OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 18, 2010 – The Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance will once again present the annual Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo, taking place June 1 – 4 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. The Summit will feature high-level executives, including the Director of Federal Acquisition Policy William C. Greenwalt from Lockheed Martin Corporation, Senior Vice President Rick Stephens from the Boeing Company, President and CEO Ed Bolen from National Business Aviation Association, and President Craig Fuller of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
“The Summit is known for focusing on military and commercial aerospace; however, the agenda includes speakers from the broader aerospace industry as well,” said Mary Smith, executive director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance. “Business and general aviation, manufacturing and unmanned aerial systems speakers are also featured on this year’s Summit agenda.”
William C. Greenwalt, director of federal acquisition policy at Lockheed Martin Corporation, will speak about “The Future of the US Aerospace Industrial Base” at a June 2 session. Rick Stephens, senior vice president of the Boeing Company is also confirmed to speak. Stephens oversees all leadership development, training, employee relations, compensation, benefits, global corporate citizenship, and diversity initiatives at the $60.9 billion, 159,000-person company. Other confirmed speakers will come from the NORDAM Group, Tinker Air Force Base, American Airlines MRO, Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Association of State Aviation Officials, among others.
“Anyone interested in aerospace or wishing to do business with aerospace companies will benefit from attending,” said Rachel Hutchings of American Airlines MRO and chairperson of the Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance. “The Summit is a great place to network, to learn about business opportunities, to influence education and training providers, as well as grow the state’s aerospace industry. Good things happen when people talk.”
The Summit kicks off with a golf tournament at the Jimmie Austin Golf Club at the University of Oklahoma on June 1. June 2 and 3 feature keynote speakers and breakout sessions, with topics such as “Supply Chain Challenges,” “Weapon Systems and Future Workload,” and “Threats to General and Business Aviation.” There will be networking events in the evenings. The final day, June 4, is Education and Training Day, which will be held at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma’s aerospace industry is responsible for more than 143,000 jobs in the state, a $5 billion dollar annual payroll, and nearly $12 billion in industrial output or about 10 percent of Oklahoma’s economy. In the past, the Summit has drawn as many as 1,000 attendees and more than 100 exhibiting companies. Attendees come from all over the state, and surrounding states such as Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri and Arkansas. For more information or to register, please visit www.okaero.com/summit.
