G. EDZKO SMID:
 




 
 
 
 
 
Vice President of Research and Development of Troy-based JADI Inc. Smid is one of the three founders of JADI, which researches and develops technologies for unmanned robotic systems, mostly for its main clients, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center and the Department of Defense Joint Robotics Program. Smid, a Ph.D., is an expert in embedded microcontroller technology and has published more than 50 professional papers and journals. Previously, he taught at Oakland University, where he received his doctorate in systems engineering.


WHERE BORN: "The northern part of Holland, Veendam. It's where I went to school and where my family is. It's also where we got married last year."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "My wife, Tammy. I met her at Oakland University while I was teaching. Tammy is a very supportive person. I know she'll always be there for me."

LAST BOOK READ: "A book by Paul Kennedy called Preparing for the 21st Century. He also wrote a book called The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "I would say I'm very enthusiastic, determined. I'm a pretty stubborn person but I'm open-minded, too, if someone has a good reason to convince me to change my mind."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "I work for a company called JADI. I'm one of the three owners. The field of robotics is really determined to make an entry into our society, in every industry that you can think of – from health care to gardening. We are really concerned with the way robots behave and the way they interact with us."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "My Smart phone. It has a Windows operating system in it, and I just plug it into a PC and it has all of my data files, contacts, calendars on it. It makes it very easy to carry your life with you. It almost makes you lazy."

FAVORITE PLACE: "St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Last February, we went there on our honeymoon. It's a place where I have really good memories, and I will always treasure that."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "I like spending time with my wife at home, playing the piano, boating, and a little old-timer car that I do some tinkering with."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Thai food. There's a little Thai place down the road, and we go every other day. We never tire of the food."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "I'm fortunate enough that I can exploit all my talents in my work. I'm very happy to be able to enjoy what I do. It's an important part of my life."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "I would want to be remembered as a really good friend to anyone. I wouldn't want that any other way."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.