Howard E. Chambers

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Howard E. Chambers

Consultant, BCA Program Management, Boeing

Education

  • B.S. 1964, Mechanical Engineering, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

During the Vietnam conflict, Howard Chambers served in the U.S. Air Force as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. After leaving the Air Force, he joined Rockwell International where he served in senior management positions in Test, Logistics, Business Development, and Program Management. Chambers also served as vice president and program manager for the B-1B Program. He maintained this position after Boeing acquired Rockwell’s Aerospace and Defense business sectors in 1996.

Chambers later served as vice president and general manager of the Airlift and Tanker Programs and vice president and general manager of the C-17 Globemaster III Transport Program. As vice president of Program Management and Independent Review for Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems, he was responsible for development and deployment of program management best practices, providing training and development for program managers, and performing independent assessments of critical IDS programs.

Chambers has also served as vice president and general manager of Space and Intelligence Systems for Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems, where he was responsible for the programs and assets of the company’s intelligence and space products – including satellite programs, proprietary programs, and Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary that is a world leader in solar cell manufacturing and technology. He has also served as chairman of Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc., Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., and Spectrolab, Inc.

Chambers has received the Silver Knight of Management, Executive of the Year, and the Gold Knight of Management Awards from the National Management Association. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and received the 2002 Amelia Earhart Award for mentoring. Additionally, he received the President’s Distinguished Service Award from the California State University Long Beach Alumni Association in 2004 and the Crystal Arts and Humanitarian Award given by the International City Theater of Long Beach in 2005. Chambers managed the 787 Dreamliner Project for Boeing, which received the 2011 Robert J. Collier Trophy that recognized it for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America based on performance, efficiency, and safety.

Chambers is a member of the Society of Logistics Engineers and the Air Force Association. He also serves on the advisory boards for the College of Business’ National Defense Business Institute and the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in addition to the College of Science’s Board of Visitors at the University of California at Los Angeles.