The Florida Tech Career Hall of Fame

Ken Capp’s career with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) began in 1981.  At that time, getting power in your home in Southern Maryland was not taken for granted as it is today.

Through these years, Ken worked to support many different facets of the electric distribution system including commercial service design and residential subdivision design.  He quickly moved into computer based electric system modeling and power line carrier communications for load management.  Ken advanced into management of work in distribution, transmission, substation and solar systems.  He also was responsible for the construction and operations of various communications systems including SCADA, fiber and microwave communication networks, and most recently the full deployment of the two-way automated metering infrastructure (AMI).  Ken has been managing the Engineering & Operations Department since 2003.

Ken’s career at SMECO culminated in his serving now as the Sr. Vice President – Engineering & Operations, and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he is responsible for the engineering, operations, construction, and maintenance of SMECO’s transmission and distribution plant.  He is also a key member of the team which manages SMECO’s wholesale power portfolio.  Ken is a past member of the ReliabilityFirst Board of Directors and past chairman.  His tenure with ReliabilityFirst began in December of 2005 and ended in November of 2019.  Ken also served on the Board of the St. Mary’s Nursing and Rehabilitation center from 2006 through 2016.  He currently serves as co-Chair of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Technical Advisory Committee to the Power Plant Research Program.

How did Florida Tech help prepare you for your career?

“Florida Tech delivered to me an abundant understanding of complex math, physics and economics that enabled my development in the electric power industry.”

What advice or words of wisdom do you have for students and recent graduates?

“Never be deterred by those things that are not understood at the first glance.  Ask yourself questions and find answers or apply potential solutions until issues are resolved.  And never forecast failure.  Instead take actions to mitigate the risks that are identified in pursuit of success!”

What was your most memorable experience at Florida Tech?

“Viewing the cobalt source in the underwater storage facility next to the engineering building.”

What was the most difficult challenge or failure that you had to overcome in your career?

“I needed to overcome self-righteous indignation in order to successfully lead others in our evolving business.”

If you were contacted by a student or recent graduate—what could you offer them?

Confidence.  Everyone should have the understanding that as long as you are willing to take the time to explore those things that are not understood at first, and seek solutions to each question of the unknown, and understanding will develop with time and effort.  Otherwise known as work.

MG(Ret) Cedric Wins retired from the U.S. Army after serving for over 34 years. During that time, he led soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in various assignments and as a commander. He is a combat veteran.

Cedric’s last assignment was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Combat Capability Development Command (CCDC) where he led the transformation and organizational realignment of CCDC from the Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM). CCDC is the Army’s largest research & development organization with a mission to discover, develop and deliver technology that produces capability to ensure decisive overmatch in unified land operations for soldiers and the joint warfighter.

He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He holds masters’ degrees in management from the Florida Institute of Technology and in national security and strategic studies from the National War College.

Throughout his career, Wins served on the Army and Joint Staffs in a number of assignments, his last as the Director, Force Development on the Army Staff. During his 34 years of service, he held leadership and staff assignments from the grade of Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel in the field artillery serving in Army Divisions. As a Colonel and General Officer, he led organizations in Army major commands, combatant commands and the Army and Joint staffs.

His operational deployments included a multi-national force and observers mission in the Sinai Egypt; and the NATO training mission for police development in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cedric was a highly decorated officer during his military career culminating with the Distinguished Service Medal.

What advice or words of wisdom do you have for students and recent graduates? 

"Your career path, life’s plan for you is not without turns and bumps in the road.  It’s not necessary for you to have it all figured out at a young age.  If you do, then great; but many of us don’t.  Its a journey.  My best advice is to develop a plan of what interest you; what are you passionate about?  Set some intermediate goals and every 3-5 years evaluate if you have accomplished them.   Ask yourself the question, “Am I where I wanted to be when I wrote this down as a goal?”  If you are not, adjust and move forward!"

What accomplishments are you most proud of? 

"I am most proud of my 34 years of service to the United States while serving in the Army.  Having not been sure what it was that I wanted to do coming out of college, I was initially proud of being the first in my family to earn a college degree.  Education was important to me and as I learned more, I wanted to continue on that path.  In addition to serving and leading soldiers at many levels, the Army gave me an opportunity to continue to grow and learn in a number of key areas critical to success in both the military and business."