Mr. Schmitt to Lead Government, Industry, Academia, and Defense Community Collaborative to Bridge Alabama’s Workforce Gap
The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) proudly announces the appointment of John Schmitt as the Executive Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC), a new Limited Liability Company (LLC) based in Huntsville, Ala.
“The NCDMM team has had the privilege of working with John throughout his career as a U.S. Army Acquisition Corps Officer and afterwards,” said Gary Fleegle, NCDMM President and CEO. “John is a high-caliber professional with advanced manufacturing expertise, the strategic vision, and natural leadership abilities necessary to carry out AMIIC’s mission and establish it as an advanced manufacturing center of excellence in Northern Alabama. He is a dynamic individual, who is committed to and engaged in the community of Huntsville. We are proud to welcome John to our leadership team.”
AMIIC represents a collaboration among government, industry, academia, and the defense community to bridge Alabama’s workforce gap. AMIIC seeks to provide students and workers with more opportunities for training, certifications, and apprenticeships to fill available, highly skilled positions. AMIIC will achieve these goals by developing an agile, collaborative, and innovative environment for the maturation and demonstration of advanced manufacturing technologies centric to meet the modernization manufacturing needs of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Aviation & Missile Center in Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
“It’s an honor to be named the Executive Director of AMIIC,” said Mr. Schmitt. “I am excited to collaborate with our strategic partners on our mission of leveraging innovative technologies and promoting education and workforce development opportunities to empower Alabamians with the skills needed to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s highly skilled workforce.”
Prior to his AMIIC appointment, Mr. Schmitt contracted with the NCDMM through his consulting firm, Schmitt Consulting Group LLC, working closely with personnel in the NCDMM Huntsville office.
In 2019, Mr. Schmitt retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after more than 20 years of service from a diverse career as a U.S. Army Aviator and Acquisition Corps Officer. He completed two combat tours in Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, maintenance test pilot, and company commander. In 2012, he moved to Huntsville, serving as an Acquisition Corps Officer at Redstone Arsenal tasked with the development and delivery of major weapon systems. His assignments in this capacity included the Fixed Wing and Apache Program Offices, the Joint Multi-Role Technical Demonstration office, the Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center, and the Cargo Helicopter Project Office.
Within the Huntsville community, Mr. Schmitt is an active, dynamic, and dedicated participant. He proudly serves on the boards of Little Orange Fish, a community-based mental health nonprofit; GeneCapture, Inc., a biotechnology company; and Rocket City Civil Rights LLC, a nonprofit that seeks to archive, advocate, and assist in social reform rooted in Huntsville’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Inner Defense Initiative, a research collaborative committed to serving victims of post-traumatic stress through biopsychology. He is also a published songwriter and founder of Listen Local Huntsville LLC.
Prior to moving to Huntsville, Mr. Schmitt was an Assistant Professor and Course Director within the Department of Chemistry and Life Science at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Mr. Schmitt holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis and a M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
For more information about NCDMM or AMIIC, visit ncdmm.org and amiic.us.
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About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in defense manufacturing to continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, the players, the technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. NCDMM also manages America Makes and the V4 Institute. NCDMM is the cornerstone of the recently formed Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG). For additional information, visit the NCDMM at ncdmm.org and follow @NCDMMnews on Twitter.
About AMIIC
The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC) was established to accelerate the adoption of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and build the Northern Alabama workforce of tomorrow. AMIIC will work to stimulate Alabama’s economy, workforce, and advanced manufacturing sector through the creation of a state-of-the-art demonstration facility and a significant expansion of education and workforce development programs available to both students and workers. Based in Huntsville, Ala., AMIIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). For more information, visit AMIIC at amiic.us.