Kenita Simmons
Product Area Director of Seeker Solutions Business, BAE Systems
At only 37 years old, Kenita Simmons is a force to be reckoned with in the Huntsville business community. She’s the product area director for BAE Systems’ Seeker Solutions business, a role where Simmons and her team work to develop critical technology for warfighters.
Her 16-year career with BAE Systems is driven by the company’s motto of “protecting those who protect us.”
In fact, her respect and admiration for family members in the service, along with early exposure to engineering through her parents, inspired Simmons to pursue her bachelor of science in electromechanical engineering from the Wentworth Institute of Technology. She went on to obtain her MBA with a concentration in aerospace and defense from the University of Tennessee.
Simmons was a college athlete, and competing in soccer and basketball helped her develop the discipline and work ethic needed for a career in the defense industry. She started working for BAE Systems during her senior year of college and supported sites in seven different cities before settling in Huntsville in 2020.
Why Watch
In 2024, Simmons’ team is heavily focused on delivering affordable mass solutions for seeker technology in critical mission spaces. In other words, producing large quantities of military equipment and systems for the Defense Department as cost effectively as possible without sacrificing quality and performance.
Simmons’ husband is a preacher at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Madison, Alabama. She describes her biggest recent achievement as becoming a mother to the couple’s beautiful 1-year-old daughter, Aria. Simmons said the foundation of their family is built on faith and servitude. She and her husband regularly volunteer to spend time with the sick and elderly around Huntsville.
Simmons is passionate about mentoring future engineers, particularly those from underrepresented communities. She volunteers with Girls Inc. and the National Society of Black Engineers. She’s also active in recruitment efforts at historically black colleges, including Alabama A&M.
“I believe we all have a responsibility when we get in a position of leadership to bring others on the journey with us,” Simmons said. “Even if you struggle or experience challenges along the way, your struggle is someone else’s encouragement, motivation or catalyst to change.”
Fun fact: She loves to mix music and DJs family events with playlists she makes herself.