About Drexel Smith

Drexel L. Smith has a unique combination of skills and experience from a long history of public service and more than four decades of evaluating systems for the defense, aerospace, energy, transportation and commercial product industries.  His broad range of career responsibilities went from technical, to contract administration, to executive management; from test engineer to corporate management. He retired in December 2008 as the Corporate Sr. Vice President of Wyle Laboratories Inc., then a $800 million/4,000-person technology services company where he was responsible for business development; marketing and communications; environment, health & safety; real property; and government relations. Previous assignment was Senior Vice President & General Manager, Technical Support Services (TSS) Business Unit that operated and maintained laboratories and research facilities for government and industry clients such as DoD, NASA and major prime contractors.

In addition, Mr. Smith has over 45 years of experience in civic and political action activities having served on a variety of boards and committees, including the Citrus Valley Health Partners Foundation Board of Trustees; San Gabriel River Discovery Science Center Foundation and the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) – STEM Coalition Working Group.  Previously activities includes:

  • Youth Science Center Board of Directors
  • Governors appointee to the 48th Agriculture & Nutrition Board of Directors;
  • Past President, West Covina Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
  • Mt. San Antonio College Citizens Bond Oversight Committee
  • Board of Directors, California Space Authority;
  • Board of Visitors, Claremont Graduate University, School of Religion;
  • Waste/Rail Haul Select Committee of Sanitation Districts Board of Directors;
  • Board of Directors for the Sanitation Districts, Los Angeles County;
  • Founder San Gabriel Valley Waste Management Task Force;
  • Planning Commissioner for the City of Walnut;
  • Three terms as City Councilman and three terms as Mayor, City of Walnut
  • California Energy & Power Board of Directors

Today he is principal of the Drexel Consulting Group, LLC an executive management consulting group supporting corporations and new business start-up companies.  Mr. Smith remains active in the political process both locally and in Washington.

For the past twelve years Smith has been actively involved in workforce development and STEM education issues. As a member of the California Space Authority Board of Directors he was instrumental in establishing a Speaker’s Bureau to ‘ring-the-bell’ of the emerging crisis of fewer students taking a science curriculum speaking before Congressional committees and industry.  Smith continues to actively participate as a speaker on technical and policy areas and has been providing a series of papers and presentations on workforce and education issues in the Aerospace, Energy and Technology market sectors and has been a national speaker on this topic to technical societies, civic and academia groups.

Drexel Smith participated in the development of energy & aerospace policies and served as a designated surrogate speaker for senior elected officials.

Drexel Smith earned an Associate of Science degree at Mt. SAC and a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Redlands.  He is a combat veteran having served honorably with the United States Navy for over four years with two tours in Vietnam, including a tour as an advisor with the Naval Advisory Group