William is a former noncommissioned officer in the US Navy where he led teams of up to 80+ junior enlisted sailors while working as an advanced electronics technician specializing in the SPS-49(V)8 air search radar system. After leaving the military, he went to work Rockwell Collins as a Test Technician working on short range air-to-air communication systems before transferring to the Global Landing System for commercial aircraft. Following Sept 11th, and the resulting downturn in commercial aviation, William decided to join his father as an over-the-road truck driver where he excelled over the next 20 years, culminating in winning 2nd place in the 2019 Iowa State Truck Driving Championships.
Over the last few years, William has made a significant change to his career path when he decided to return to school in his 40's. Taking classes online in the back of a moving semi truck, he was able to obtain an A.A.S in Applied Electronics from Excelsior University, followed a short time later with an A.A.S. in Business and Administration from Kirkwood Community College where he became a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. These combined degrees, and a wide array of experience, allowed him to transfer into an Operations Manager role where he was in charge of 12 managers and 400 production employees, across 2 sites, working in a fortune 50 company's Iowa based production facility.
Following his successful tenure as an Operations Manager, William was offered a position as Production Manager at Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins, his previous employer) overseeing the electronic circuit card assembly production facility. His team utilized surface mount technologies to produce components for both civilian and military applications following FAA and DOD guidelines. Some of the notable programs being worked on at the time are the MAPS and THAAD systems for the US Military.
During this time, William returned to school again and was able to achieve his MBA and Master of Corporate and Business Communications. He continues to push his academic focus and is in the process of completing degrees in mathematics and biology, as well preparing for the Doctorate of Business Administration application process. He hopes to be able to parlay his educational achievements with his broad experiences into working within the space industry and in preparation for this hopeful direction, earned a Certificate of Space Leadership, Business, and Policy from ASU's Thunderbird School of Management.
William continues to push himself both academically as well as professionally and will be a leader in whatever field he works in. His ability to adapt and overcome any obstacle serves him well and will be an asset to any company that employees him. His future is bright, and if he has his way and ends up working in the space industry, he is sure to make an impact and brighten the lives of those who he helps put into space as well. He strives to not only keep moving forward, but to aim high and bring those around him up along with him, to space and beyond.
