B.S. Engineering — South Dakota State University
M.B.A. — University of Michigan
M.S. Engineering — Purdue University
Don Ufford is the Assistant Director for Supply Chain and Ecosystem Development at the NIST Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO). Don received an M.S. in Engineering from Purdue University, an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Engineering from South Dakota State University.
Prior to joining AMNPO, Don had over 30 years of experience creating and delivering award-winning cars and trucks as a leader at the Ford Motor Company. Most recently, Don was the Director of Global Vehicle Engineering at Ford, where he was responsible for employees and vehicles located in all the global markets. Don’s other roles at Ford included Chief Engineer of Vehicle Engineering, Global Vehicle Integration manager responsible for developing and deploying standards and processes, Technology Strategist, and Test Development Engineer.
Don has extensive experience working with global and local manufacturers in the high-volume automotive supply chain, having created, developed and implemented technologies for advanced driver assist systems, internal combustion engine and electrified vehicle products, connected vehicles and traditional automotive systems. At AMNPO, Don works with federal staff to build partnerships to improve the impact of the Manufacturing USA institutes on the manufacturing ecosystem and on domestic supply chains. He also works with partners on developing research, technology implementation, and educational programs, as well as advanced manufacturing analyses, strategies and reports.