WATERVLIET, N.Y., Feb. 13 -- Optical components manufacturer Molecular OptoElectronics Corp. (MOEC) has appointed Thomas H. Wessel as its new vice president of manufacturing. In this capacity, Wessel will oversee all facets of the company's manufacturing processes. Wessel joins MOEC from Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group (now known as Agere Systems, Inc.), where he most recently served as director of optoelectronics package manufacturing and engineering. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Laser Diode Inc., where he managed the materials fabrication operation.