Whit Smith

Background

About Whit Smith

I have been performing Systems Engineering, Program Management, and Project Management for over 20 years. The most complex project I ever worked on was probably the Boeing The was the first airliner ever designed entirely on computer. All three million parts, represented as CAD/CAM data for the were maintained and stored in a configuration database that my group built. It was stored on a cluster of Eight IBM 3090 mainframes, the largest such cluster in the world at that time. I also worked on the 737 Next Generation program, serving as the Lead Data Architect for the Tooling Data Management program. Tooling is the largest non-recurring cost on any new airplane program. The Tooling community wanted to build an engineering tool that would help maintain the design integrity for all of their far flung tooling data, but still maintain configuration control with frequent changes coming from the Integrated Product Teams that were designing the airplane. In addition, I also co-led a joint team of engineers using Neural Network technology to support the 747's Accurate Fuselage Assembly initiative. Our program was so successful that the entire team was awarded a Vice President’s Special Recognition award. This award was presented to me by my 5th level of management. I had never before seen my 5 levels of management gathered in one room, much less to give me an award. It was a very humbling experience. I have also worked on other projects in New Orleans and here in San Diego that were of a similar complexity, although they were not quite as large in scale. I belong to AFCEA. I was a President and member of the Board Of Directors, for their Silicon Bayou Chapter (New Orleans). Although I have been to all 50 states, and a number of foreign countries, I was born and raised in Mississippi.