Alex Kanzler (Colorado-Boulder ‘08)
Alex is the Winemaker, Owner, and CEO of Kanzler Vineyards. He was awarded Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s Outstanding Young Farmer, San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker to Watch, and received dozens of 90+ point scores from various professional wine critics. He is involved with professional associations in Sonoma County and Sebastopol Hills and is a Founding Member and Board of Directors Member of Sebastopol Hills Winegrowers.
Nickalus Khan (Memphis ‘08)
Nicklaus is the Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director of Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. He is a Staff Neurosurgeon at Semmes Murphey Clinic. He is involved with several professional associations, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the North American Skull Base Society, serving as Scientific Program Chair.
Wes Lyon (South Carolina-Columbia ‘10)
Wes is the Co-Founder of Allegiance Flag Supply, a company with a 100% made-in-America supply chain. Since it began in 2020, the company has achieved an average annual growth rate of 98%. Allegiance Flag Supply donates money and products to first responders and military-related nonprofits. Wesley was a Community Impact Award recipient for the Charleston County Economic Development Council in 2025.
Nicholas O’Boyle (George Mason ‘12)
Nicholas is Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Ron Estes. As a chief advisor, he focuses on Rep. Estes’s tax and trade work in the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. Nicholas executes the Congressman’s legislative priorities, successfully including them in several legislative packages. He’s involved with George Mason University’s Honors College Engaged Alumni Network, which selects students for their Scholars Program.
Brandon Pike (Arizona State ‘19)
Brandon is the Founder and Managing Partner at Capital Bay Partners, a commercial real estate investment firm that focuses on Value-Add and Opportunistic investment strategies. He was named the youngest partner at his previous investment firm and grew the company to over $275 million in assets under management. He serves as a Board Member for the SAE Phoenix Area Alumni Association.
Richard Slonski (Northern Illinois ‘08)
Richard is a Nursing Professional Development Practitioner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who oversees the onboarding and training of nursing staff. He is an Adjunct Professor/Clinical Instructor for nursing student clinical groups. He is an Army Veteran and has earned several awards, including a Combat Action Badge. He volunteers as an SAE Advisor and serves on NIU’s Greek Alumni Council and IFC Alumni Council.
Evan Wardrop (North Carolina-Charlotte ‘15)
Evan is a CPA and Senior Manager at the Siegfried Group, where he works with public companies on financial reporting. Evan is heavily involved with his church volunteering with the weekly youth group, seasonal camps, and community outreach and mission trips. He has served Big Brothers Big Sisters for five years and remains involved with SAE as Province Omicron Treasurer.
Tanner Zimmerman (Penn State-Harrisburg ‘19)
Tanner is the Operations Manager of Zimmerman Truck Lines and Truck Repairs. He is involved with several community organizations, including the Harrisburg Young Professionals serving as Membership Co-Chair and Juniata County’s Business and Education Board and Prevention Board. Tanner remains involved with SAE as the Province Rho-Eta Deputy Archon and Chapter Advisor for the Chapter at Penn State-Harrisburg.
