Biography of Micky Blackwell
Cobb County resident Micky Blackwell is the 1999 recipient of the Reed Aeronautics Award‚ the…
Georgia (Dec 20, 2004) — Biography of Micky Blackwell
James "Micky" Blackwell
Abstract
Cobb County resident Micky Blackwell is the 1999 recipient of the Reed Aeronautics
Award‚ the highest award an individual can receive for achievements in the field of
aeronautical science and engineering. With a lifetime of work in aeronautics and engineering‚
Blackwell has also been recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
as the 1992 Region II Engineer of the Year. He was named 150th Anniversary Distinguished
Engineering Fellow by the University of Alabama’s College of Engineering in 1988‚
and was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2002‚ he was
named Cobb County Citizen of the Year.
Currently Blackwell works as a consultant to major corporations‚ policy groups and
the U.S. government on aerospace and defense issues. This follows his retirement in
2000 as executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Corporation‚ after working at
Lockheed for more than 30 years. He was appointed to the position in 1995 and had
corporate oversight of Lockheed Martin’s worldwide aeronautics business headquartered
in Bethesda‚ Maryland.
Blackwell joined Lockheed Martin in 1969 as a research engineer after working seven
years for NASA in Langley‚ Virginia. He held a number of management positions at Lockheed‚
including chief engineer of special projects‚ vice president of engineering and vice
president of the F−22 fighter program. He served as president of Lockheed Aeronautical
Systems Company in Marietta from 1993 to 1995.
Blackwell received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University
of Alabama in 1962 and a master’s in the same discipline in 1966 from the University
of Virginia. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard in 1986 and received
an honorary doctor of laws degree from Mercer University in 1994.
Dedicated to community service and involvement‚ Blackwell is chairman of the Georgia
Military Affairs Coordinating Committee‚ which reports to the governor. He also serves
as a member of the Marietta Redevelopment Corporation‚ Cobb Community Foundation‚
Friends of the Strand and Aeronautical Museum Boards in Marietta. In addition‚ Blackwell
is a member of several university boards‚ including Kennesaw State University’s RTM
Institute for Leadership‚ Ethics & Character advisory board.
A native of Jasper‚ Alabama‚ Blackwell and his wife‚ Billie‚ reside in Marietta.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
