Dean J Bender

Faith ▪ Family ▪ Service ▪ Adventure ▪ Innovator

Always Learning

About Me

I am a seasoned business leader, entrepreneur, and strategic innovator whose career has been defined by curiosity, innovation, and a desire to make a meaningful difference. With more than three decades of experience spanning textiles chemicals, medical devices, and nonprofit leadership, I have built businesses, developed new products, raised significant funding, and helped organizations identify opportunities for growth. Yet my professional accomplishments tell only part of the story. At the heart of who I am is a belief that success is most meaningful when it improves the lives of others.

My Christian faith is central to how I approach both life and business. Striving to develop and apply the virtues found in 2 Peter 1:5-7, I place a high value on family, friendship, service, and giving back, and remain actively involved in my church and community. Today, while semi-retired, I continue to pursue projects that reflect my interests and values—from developing life-saving technology through Trac Shot to volunteering as a USGA-certified golf rules official. I enjoy golf, fishing, cooking, travel, and spending time with family and friends. Perhaps most importantly, I am approaching this stage of life with a sense of gratitude and purpose: continuing to learn, staying active, helping others, and looking for opportunities to use my experience and resources to make a positive difference.

Raised in the Carolinas, I had the advantage of moving around as child and learning at a young age differences in culture across the country and how to make friends. Born in Hammond, IN my family moved to Pottstown, PA and then to Beacon, NY before landing in Greenville, SC when I was 10 years old. I spent the next 46 years of my life around Greenville and Charlotte. And even though my wife and I are now full-time residents of Port St. Lucie in South Florida, I still consider myself a Carolinian!

Today, I consider myself semi-retired but remain extremely active in my community as a small group leader in my Church, Westside Church in Ft. Pierce. I recently achieved my certification as an USGA rules official and volunteer at local golf tournaments across the Treasure Coast. Golf, Cooking, Fishing and Pickleball keep me active and young!

Learn more about Dean's personal and professional life from his interview with Vein Magazine.

Family

My wife Debbie and I met in Charlotte, NC and have been married for over 37 years. Our daughter, Amanda, resides in Chicago and is the Director of Event Experience with NASCAR covering races across the Midwest.

Debbie and I have spent most of our life together in the Carolinas but decided to relocated to Port St. Lucie, FL in 2020 where we are able to enjoy outdoor activities year round. We are both avid golfers playing several times a week. We also enjoy the opportunity to play pickle-ball with neighbors.

While I enjoy home roasting coffee, one of my great pleasures is cooking for my family and friends!

Faith

My Christian faith remains central to how I approach all aspects of life and business. A key question is always "how will this make a positive difference in someone's life?". Having worked extensively in the medical device industry over the past couple decades, I have been blessed to be able to improve the quality of life for thousands of people in the US and around the world suffering from chronic disease.

Being able to give back to those in need in places such as Haiti where I was involved in medical mission work where we developed mutliple medical clinics and educational programs across the country and now working with an opiod addiction foundation in California, these opportunities continue to have a profound impact on how I view our responsibility to others.

Fun

A key to success in this world is to be able to achieve some sort of balance. While dedication to hard work and success is important I have learned that it is critical to enjoy life along the way!

I have been fortunate that my career has enabled me to see many parts of the world, to enjoy exotic cuisines and most improtantly to make new friends from all different backgrounds and cultures. Whether it has been playing golf in Ireland or Bermuda, sailing on the Frisian Lakes of the Netherlands, touring the castles and churches of Europe or eating the best pasta dishes in Italy and increadible beef in the high desert of Salta, Argentina, being able to do these things with family and friends is always a great way to refresh and refocus on the priorities of life.

Current Activities

Trac Shot LLC

www.tracshot.com

President

Our mission is to save lives!

Empowering responsoble firearm owners with realtime security technology that detects unauthorized movent, prevents preventable tragedies, and protects personal freedom.

US Patent # 12,135,179

Certified Rules Official

FSGA Member

Port St. Lucie Florida

USGA Certified Advanced 2030

Supporting the Florida State Golf Association along the Treasure Coast as a volunteer USGA certified rules official

United States Golf Association

Rules Official: Local qualifing events - Men's; Sr. Men's; Sr. Women's; Junior and Amatuer

United States Disabled Golfers Association

Volunteer: Starter at Annual Championship

Florida State Golf Association

Volunteer: Rules Official, Starter, Course Set-up, Registration along the Treasure Coast of Florida

NKU Spring Fling

Rules Official: North Kentucky University Division 1 Women's Annual 3-day golf event at Sandridge Golf Club

WAGT

Rules Official: Junior and College Men's and Women's events

www.globalanglers.org

Education

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

B.S. Chemical Engineering

Graduated 1986

Continuing Education:

Jan 2026: USGA certified rules official (Advanced) through 2030

Jan 2009: Penn State – ISBM – “Voice of Customer Research”

May 2006: Central Piedmont Community College – “Influential Leadership”

Jan 2006: ISO 13485 (medical device standard) certified training

Jul 2002: Notre Dame - “Bayer Senior Business Management Program”

Jun 2002: Notre Dame - “Finance & Accounting for Non-financial Senior Managers”

Jul 2001: Penn State - ISBM - “Creating & Managing Brand Value”

Jul 2000: Penn State - ISBM - “Electronic Business in Business Markets”

Apr 2000: Penn State - ISBM - “Competitor Analysis and Intelligence”

Oct 1999: Kellogg Graduate School of Management - “Managing New Product Development”

Sep 1999: Penn State - ISBM - “Segmentation Marketing”

Work Experience

Trac Shot LLC (2024-present); President; Port St. Lucie, FL - A technology company that is promoting live saving technology for firearm owners with an innovative, newly patented, movement detection device that will instantly notify them on unauthorized access of their firearms.
DJBender Consulting (2024-present): providing over 36 years of business experience to exisitng companies and start-ups.
American Vein & Lymphatic Society (2017-2024); CEO/Executive Director; Chicago, IL - Non-profit medical professional association with over 2,000 members that specialize in the treatment and management of venous and lymphatic disease.
Foundation for Venous & Lymphatic Disease (2017-2024); Executive Director; Chicago, IL - Foundation dedicated to the development of funding research and educational initiatives in venous and lymphatic disease. Raised over $9.2 million across two Capital Campaigns.
medi USA LP (2012-2017): Vice President Business Development; Whitsett, NC - Medical compression device industry, specializing in elastic and inelastic compression devices utilized in the treatment and management of venous disease, lymphedema and wound care, “medi USA”. Responsible for integrating the CircAid product line into the medi portfolio, resulting in a twenty-fold increase in global sales. Further developed new markets with the development of a line of pneumatic compression pumps, a new to the world compression device “Restiffic” for the management of restless leg syndrome and "Strutz" targeting plantar fasciitis .
CircAid Medical Inc (2010-2012): President; San Diego, CA - Medical compression device industry, leader in the inelastic adjustable compression wraps for the management and treatment of venous disease, lymphedema and wound care, “CircAid”. Led the sale of the company, which was acquired by medi USA in 2012. CircAid developed the inelastic medical compression wrap business which has become a major segment in lymphedema and wound care markets internationally.
Bender Innovations LLC (2009-2013): Founder; Denver, NC - Business consultant for the medical device industry.
BSN medical Inc (2004-2009); Global Vice President Research & Development; Charlotte, NC - Responsible for global development of medical compression devices for the management and treatment of venous disease, lymphedema and wound care; and orthopedic fracture management products, ”Jobst”. Implemented a stage-gate product development process that resulted in an increase of new products sales from 4% to 14% of total global portfolio sales.
Bayer Chemicals Inc (2001-2004); Director Textile Chemicals Business; Wellford, SC - Manufacturer of specialty chemicals.
Sybron Chemicals Inc (1991-2001); Director National Marketing & Sales; Wellford SC - Manufacturer of specialty chemicals. Aquired by Bayer in 2001.
ICI Colors (1988-1991); Technical Service Representative; Charlotte NC - Manufacturer of textile dyestuffs.
Milliken & Co. (1986-1988); Process Engineer; Blacksburg, SC - Dyeing & Finishing plant for textile fabrics.