Landon Balok


How did NMSU prepare you:
The Mechanical Engineering Technology program at NMSU provided me the foundation needed in engineering principles in order to perform detailed design and analysis work in the field of electrical avionics equipment cooling, manufacturing engineering production layout, design, and integration, and lastly served as a base of study in order to further my education in Systems Engineering. In short, my education at NMSU prepared me for the practical application of engineering in the workforce, specifically for the Aerospace industry.

Advice:
Learn to recognize that the engineers if the past are why you are here today. With the right attitude and will, you will re-write your engineering career every day.
Learn to give any assignment your best, accept and leverage constructive feedback, and improve your best my making it better.
The hardest part of a problem is not knowing what the variables are and what their associated values are. Asking what you don’t know will help you solve almost any problem.
The best recognition you will ever have is a good night’s sleep on the last day you leave your old job behind you. If you weren’t exhausted by your previous assignment, you didn’t try hard enough.
Operating in a competitive manner with little to no regard to the collateral damage you create leaves you with enemies, not friends. Focus on doing things as a team.
Don’t give up on your passion for the perfect engineering job, however be honest with yourself on where you want to live and raise a family, these two things will help you truly decide where to start your career.

Responsibilites and Success:
Currently, Landon is the Boeing Global Services (BGS) Engineering Skill Leader for Boeing’s Engineering and Technical workforce in Washington State, and the Systems Engineering Skill leader for all Boeing Global Service locations within the United States. Landon also oversees the Engineering Management responsibilities for a team of Customer Engineers supporting Fleet and Airline Modifications for all in service Boeing aircraft. In addition to the above roles, Landon is the BGS Business Unit Focal for Boeing’s engineering hiring initiatives through External Technical Affiliations including but not limited to, the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, American Society of Engineers and Scientists, and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, and other Boeing led Engineering hiring initiatives through University campus recruitment.

Landon supported the Electrical Systems Responsibility Center as the Manufacturing Engineering Manager for current production and post-production statement of work for wire bundle manufacturing and assembly between 2017 – 2018.

Between 2015 – 2017, Landon was the Engineering Multi- Skill and Systems Engineering Skill Team Manager for Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). In this role, Landon learned the fundamental principles of Skill Team Management, and was part of an improvement team that focused on establishing common best practices across BCA Engineering.

Starting in 2011, Landon was the Engineering Manager for the 777 Future Production Systems Team in Everett, Washington. Landon’s team defined the future state Production System layout for Mid-Bodies, Wing Body Join, and Final Assembly which provided a dual Build solution for the current 777 and the 777-9x. Landon is a 2010 Associate in the BCA Leadership Development Excellence Program where he was the Professional Development Team Lead. During his time in LDE, Landon led a team of Systems Engineers that supported multiple BCA organizations on Program Management Best Practices.
<brIn 2007 Landon was recognized by The Director of Airplane Performance regarding his application of Systems Engineering Principles to Lean Manufacturing, specifically the 777 Airplane Moving Line.

In 2004 – 2005 Landon worked as a Process Engineer on the 747 Production line supporting a design change to the 747. The fuel inerting system that Landon helped integrate onto 747 line number 1372, which was the first production aircraft certified meeting compliance to SFAR 88.

Landon’s first assignment at Boeing was with BCAs Environmental Control Systems Division where he was a Mechanical Systems Engineer responsible for the Electrical and Electronic Cooling System on the 767 and 747 Airplane Models. Landon received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from NMSU in 2001 and his Master of Science from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 2009. Landon was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico.

Clubs, Competitions, and Extracurriculars:

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers