Billie Jo Mitchell
Director of Manufacturing
Every small company needs a bedrock, that singular individual who, when push comes to shove, can be counted upon by the team to have the know-how and roll-up-your-sleeves, get-it-done mentality and work ethic to fulfill the most demanding customer request, turning the impossible into the possible.
For RSL Fiber Systems, that individual is Billie Jo Mitchell.
Mitchell has been with RSL since the beginning, and has seen the company grow from a fledgling venture servicing a single military contract to a rapidly growing, respected advanced lighting solutions provider expanding its reach into a wide variety of markets.
It all began when Gio Tomasi, then a market manager for the large cable manufacturer BICC Brand-Rex, hired Mitchell – then an administrative assistant with the company – for a fiber optic cable sales position despite no formal training or technology-specific education. Mitchell had a drive to grow and an uncanny knack for quickly understanding and internalizing complex technical subject matter.
It was only a matter of time before Mitchell was not only processing orders and managing accounts, but also working directly with engineering on analyzing cable and manufacturing specs. When Gio left Brand-Rex and eventually ventured out on his own, he had the good sense to take Mitchell along wherever he went.
Today, Mitchell manages all of RSL’s production and operations, with a focus on meeting hardware and engineering deliveries for the Navy DDG 1000 contract. In 2008, Mitchell led RSL’s ISO registration process and was responsible for achieving this most notable distinction in less than one year.
In 2011, Mitchell was nominated for the Connecticut Technology Council's Women of Innovation Award which recognizes innovators, role models and leaders in the technology professions. She holds a degree in business administration from Eastern Connecticut State University.
