Micky grew up on a small rural farm in Jasper, Alabama. It was here he attended school, went to church, and met his future wife, Billie Guthrie. He counts himself fortunate to have had loving parents, a great marriage, two wonderful children, and jobs he loved.

In 1962, he received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Alabama and earned a master’s degree in the same discipline from the University of Virginia in 1966. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard in 1986 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Mercer University in 1994.

After getting his bachelor’s degree, Micky joined NASA in Hampton, Virginia where he worked for seven years doing pioneering aeronautical research. In 1969, he joined Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia as an aeronautics research engineer. At Lockheed, he held several management positions including Chief Engineer of Special Projects, Vice President of Engineering, and Vice President of the F-22 Raptor Program—the world’s most advanced military fighter. He served as President of Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company in Marietta, Georgia from 1993 to 1995 and as Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Lockheed Martin Corporation from 1995 to 2000. As EVP, he had specific corporate oversight of Lockheed Martin’s worldwide aeronautics business with a revenue of nearly $7 Billion and 36,000 employees. Through his leadership, Lockheed Martin became the premier military aircraft company in the world.

Following retirement from Lockheed Martin, Micky served as a consultant to several major U.S. and international aerospace corporations and policy groups. He has spoken to numerous groups on Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Lean Thinking. He continues to be active teaching and serving in his church, doing community service, traveling, reading, playing golf, and writing. In 2009, he published his first book “When Two or More are Gathered…in Prayer” followed in 2021 by his memoirs “All the Days of Our Lives.” Recently, Dr. Robert Materna published a book on Micky’s life and work: “Enterprise Servant Leadership—a New Way of Doing Business to Be the Best of the Best.”

From 2002 to 2008, Micky served as Chairman of ScanTech Sciences, LLC (a homeland security company) and Chairman of the Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee reporting to the Governor of Georgia. He chaired the Marietta Redevelopment Task Force reporting to the Mayor of Marietta, GA from 2002 to 2003. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Vice Chairman of the Marietta Redevelopment Corporation. Micky was a founding director on the Boards of the Kennesaw State University Leadership Institute, Wellstar Wellness Institute, and Friends of the Strand. He was Vice Chairman of the Aviation Museum and Discovery Center Board until its merger with the Marietta Museum of History in 2009.

In 1992, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) named Micky “Region II Engineer of the Year.” The AIAA also selected Micky to be the 1999 Reed Aeronautics Award winner, the highest award an individual can receive for achievements in the field of aeronautical science and engineering. In 1988, the University of Alabama’s College of Engineering selected Micky as a 150^th Anniversary Distinguished Engineering Fellow. He was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2002, Micky was named Cobb County Citizen of the Year.