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Santa Maria, CA, United States, 10/17/2007 – Dr. Wanda M. Austin, who will succeed Dr. William F. Ballhaus, Jr. as President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation in January 2008, has agreed to be the keynote speaker at The Suppliers Transformation Annual Forum on October 24, 2007. The event, cosponsored by Raytheon and the California Space Authority (CSA), is drawing a higher number of registrants than initially expected as suppliers gravitate to issues on global innovation and collaboration.
“Suppliers helped create the value of this forum by defining what they needed to know more about,” explained CSA Manager, Industry Workforce & Manufacturing Development, Christine Purcell, “and it involves the knowledgeable speakers, relevant panel discussion issues, and the keynote address to be made by Dr. Austin.”
Dr. Austin is currently Senior Vice President of The Aerospace Corporation's National Systems Group in Chantilly, VA. She has been with the company since 1979, and has served in positions of increasing responsibility, including General Manager of the MILSATCOM (Military Satellite Communications) Division and Senior Vice President of the Engineering and Technology Group. The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit organization known for providing objective, technical analyses on major national security space programs as well as civil and commercial programs.
In June, SpaceRef.com reported Dr. Ballhaus’s praise for Dr. Austin, noting that “Wanda’s technical and management experience” and “her proven leadership skills” would help The Aerospace Corporation achieve “a seamless transition at a critical time for our nation's space programs.”
“You could write a book on Dr. Austin’s impressive background,” added Purcell. “When you have a professional of this caliber speaking at a cutting edge event like this Suppliers Forum—people attend.”
The awards and citations accorded to Dr. Austin include the Air Force Scroll of Achievement, the National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal, the U.S. Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, the Air Force Space and Missile System Center's Martin Luther King Spirit of the Dream Award, and the Women in Aerospace Outstanding Achievement Award. She holds a PhD in systems engineering from the University of Southern California (USC), is a member of NASA’s Advisory Council, and is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In September, she was inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International) Hall of Fame.
Dr. Austin’s morning address will focus on the “Industry Outlook” as suppliers move into the new century. Preceding Dr. Austin will be Susan Sloan, the Vice President of Performance Excellence at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems who will launch the event with a “Welcome” introduction, and Kellie Johnson, the President of ACE Clearwater Enterprises and chair of the CSA Space Manufacturing Group speaking on “Industry Purpose,” and sharing her experience visiting the troops in the Middle East as part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference.”
The forum includes panel discussions on “Industry Requirements for Success,” Industry Realities of Collaboration,” “Industry Success in Transformations-Prime Supplier Teams,” and “Industry Success via Leveraged Resources—Innovative Opportunities and Implementations,” along with a short matchmaking session.
A notable array of companies, colleges, and organizations plan to attend and support the event including:
• California Space Authority (CSA)
• the Labor & Workforce Management Agency (LWDA)
• CMTC
• California Community Colleges
• California Employment Training Panel
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
• USC Viterbi School of Engineering
• California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO)
• Aerojet
• Lockheed Martin
• Cal-State LA
• Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce
• Qual-Pro
• Antelope Valley College
• Northrop Grumman
• The Aerospace Corporation
• The Boeing Company
• ACE Clearwater Enterprises, and
• Raytheon.
Registration is free, but limited. The forum is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) efforts in the California Innovation Corridor—a region of 13 counties spanning from Alameda in the north, Antelope Valley and the Inland Empire in the east, and San Diego in the south which encourage innovation in government, business, education, and workforce talent.
For registration, information, and conference agenda, please visit links listed to this release because seating is limited; a waiting list will be maintained once capacity is reached.
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christine.purcell[.]californiaspaceauthority.org 
