Aviation and Space Leaders to Focus on Building the ´Aerospace Workforce of Tomorrow´

RESTON, Va., Apr. 28 /PRNewswire/ --

RESTON, Va., April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce Inside Aerospace -- An International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders, at which invited leaders from government, industry, and academia will focus on "Working Together to Build the Aerospace Workforce of Tomorrow." The forum, organized by AIAA in partnership with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the Aerospace Department Chairs Association (ADCA), will consider the aerospace workforce from governmental, industry and academic perspectives, as well as bringing in international viewpoints and those of young professionals and educators. Inside Aerospace will take place May 13-14 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, in Arlington, Va.

Keynote speakers, leading authorities from government and industry, include:

    --  Thomas M. Dowd, Administrator, Office of Policy Development and
        Research, U.S. Department of Labor
    --  Bonnie Dunbar, President and CEO, Museum of Flight
    --  Walter Havenstein, President and CEO, BAE Systems, Inc.
    --  Richard Stephens, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and
        Administration, The Boeing Company
    --  The Honorable Dave Weldon, U.S. House of Representatives

Distinguished panelists include:

    --  Pamela Hansen-Hargan, Vice President, Human Resources, Lockheed Martin
        Corporation
    --  Daniel Hastings, Dean, Undergraduate Education, Massachusetts Institute
        of Technology
    --  Terence T. "Tom" Henricks, President, AVIATION WEEK
    --  VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret), Administrator, National
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    --  Russell J. Lefevre, Director and President, IEEE-USA
    --  Jon Ogg, Director of Engineering, U.S. Air Force Materiel Command
    --  Mazlan Othman, Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
    --  June Scobee Rodgers, Founding Chairman of the Board and Founding
        Director, Challenger Center
    --  Joyce Winterton, Associate Administrator for Education, NASA
    --  Thomas Young, Retired Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin
        Corporation

In-depth panel sessions will address all aspects of aerospace workforce development, including the challenges, pre-college education, STEM innovations, attracting technical professionals into aerospace careers, political party perspectives on economic competitiveness, and other important topics. Inside Aerospace attendees will also get an exclusive "sneak peek" at AVIATION WEEK's 2008 Workforce Survey, a comprehensive look at aerospace workforce developments and trends.

The media is invited to attend this event; please pre-register by contacting Sharon Grace at sharong@aiaa.org.

Inside Aerospace, organized by AIAA in partnership with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the Aerospace Department Chairs Association (ADCA), is sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation, Rolls-Royce Corporation, BAE Systems, AVIATION WEEK, and Aerospace America. For more information, please visit >.

Media Contacts

ADCA: Helen Reed, 979.458.2158, helen.reed@tamu.edu

AIA: Alexis Allen, 703.358.1075, allen@aia-aerospace.org

AIAA: Sharon Grace, 703.264.7532, sharong@aiaa.org