William Heink - 1962

Former site director, Kennedy Space Center

California native William Heink started his career working for the Convair division of General Dynamics (1962-65). In 1965 he joined the Boeing Company as a systems engineer on the Saturn Launch Team for Apollo missions. Other than two years in North Dakota (1975-77) working as Boeing's senior electrical liaison engineer on the Minuteman Weapons System, he spent his entire career at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In 1998 he was appointed site director of Florida operations of the Boeing Space Shuttle operation at the Kennedy Space Center.

Keeping close ties with UW, Heink has been a member of the UW Campus Advisory Board and the College of Engineering National Advisory Board. He was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 1999.

Heink is currently retired and resides in Merritt Island, Florida.

Photos courtesy of UW College of Engineering, American Heritage Center and NASA