FRANK'S STORY

Frank J. Wilem, Jr., is an entrepreneur, author, and professional speaker living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Frank has enjoyed a diverse and successful life as an electronics engineer in the R&D departments of two Fortune 500 companies (Texas Instruments and Chrysler) before his love of the ocean led him to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where he joined Computer Sciences Corporation at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

 

He left there to become a founder and former Executive Vice President of Triton Systems, Inc., based in Long Beach, Mississippi. He and his two partners grew Triton to be the nation’s largest automatic teller machine manufacturer with over $100 million in annual revenue before selling the company to Dover Corp. in 2000.

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Frank is currently the CEO of one of the Gulf Coast's largest marketing and multimedia companies, The Wilem Group. An avid outdoorsman who spends much of his free time on the open water. Frank co-host's the nationally televised TV Show Find Your Outdoors (previously aired as Gulf South Outdoors) with his daughter Brittany which has been on the air for nearly 20 years and airs weekly to 30 million U.S. households nationally as well as on several local FOX/CBS/NBC television affiliates. He also serves as executive producer for a variety of local and national television series. 

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Frank has published numerous technical papers and magazine/newspaper articles, served on several boards including the Port Commission in Gulfport, is a patent holder,  and writes for various newspapers and magazines. He routinely speaks to audiences ranging from local service organizations such as the Lions club and Rotary to large professional association and economic development groups ranging up to several hundred.

 

Frank is an award-winning author with 7 books currently published. He continues his passion for writing and is currently working on several books to continue his multiple collections.

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Education:  ​​

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M

• Masters degree in Ocean Engineering, University of Miami

Television Production

• Executive Producer 2004-2018 Gulf South Outdoors

• Executive Producer 2018-2020 Find Your Outdoors

• Executive Producer 2019-2020 Play Ball

• Executive Producer 2019-2020 College Kickoff

Patents

• Patent holder for design of seismic source phasing system design United States Patent # 4034827 Air gun utilizing magnetized shuttle

Honors/Awards

• Member of Eta Kappa Nu Engineering Fraternity

• Member of Tau Beta Pi Honor Engineering Fraternity

• Gold IPPY award for The Keys

• Silver IPPY award for The Pass

Author

• The Keys 2010

• The Pass 2012

• The Aral 2014

• Tears of Coral 2014

• Grins & Giggles Vol. 1 2020

• Grins & Giggles Vol. 2 2020

• Cash Out 2020

• Former contributor to the Sun Herald newspaper

• Former contributor to South Mississippi Living magazine

• Former contributor to Coastal Angler magazine

• Author of numerous published technical papers

• Co-author of the book University Spin-off Companies

Community/Business Activities

• Former President/Director MS Sound Historical Foundation

• Former chairman Gulfport Harbor Redevelopment 

• Former Chairman MS Enterprise for Technology at Stennis Space Center

• Former Director Westminster Academy

• Former Director MS Gulf Coast Big Game Fishing Club

• Former Director Gulf Coast Carnival Association

• Founder/former President Marine Technology Society Gulf Coast Section

• Founder/former President Stennis Space Center Dive Club

• Founder/Former Co-chair of National Independent ATM Services Association (NIASA)

• Former Director Electronic Funds Transfer Association (EFTA)

• Former Port Commissioner MS State Port Authority at Gulfport

• Director MS Chapter of Kidz Outdoors organization

          (Charter: Get special needs kids and their families                      into the outdoors.)​