Year Inducted: 2026
For more than four decades, Keith A. Jones has been at the forefront of engineering innovation in Alabama and across the world. His work, from advanced defense technologies to groundbreaking entertainment systems, has elevated Alabama’s engineering reputation on a global scale. Through technical expertise and visionary leadership, he has helped transform industries and inspired future generations to push the limits of what technology can achieve.
Born in Columbiana and raised in Stevenson, Jones earned bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and electrical engineering from Auburn University. He began his career as a young chemical engineer at Mead Paper Company in Ohio, working in pulp mill operations before returning to Auburn to complete his second engineering degree. After graduation, he became Vice President of EPOS Corp. in Auburn, where he and a small team of engineers developed sophisticated software capable of identifying and classifying ICBM targets using laser radar data for a Department of Defense program, an essential national security effort during the Cold War. This early immersion in high-stakes, mission-critical systems laid the groundwork for a career defined by innovation and technical excellence.
In 1989, Jones and two partners founded Prism Systems Inc. in Mobile with the goal of creating a world-class software and engineering company. By the mid-1990s, Jones had acquired full ownership of the firm. Under his guidance, Prism Systems has grown into a global leader in industrial automation, telecommunications, transportation and themed entertainment. Headquartered in Mobile, the company also maintains offices in McIntosh and Chatom, Alabama; Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Beijing; and Shanghai. Prism has executed projects in more than 45 countries and served 19 of the Fortune 50 companies. Its software and control systems support some of the world’s most advanced manufacturing operations and many of the most iconic theme park attractions in Orlando, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Paris.
Jones’ achievements have earned him international recognition, including credits on 14 Thea Awards for excellence in themed entertainment and a 2017 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Ride & Attractions Supplier of the Year award. He was named the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus by Auburn University’s Department of Chemical Engineering and received the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s Innovator of the Year award in 2016. His contributions to economic development, environmental responsibility and community leadership have also been recognized with the Siemens Customer Excellence Award and the PEP Environmental Stewardship Award.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jones is dedicated to service and mentorship. He is a member of the Auburn Alumni Council, serves on the University of South Alabama’s Industrial Advisory Board for Electrical and Computer Engineering and participates on the Mobile Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors. Together with his wife, Alison, he created an endowed scholarship at Auburn University to expand opportunities for underrepresented engineering students.
Through a lifelong commitment to innovation, leadership and service, Keith Jones has advanced the engineering profession, strengthened Alabama’s role in global technology and inspired countless engineers to follow in his footsteps.
