I'm A Skunk.

My childhood fascination with flying machines culminated in a breathtaking career. After four decades of incredible design challenges, I retired in 2017 as Director of Advanced Programs from my dream employer, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works®. As part of the highly innovative teams that developed the YF-22, JASSM, and a myriad of other programs I can't talk about, my experience spans from operations analysis-based requirements derivation and configuration design through system flight test. This engineering breadth is complemented by leadership roles as configuration lead, chief engineer, program director, conceptual design group manager, proposal capture team lead, conceptual design group manager, advanced systems director, and campaign director. 

I am the grateful recipient of two Kelly Johnson Inventor of the Year awards, the Ben Rich Achievement Medal, the Lockheed Martin AeroStar and NOVA awards for leadership, and Engineers Council awards for Engineering Merit and Project Achievement. Other special appointments include selection as a member of the AIAA Committee for Aircraft Design and member of the National Academy of Sciences panel for the study of methods to reduce aircraft fuel consumption and streamlined program management. My technical achievements include two awarded patents and five special patent disclosures. 

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As the Skunk Works’ historian, I maintained its collection of rare documents and provided presentations on the history of the company's revolutionary aircraft to civic and military groups worldwide. The company’s Technical Institute provided invaluable experience for me as an instructor to teach classes in aircraft configuration development, structural design, subsystems design, and special technologies integration. During my career, I was especially proud of being chosen to serve as director of the Skunk Works’ LightSpeed motivational program for at-risk youth designed to inspire young people to reach beyond perceived limitations and constraints.

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My interests include creating aviation art, studying military history, automobile and air racing, and traveling. I passionately support museums, reunions, and conferences across the country with inspirational aviation history discussions, aircraft design technical studies, and presentations that stimulate strategic and creative thinking.