Bill L. Smith, Jr. is the president of Exothermic Engineering. He has 37 years experience in power plant engineering.   Smith developed and managed the Combustion Services Department for Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. for many years before leaving the company in 1998 to start Exothermic Engineering.  Prior to working in the combustion field he worked 15 years in plant controls, developing a keen sensitivity to the interactive relationships between plant equipment and plant systems.  Smith enjoys a national reputation for development of innovative solutions to difficult performance problems. He has authored dozens of technical articles. He is a mechanical engineer from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He is a registered professional engineer in several states.