Dr. Dittmer retired from ARLAC LLC in 2021 after eleven years of service. ARPAC is a leading provider of packaging machinery and related integrated systems. While at ARPAC, Howard served as VP of Engineering and Technology and the Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining ARPAC, he served as the Executive VP of Herbst LaZar Bell (HLB). HLB is an award-winning and world-renowned product development firm. Howard led HLB’s engineering team, which helped develop a wide range of products, including medical devices, consumer goods, and commercial electronics. In addition, he has served in executive engineering roles at Fluid Management, Videojet Systems International, Rockwell International, and General Signal. Howard began his career as a design engineer at General Dynamics, working on the F-16 jet fighter development program.
Dr. Dittmer served on the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board for over 20 years, including more than 12 years as the chairman. He also served as a founding member of Northwestern University’s Master of Product Development Advisory Board and the ASME National Industry Advisory Board.
Howard holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He also holds an MS in Software Engineering and a Ph. D. in Computer Science from DePaul University. Dr. Dittmer has completed the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership Development Program and Rockwell International’s Senior Engineering Executive Development Program.
In 2023, Howard was inducted into the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Society of Distinguished Alumni. Howard has published multiple papers on software engineering and natural language programming. He is also listed as an inventor on six US patents.
