Dr. Jack Rutherford  |  President |  Principal for Accreditation and Engineering Services

Dr. Rutherford has participated in engineering accreditation for over twenty five years, serving on the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET for ten of them. He served on the EAC Executive Committee ultimately chairing the commission in 2008-09. Dr. Rutherford has facilitated faculty workshops across the U.S. and internationally. He led ABET evaluation teams and served as a statement editor. After completing his service on the EAC, he coordinated and directed all ABET consulting services for the ABET Foundation from 2014 until 2022.

Retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army, Dr. Rutherford served as an infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division before attending graduate school. Subsequently, he taught engineering at the US Military Academy, conducted rotor acoustics research at NASA Ames RC, and served in the Pentagon.

After his military career, Dr. Rutherford joined McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company (now part of Boeing) leading advanced rotorcraft design, conducting high-speed rotorcraft studies for all the military services and NASA, and finally serving as a senior program manager of a $500M international Apache helicopter production program.

While Dr. Rutherford spent the bulk of his career in the aerospace industry, his considerable experience teaching undergraduate aircraft design engineering at the United States Military Academy and Arizona State University gives him a unique perspective on continuous improvement and assessment in an academic environment.

Earning his Bachelor of Science degree at the U.S. Military Academy, he also earned Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. He was awarded three patents related to high-speed rotorcraft concepts.

ABET Accreditation Consultants

Our consultants for ABET Accreditation assistance are highly experienced program specific evaluators, most of whom are former commissioners of their respective ABET commissions. Nearly all have been team chairs and have experience in both domestic and international accreditation. We can provide consultants knowledgeable of all four ABET commissions.

Kathryn Kennedy   |   Principal for Marketing and Communications

Kathryn is an award-winning senior marketing professional with more than 20 years in major market television news and broad integrated communications experience. Her expertise includes qualitative research, strategic planning, branding & reputation management, digital marketing, creative development, video production, media planning & buying, database/direct marketing, advertising, event planning and public relations.

Kathryn is the founder and principal of Boast Communications, a marketing and communications consultancy serving health systems, life science companies, and universities. She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare marketing, including senior roles at Stanford Health Care and as Chief Marketing Officer for The George Washington University physician group. At Stanford, Kathryn led nationally recognized campaigns in cancer, neuroscience, and ear, nose & throat care. She is passionate about helping complex organizations translate science and medicine into clear, compelling stories that inspire trust and action. Kathryn began her career in television news in Washington, D.C. and earned a B.A. in Political Science from DePauw University.