Roger D. Kilmer

Roger Kilmer is the Director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). MEP is a nationwide network of resources transforming manufacturers to compete globally, supporting greater supply chain integration and providing access to technology. MEP is a $300 million public-private partnership program leveraging federal support by teaming with industry as well as state and local organizations. With nearly 350 manufacturing extension offices located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, MEP provides companies with services and access to resources that enhance growth, improve productivity, and expand capacity. MEP works with companies that are willing to invest in their future, to make improvements in the short term, and to position themselves to be stronger long-term competitors, both domestically and internationally.

Mr. Kilmer has been with the MEP program since 1993 and with NIST since 1974. Previously, Mr. Kilmer was the MEP Deputy Director, serving as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer responsible for internal operations, programmatic coordination, and policy review of all activities. From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Kilmer was the Deputy Division Chief of Robot Systems in the NIST Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. In this position, he was responsible for establishing and managing research programs involving real-time sensor-based control of intelligent machines. Mr. Kilmer was also Group Leader of Robot Systems Integration, managing research and development programs with manufacturing and military applications including robotic deburring, automated lay up of thermoplastic composites, robotic safety systems, robotic handling of munitions, and unmanned land vehicle operations.

Mr. Kilmer received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award for leadership as the NIST MEP liaison to the interagency Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) initiative and the Bronze Medal for superior leadership of NIST’s unmanned ground vehicle robotics program.

Mr. Kilmer holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.