Clark D. Rucker ('83, Engineering Technology)

Clark D. Rucker

Director, Phantom Works Quality, Boeing Defense, Space and Security

The Boeing Company

BS Engineering Technology, Cal Poly Pomona, 1983

EMBA Executive Management Program, Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management Center, Claremont Graduate School, 1996

Since youth, Clark D. Rucker was always curious and fascinated by technology. He was the child who would take things apart just to see what was inside. When he took an engineering aptitude test in school, Clark scored very high, solidifying his career field of choice.

Clark found Cal Poly Pomona professors challenging. He was homesick, but his father encouraged Clark to persevere. Clark heeded his father’s advice to toughen up and complete what he started, and forced himself to engage in his studies like he had never done before.

Two years into his studies, he took a part-time job with General Dynamics, working as a test technician on the Standard Missile program, and this began his aerospace career. He continued working at General Dynamics one additional year beyond graduation, before moving to Northrop ASD to work on the B-2 aircraft program. After five years there, he joined McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, where he has worked for the past 30 years.

Clark is currently director of Phantom Works Quality at The Boeing Company, where he and his team provide the resources to support pursuits before, during, and after Phantom Works contract awards, using rapid development/prototyping tools and techniques.

Clark attributes his career success to a number of things.

“I sought out mentors who would give me advice on how to establish ‘BHAGs’ (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) and help me understand how I could achieve them. Most importantly, I stayed focused and used the work ethic that I gained at Cal Poly Pomona to my advantage, ensuring that I always delivered on customer expectations.”