John Smith joined the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) as Technical Program Manager for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program in 2024. Smith works with the other ATDM staff to teach students the basic skills of CNC machining and prepare them for placement in the Defense workforce. He previously worked at Ruger for three years as a CNC Technician. Smith has a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Virginia Tech and is a graduate of the Precision Machining Program at Danville Community College (DCC).