Personal Bio

Last Position:

Vice President, Weapon Systems at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dr. Schmitt joined Sandia in 1960 as a member of the Technical Development Program.  He worked in several organizations - Quality Control, Computing, Component Design, and Structural and Dynamic Analysis - until 1968, when he transferred to Exploratory Systems Development, where he was promoted to Division Supervisor later that year.  He was promoted to Manager of the Weapons Development Department in 1976.  He was promoted to Director of Design Engineering in 1982.  He was named Director of Systems Evaluation in 1986.  In June 1987, he became Director of Weapons Development.  In June 1990, he assumed the position of Acting Vice President, Defense Programs.  This responsibility included Weapons Development as well as Safeguards and Security Programs.  In August 1991, he was promoted to Vice President for Component Development and Engineering Support which included Design Definition, Subsystems Development, Testing, Intelligent Systems & Robotics, and Manufacturing Technology.  Dr. Schmitt was given the responsibilities as Vice President of Weapon Systems October 1, 1995. 

He retired from Sandia in February, 1998. Since that time he has been involved with various consulting and volunteering activities. These include proposals for Lockheed Martin, University of Texas, Babcock & Wilcox Technologies. Project activities were for DOE/ NNSA, NSO and Sandia National Laboratories (Governance, Integrated Enabling Services, Independent Review Teams on ES&H and Integrated Enabling Services); UK Atomic Weapons Establishment (Program Management, Lean Manufacturing, Cost Reduction). Have also been member of a National Academy Committee. Volunteer activities include UNM School of Engineering Alumni Association Executive Group, Sandia Heights Homeowners Association BOD and Albuquerque Assistance League Advisory Group.

Prior Employment:

Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York, New York, 1955‑57; General Electric, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1959.

Activities:

Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Tau Beta Pi and Pi Kappa Phi.  Board of Directors, Computer Aided Manufacturing-International, Inc., 1984-87.  Board of Directors, Industry Network Corporation.  NMSU Manufac­turing Board, 1992-Present.  Chair, Technology Working Group, Advisory Committee for Nuclear Failsafe and Risk Reduction (FARR), 1991-Present.  Member, Agility Leadership Board, Iacocca Institute, Lehigh University, October 1992‑Present.  Department of Commerce/Department of State Visit to Poland - Invited Member of U.S. team to discuss Product Commercialization and Manufacturing, November 1992.

Education:

BS in Mechanical Engineering, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, 1960; MS in Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico, 1962; PhD in Mechanical Engineer­ing, Oklahoma State University, 1966.

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