Wilmer Cooksey, Jr
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Posted By: on October 13, 2005 Wilmer Cooksey, Jr. is a lifelong fan of the Corvette, and now, as manager of the world's only Corvette plant, he has his dream job. He began with General Motors Corporation as an assistant professor in industrial engineering at General Motors Institute, now Kettering University. After working various supervisory and management jobs within GM, he assumed his present position in 1993. Under Cooksey's direction, the Corvette has won numerous awards, including Automobile magazine's accolades as "America's Best Automobile of the Year." He received a B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee State University in 1965, a master's in industrial engineering from the University of Toledo in 1972, and went on to complete Ph.D. studies in mechanical engineering at Michigan State University. His achievements earned him broad recognition in his field and in the community: He received the 1997 Black Engineer of the Year President's Award, has been honored as an Outstanding Graduate of Tennessee State University, and was named a "Black Achiever in Industry" by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. And just to keep busy, his plant also is making the exciting, new Cadillac two-seat sports car, the XLR. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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