50 Most Powerful Minority CEO's & Corporate Executives

Gail Dolman-Smith, M.B.A.CEO and President,Paragon TEC, Inc.Since founding Paragon TEC (Technology, Education, Communication), Incorporated (Paragon) in 1996,Gail Dolman-Smith has been a dynamic leader in providing consulting services for government, education, andindustry clients. With experience spanning 20 years, her extensive program management knowledge includes:management of community public relations activities at NASA Glenn Research Center; numerous contractsnationwide with NASA and other organizations in industry, K-12 education, and higher education; as well asdiverse, wide-ranging support in her Northeast Ohio community.As a result of her leadership, Paragon TEC has twice won a five-year NASA contract to manage the Science,Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA), a national, innovative project designed toincrease the participation and retention of K-12 youth in groups historically underserved and underrepresentedin STEM fields. This project is located in 14 states in the U.S. and implemented at 24 colleges/universities andpublic schools. Ms. Dolman-Smith developed and established the first SEMAA Parent Café which has beenadapted nationwide by NASA and youth organizations. Paragon TEC was also awarded a five-year contract in2007 to manage NASA’s Aerospace Education Laboratories (AEL) located in 33 states in the U.S. and PuertoRico. Projects managed by Paragon TEC have reached over 400,000 underrepresented and underservedstudents, parents, and teachers in various sites and outreach locations across the United States.While NASA is one of Paragon’s primary and most valued partners, Gail Dolman-Smith has expanded bothher company’s suite of services and the delivery range of its expertise. The rapid expansion of Paragon TECthrough relationships with clients in the Northeast Ohio region, 40+ contracts with NASA Headquarters andthe 10 NASA field centers, and service to other organizations nationwide is evidence of Ms. Dolman-Smith’scommitment to business growth.Ms. Dolman-Smith is personally and professionally active in her local community with membership withCommunications Commission appointed by the mayor of University Heights and the City of UniversityHeights Diversity Committee. She is a board member of Cleveland Supplemental Empowerment Zone (SEZ)Technology Task Force, the Catholic Education Endowment Trust Board and former president of ClevelandAerospace Professional Representatives Association. Her company, Paragon TEC has conducted special roboticsoutreach programs on in conjunction with several NASA Awareness Days activities. Additionally, Paragon hasvolunteered services in support of regional FIRST Robotics Competitions, NASA Annual Open Houses, NASA50th Anniversary Celebrations, and other local educational initiatives.A lifelong Ohio resident, Ms. Dolman-Smith is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Sheresides with her husband Bill in Cleveland, and enjoys spending time with her daughter, son-in-law and twogranddaughters, Logan and London.16