William Ainsworth
Billy Ainsworth, who joined the McCrary Institute Advisory Board in November 2023, was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Governor Kay Ivey and confirmed by the Alabama Senate on March 22, 2023 to represent the 5th District. His first term expires on March 21, 2030. Billy Ainsworth was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Governor Kay Ivey and confirmed by the Alabama Senate on March 22, 2023 to represent the 5th District. His first term expires on March 21, 2030. Ainsworth earned a bachelors degree in marketing from Auburn University in 1978. Ainsworth served as CEO of Progress Rail (a Caterpillar Company), a diversified railroad services company, for most of his career and finished his career as Group President of Caterpillars Energy and Transportation group retiring in December of 2020. He currently serves on various corporate boards as well as being active in various civic and charitable organizations. Ainsworth resides in Guntersville with his wife, Sharon. They have three children and ten grandchildren.
Janaki Alavalapati
Janaki Alavalapati is dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. He previously served as a professor and the head of the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech and a faculty member in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida. Prior to his time in the United States, he served as a forest officer in Andhra Pradesh, India. He has master’s degrees in botany and forestry from universities in India, and master’s and doctoral degrees in rural sociology and forest economics, respectively, from the University of Alberta, Canada. He has published more than 200 publications and made more than 150 professional presentations relating to forests, wildlife and natural resources. Alavalapati’s selected awards include a University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship, Superior Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State in 2008, and the International Union of Forest Research Organization’s (IUFRO) Scientific Achievement Award in 2010. He was a Jefferson Science Fellow and was also a senior fellow of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Leslee Belluchie
Leslee Belluchie graduated from Auburn in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She has more than 20 years of experience in the operations and management of government contracting companies, and is currently a managing member of FedCap Partners LLC, a private equity fund she co-founded in 2010. The FedCap invests in companies focused on the U.S. intelligence community, cybersecurity, and energy. Previously, she was the senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Serco-NA — formerly SI International Inc. — a $1.3 billion division of Serco Inc. Prior to Serco-NA, she served as a partner in the National Intelligence Agency’s division of IBM Federal and president and CEO of the Teradata Government Systems’ division of the NCR Corporation. She also held various operational and business development positions at Computer Sciences Corporation, including vice president of Business Development for the Enforcement Security, and its Intelligence business unit. Belluchie is a member of the Auburn University Foundation Board. She is also a member of the George Washington University Katzen Cancer Center Board of Directors.
Ronald Burgess
Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, Jr., retired from the U.S. Army as the 17th director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012. Throughout his 38-year Army career, and in his roles with Auburn, Burgess has continued to serve the U.S. intelligence community by providing leadership and strategic vision that contributes to safeguarding U.S. national security interests. He is also a former acting principal deputy director of national intelligence. After being commissioned in military intelligence through the Auburn University ROTC program in 1974, Burgess held a variety of key staff and command positions throughout his military career. General officer assignments include Director of Intelligence, J2, U.S. Southern Command; Director of Intelligence, J2, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Customer Outcomes transitioning to Director of the Intelligence Staff in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The former DIA director returned to Auburn in December 2012 to serve as senior counsel for National Security, Cyber Programs and Military Affairs, before being appointed as Auburn’s chief operating officer in 2018. In these roles, Burgess oversaw a range of university services to ensure Auburn’s research and development programs are positioned to address issues of national and global significance. He retired from this position in June of 2023. Burgess was honored in 2013 by the Auburn Alumni Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, he was inducted into the United States Army Military Intelligence Hall of Fame and, in 2016, was inducted into the Army ROTC National Hall of Fame. He earned a master’s in education from the University of Southern California in 1980 and a master’s in military arts and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1986. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from LaGrange College in 2015 and received an honorary doctorate from Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.) in 2017. On July 27, 2018, he received an honorary doctorate of strategic intelligence degree from the National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland.
Michael DeMaioribus
Michael A. DeMaioribus received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University in electrical engineering in 1976 and 1977, respectively. He has more than 40 years of engineering experience and currently provides technical and operational executive consulting through DeMaioribus Technologies, LLC. DeMaioribus retired from Dynetics Inc. in 2016 as executive vice president of business operations after a 39-year career with the company. He began working for the Huntsville-based company in 1977 and moved through the ranks in various engineering, management, and executive roles. Over the course of his career, DeMaioribus managed the company’s programs to research, develop and evaluate various weapon technologies including radars, missiles and C4I systems. DeMaioribus previously served as senior vice president and manager of the company’s hardware and intelligence operating unit, comprised of more than 280 engineers, scientists, and technicians in four U.S. locations. DeMaioribus is recognized for his expertise on foreign air defense systems and was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015. He currently serves on the Auburn University Board of Trustees and on the Greater Huntsville Community Foundation Board of Directors.
Jim Heilbron
Jim Heilbron earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Auburn in 1994 and 1996, respectively. He serves as senior vice president and senior production officer of Southern Company’s West Production Group, sitting on the management councils of Mississippi Power and Alabama Power. In this role, Heilbron oversees electric power generation of 14,303 megawatts from Mississippi Power’s Watson, Chevron, Daniel, Sweatt and Ratcliffe plants, Southern Company’s Red Hills plant and Alabama Power’s Miller, Gorgas, Gaston, Gadsden, Greene County, Barry, Theodore, and Washington County plants. Previously, Heilbron was senior vice president and senior production officer for Alabama Power where he was responsible for the company’s generation functions, including 24 fossil and hydro units. He also has served as senior vice president and senior production officer for Southern Power. In this position, he oversaw the operations of more than 8,000 megawatts of electric power with facilities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas. Heilbron joined Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, in 1998 as a plant engineer and was named plant manager at Georgia Power’s Plant Wansley in 2006. Prior to this position, he served as plant manager of Southern Power’s Plant Franklin. Prior to joining Southern Company, Heilbron worked for Milliken & Company as a production manager for the floor covering business unit. In addition to his Auburn education, Heilbron earned a master’s degree in business administration from Emory University in 2001.
Richard Knop
Richard Knop is a managing member of FedCap Partners LLC, a private equity fund he co-founded in 2010 with more than 20 years of experience in investment banking. The Virginia-based firm focuses on federal technology and national security companies. Knop is also one of the principals of KBM, the exclusive federal contracting partner for Macquarie Corp., the leading investor in the world in infrastructure, including critical infrastructure. Prior to FedCap, Knop co-founded the Windsor Group in 1992, the first investment bank focused on the government/defense contracting industry and built it into the premier investment bank for that industry. It was acquired by BB&T Bank in 2005 and Knop led BB&T Capital Markets/Windsor Group until 2009. Knop received a juris doctorate with honors from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. He has been a recipient of both the Washington Technology’s Financier of the Year and the Association of Corporate Growth’s Dealmaker of the Year awards. Additionally, the Boy Scouts of America named Knop an Annual Technology “Good Scout” and George Washington University presented him with a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Knop served as a member of the board of trustees for George Washington University and is an emeritus member of the board of advisors for the GW Law School. He is a former chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, now part of the McCrary Institute at Auburn. He also served as president and board member of the Association of Corporate Growth for Washington, D.C., and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C.
Charles McCrary
Charles McCrary, ’73 mechanical engineering, served as president and chief executive officer of Alabama Power Company, following a distinguished 40-year career with the company. His record of leadership and service to Alabama Power Company is widely recognized, and his impact on the State of Alabama is undeniable. Charles was introduced to Alabama Power Company early in his life through the work of his father and began his own career with the company in the summer of 1970 following his freshman year at Auburn University. He went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn, as well as a Juris Doctor from Birmingham School of Law. Throughout his career, Charles steadily moved into roles of increasing responsibility within the company, proving time and again that his leadership skills and keen sense of vision could carry the company through various challenging times. In addition to a commitment to his profession, Charles has been actively involved in the community, both in Birmingham and across the state. He has provided leadership and support to numerous businesses, civic and educational programs, and as an avid outdoorsman, serving on the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Charles also has remained deeply devoted to the advancement of Auburn University, serving on its Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2022. His service on the Presidential Search Committee was influential in bringing new leadership to the university. His participation in the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, his role in securing funding for the Alabama Power Academic Excellence Program and the Alabama Power Nuclear Power Generation Systems program, and his personal philanthropic support of the university, are evidence of his commitment to higher education and to future generations. His service to the university has helped us remain focused on our three-fold mission of education, research, and extension. As such, Auburn has developed prominent expertise in areas related to Alabama Power Company’s core mission of providing affordable, reliable electricity that impacts Alabama’s economy and improves the quality of life for its citizens. In recognition of Charles’ service and dedication to this mission, Auburn University proposes to honor Charles through the establishment of the Charles D. McCrary Institute at Auburn University. The institute will advance the research and development of new energy system technologies to improve the reliability and security of the power grid and related civil/industrial infrastructure critical to our nation’s security and financial stability. Additionally, because wise utilization of resources improves overall efficiency, the institute will incorporate knowledge of innovative conservation practices to maximize the benefits of their use. Guided by a strong mission statement and operating principles, the institute will serve as a legacy to Charles’ leadership and vision for the advancement of our state and region.
Christopher Roberts
Christopher B. Roberts began his appointment as Auburn University’s 21st president in May 2022. President Roberts leads the university’s four divisions, including Auburn’s main campus with its more than 31,000 students and 5,500 faculty and staff, as well as Auburn University at Montgomery, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, a joint enterprise with Alabama A&M University. Roberts is an accomplished scholar who understands that research and teaching excellence, together with service and public engagement, are at the very heart of the state’s R1 land-, sea- and space-grant institution. As the university’s CEO, he marshals the institution’s $1.54 billion annual budget and vast resources, while spearheading the university’s strategic vision and advancing Auburn’s ever-growing research enterprise and economic development. Prior to his presidency, Roberts served as dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering from 2012 to 2022. Responsible for the overall direction, scope and mission of the college, Roberts set the college on course to be the best student-centered engineering experience in the country. With more than 5,000 undergraduate and 900 graduate students, the college cultivated an environment that puts an emphasis on fundamentals, hands-on engineering and a strong work ethic that sets Auburn Engineering graduates apart. Roberts was a factor in the success of the university’s recently completed $1.2 billion campaign – with $247 million raised for engineering — which will further Roberts’ vision of becoming a Top 20 public engineering institution. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has more than 180 faculty with $85 million in annual research expenditures committed to the development of new engineering solutions, concepts, and processes. Strategic areas of research include advanced manufacturing; infrastructure and transportation; cybersecurity and intelligent systems; energy and environment; engineered materials and nanotechnology; and biomedical engineering. The college is one of four universities
Michael Rogers
Adm. Michael S. Rogers retired from the U.S. Navy in 2018 after nearly 37 years of service, rising to the rank of four-star admiral. He culminated his career with a four-year tour as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency. In those roles, he worked with the leadership of the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. intelligence community, as well as their international counterparts in the conduct of cyber and intelligence activity across the globe. He also assisted in the development of national and international policy with respect to cyber, intelligence and technology — including extensive work with corporate leadership in finance, information technology, telecommunications. and technology sectors. During his broader service in uniform, Rogers held positions afloat and ashore around the globe focusing on cyber, intelligence, maritime operations, and national security. His service was extensive, including duty with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and U.S. Atlantic Command. In addition, Rogers commanded within unit, numbered fleet, and service component levels in the Navy. Rogers is a graduate of Auburn University and holds a master’s degree in national security. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College and a graduate of highest distinction from the Naval War College. He is also an MIT Seminar XXI fellow and a Harvard Senior Executive in National Security alumnus. He is currently supporting companies in the private sector, serving as a member of various boards, or acting as a senior advisor. He speaks globally to various business and academic groups, and is working internationally in the cyber and national security arenas. He is a senior fellow and adjunct professor with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Managements’ Public Private Initiative.
Zeke Smith
Zeke Smith served as Alabama Power’s executive vice president of external affairs before retiring effective Nov. 1, 2023. With more than 35 years of service with the company, Smith was responsible for environmental affairs, charitable giving, corporate affairs, governmental relations, public relations, and regulatory affairs. He also served as chairman of the Alabama Power Foundation’s Board of Directors. Prior to his most recent position, Smith served as vice president of financial and regulatory planning, vice president of regulatory services, and director of regulatory and pricing. Smith graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1982. He also earned a master’s degree in business administration from Samford University. He serves on the Samford University Board of Trustees, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, the Bryant-Jordan Foundation, the Auburn Engineering Alumni Council Executive Committee and on the Birmingham Bowl Executive Committee/Corporate Development team. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Alabama. Smith has been appointed to the state’s College and Career Ready Task Force, the Tornado Recovery Action Council of Alabama and, most recently, served as chair of the Alabama Workforce Council appointed by the governor. He has served as Alabama Power’s chairman and executive sponsor of various campaigns, including the United Way, American Heart Association and Boy Scouts of America.
Steven Taylor
Steve Taylor is senior vice president for research & economic development at Auburn University. Previously, he served as interim dean of Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in April 2022. Taylor also served as Auburn Engineering’s associate dean for research, where he was responsible for coordination and promotion of the college’s research across all academic departments and research centers. He provided support and leadership through creative partnerships involving academia, industry and government collaborators. Prior to his role as associate dean, he served as a professor and head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering, while also directing the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts. While serving as Auburn Engineering’s associate dean for research, Taylor led significant growth in the college’s annual external funding that saw nearly $300 million in new research contracts awarded. He facilitated the creation of the Auburn University Applied Research Institute and Auburn University Transportation Research Institute and he helped secure funding for several new research facilities such as Auburn’s Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory. Additionally, he led the efforts to acquire and operationalize the university’s Research and Innovation Campus in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park. Taylor began teaching at Auburn in 1989, served as the biosystems engineering department head from 2003-16. In that position, Taylor led the department through a transformative phase where he was able to hire new faculty, develop new undergraduate and graduate degree programs that spurred substantial growth in student enrollment, construct new laboratory facilities and significantly expand their research and extension programs. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Florida and a doctorate in the same discipline from Texas A&M.
Walt Woltosz
Woltosz holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University in aerospace engineering, 1969 and 1977, and a master’s in administrative science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He worked as an electronics engineer with the Federal Aviation Administration and later with Northrop Services developing simulation/optimization computer programming for the space shuttle ascent trajectory. During his 13-year career in the aerospace industry, Woltosz pioneered and managed the development of software for the simulation and optimization of a wide range of solid propellant rocket motors and missile systems, including the space shuttle, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Midgetman small intercontinental ballistic missile, and the Pegasus air-launched satellite booster. In 1981, he established Words+, Inc., a company that designs, manufactures and sells computer-based communication systems. He is internationally known for being the first person to create an integrated communications system based on a personal computer, and his work in this area radically transformed the way in which people with disabilities communicate. In 1986, Woltosz and his team developed the first system with adaptive word prediction and developed the comprehensive ACES (Augmentative Communication Evaluation System) – the largest software development project undertaken in the field. His innovative communication systems have been used by people with disabilities throughout the world, including author Sir Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned astrophysicist who has suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) for decades. Having developed an array of innovations for the augmentative communication field, Woltosz turned his attention to a broader scope, and in 1996, he created Simulations Plus, Inc., a leader in groundbreaking drug discovery and simulation software for conducting drug research. Simulations Plus is a major developer of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) neural net and simulation software for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The company’s software allows pharmaceutical scientists to predict certain key potential drug dynamics, helping reduce multi-million dollar clinical trial failures and speeding up the time to market of effective new medications.