Boeing exec named Hispanic Engineer of the Year

John Tracy, Boeing senior vice president of Engineering, Operations & Technology, has been named the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) Hispanic Engineer of the Year for 2006.

HENAAC is a nationwide non-profit organization committed to raising awareness of the achievements of Hispanics in engineering, science, technology and math, and to motivating more students to pursue careers in these fields. The Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award is presented to an individual considered by the selection committee to be a model of technical excellence and executive leadership that significantly impacts an industry, a field of science or engineering, the Hispanic community and the nation.

"We're proud of this recognition for John," said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. "As a tireless champion of engineering excellence and teamwork, he is responsible for many important accomplishments at Boeing. And because he embodies the attributes we expect in our leaders, he is truly an inspiration and a role model for all."

A 25-year Boeing employee, Tracy's key responsibilities include: functional management of the company's engineering, operations, supplier management, program management and quality assurance functions; executive oversight of the Information Technology, Phantom Works and Intellectual Property Management organizations; and sponsorship of Boeing's Development Process Excellence initiative, which is aimed at enhancing the yield of Boeing's R&D investments and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of development programs.

Tracy credits his mother, a child of immigrant parents, with instilling in him the attributes that have supported his success in an engineering career that began in 1981: a strong work ethic, competitiveness and persistence in any professional or educational endeavor.

"I am honored and humbled by this award because I am familiar with those who have received it before and am greatly impressed by what they have accomplished," Tracy said. "And whatever I've done to merit this wonderful recognition, I want to give due credit and a sincere thanks to a lot of great people - my family, friends and co-workers - who encouraged, inspired and supported me every step of the way."

Previous award recipients include Alphonso Diaz, associate administrator for science at NASA; H. Alex Archila, president of Chevron Canada Resources, Chevron Corporation; Jose Mejia, president of Supply Chain Networks, Lucent Technologies; and Irving Wladawsky-Berger, Ph.D. of IBM Corporation.

Tracy is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the past chair of the ASME 6,000-member Aerospace Division. He has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has authored 26 publications in the areas of composite structural mechanics, launch vehicle structures, smart structures and aging aircraft.

Tracy serves as co-chair of the California State University Los Angeles Industrial Advisory Board. He also serves on the board of directors for HRL Labs and as the executive champion for the Seal Beach Boeing Hispanic Employees' Network.

Tracy received a Ph.D. in Engineering in 1987 from the University of California at Irvine and master's and bachelor's degrees in Physics from California State University Los Angeles and California State University Dominguez Hills in 1981 and 1976, respectively.