Travis Terrell
Quality Assurance & Safety Subject Matter Expert
With 20+ years in quality engineering across Mercedes-Benz, Daimler, and Toyoda Gosei — and dual VDA 6.3 Lead Process Auditor and IAQG-sanctioned AS9100 credentials — Travis brings cross-industry automotive and aerospace audit depth to NASA's Inter-center Aircraft Operations Panel and Goddard Space Flight Center Supplier Assessment programs.
Key Credentials
Selected highlights from 20+ years across automotive and aerospace quality engineering
BS, Industrial Engineering, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
AS9100 Lead Auditor – IAQG certified training
VDA 6.3 Certified Process Auditor (15+ years)
Automotive Expertise (supplier quality, supplier development, quality assurance, manufacturing, program management) (20+ years)
SME certified on APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, and mistake proofing
TS16949 Auditor Training
Career Details
Professional history and key responsibilities
2022 – Present
Show Me Quality Consulting
Quality Assurance & Safety Subject Matter Expert
- NASA Inter-center Aircraft Operations Panel (IAOP) auditor and support team member; co-lead on NASA Aircraft Requirements division rewrite of aircraft management requirements and supporting Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) NASA standard development
- Auditor and Quality Assurance Subject Matter Expert (SME) supporting SMQC's ISO 9001:2015 compliant Quality Management System
- Supports the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Supplier Assessment Program as an auditor to AS9100 and ISO 9001 requirements
2019 – 2022
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI)
Development Engineer
- Responsible for the supervision and release of design changes for glazing
- Wrote KEMs to update Dialogue with the proper documentation
- Collaborated with RD Sindelfingen for design changes with respect to model year and facelift changes
- Team project lead in NA QRD for the EVA2 project — including budget planning for travel and headcount
- Served as E4 deputy
- Reduced part variation for model year and facelift windshields by 37% — implemented an engineering change that reduced component part variation and saved overall cost
- Implemented a solution for sequencing to reduce miss-sequencing of door glass
2016 – 2019
Daimler AG
Module Quality Engineer
- Managed and developed suppliers that supply automotive glass and trim parts
- Approved PPAP (Production Part Approval Process)
- Audited new and current suppliers
- Visited suppliers for pre-production planning and manufacturing trials
- Conducted supplier assessment audits for new business outsource
- Performed capacity calculations on supplier processes
- Audited manufacturing processes at critical suppliers and developed improvement action plans
- Coordinated PPAP on new launch commodities
2008 – 2016
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI)
Supplier Quality Engineer
- Managed and developed suppliers that supply automotive glass and trim parts
- Approved PPAP (Production Part Approval Process)
- Audited new and current suppliers
- Visited suppliers for pre-production planning and manufacturing trials
- Served as E4 deputy
2006 – 2008
Pilkington Automotive North America
New Model Introduction Manager
- Managed feasibility assessments to establish a business case for new business
- Served as plant liaison to central NMI and program management
- Tracked new business including tooling, development trials, and customer development orders
- Developed and maintained boss charts for each vehicle program through start of production
- Developed the NMI budget for each fiscal year
- Submitted PPAP
- Established and maintained quality documents through start of production
1999 – 2006
Toyoda Gosei Missouri Corporation
Senior Quality Engineer
- Established and maintained positive relationships with Toyota customers in California, Indiana, Kentucky, and Canada
- Interfaced with Japanese parent company
- Developed a quality system for all new Toyota model products, including all QS 9000 documentation
- Supervised one quality engineer and three quality control technicians
- Recommended and coordinated appropriate corrective actions and preventative actions to quality problems
- Developed gauge concepts and cost estimates for gauge procurement
- Developed criteria and procedures for supplier evaluation and conducted audits to ensure suppliers produced goods in accordance with customer specifications
- Monitored and reviewed quality system data to ensure that products conformed to regulatory requirements and specifications
- Trained new-hire quality engineers
- Traveled to Japan, Canada, and Mexico to attend new product injection molding trials, evaluate product quality, investigate new processes for implementation at the Missouri and Indiana plants, and met with customers for fitting trials and evaluation results
Education
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL
BS, Industrial Engineering
Skills & Languages
Intermediate-level German language
Power BI
Honors, Awards & Certifications
AS9100:2016 Lead Auditor Training — IAQG-sanctioned
VDA 6.3 Certified Lead Process Auditor
SME Certified — Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), FMEA, Control Plans, and Mistake Proofing
TS 16949 Auditor Training
ISO 14001 Training
PV44 Confirmed — Mercedes-Benz manager assessment
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