Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Aerospace Initiative Home Page

I've created this page to familiarize people with the work the committee on industry collaboration of the Aerospace Industry Initiative of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board in Maryland did in 2006 and 2007 under my leadership.

I attended the Aerospace Summit held by GWIB in January 2006. I heard about this meeting via the Baltimore section of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The meeting was interesting. By tossing my business card in a jar I received as a reward Tom Friedman's book "The World Is Flat." While interesting, the book had many flaws.

Later in 2006 I received a message about a followup meeting to be held in June 2006. I went to that meeting and sat in on the industry collaboration committee. To the best of my knowledge, I had never met any of these people before. The same can be said of the larger Aerospace Initiative meeting. Our discussion was interesting and thoughtful. At the end of the meeting Art Taguding, the Maryland government representative, said we needed a chair to continue leading the group in its work. Everyone looked at me. Art asked if I was surprised. Since I had observed how the meeting went, I replied I was not at all surprised. If, however, you had told me at breakfast that morning that I would be leading a group to bring together Maryland aerospace companies to work on common challenges, I would have raised an eyebrow.

I got the group off to a good start -- according to others -- by writing a Statement of Purpose. Don McErlean did some light editing. Our group began having monthly meetings -- sometimes more frequently -- to discuss progress in creating a strawman proposal for an organization tentatively named the Maryland Aerospace Association. Here are the minutes of some of our meetings:

* September 12, 2006
* October 23, 2006
* November 21, 2006
* December 5, 2006
* January 7, 2007

Our meetings petered out after this. Northrop Grumman VP Bob Noble seemed to blow hot and cold on our committee's work. I do not know what other people were saying to him. I did get an occasional e-mail from him about our committee's work. Later, without any discussion with me about what he did not like, he dropped support for our committee's work completely. Later on he proposed a Governor's Advisory Council on Aerospace to be made up of the state's aerospace CEOs. This idea was a complete nonstarter. One wonders what thinking was going on.

Our group did develop a variety of documents in support of our strawman proposal. They are:

* A Vision Statement
* A Charter
* Organization Chart
* Organization Chart Descriptions

E-mail me at charles dot j dot divine at gmail dot com if you have half a mind to.

Aerospace Initiative Organizational Chart Descriptions

Maryland Aerospace Partnership

The Maryland Aerospace Partnership is a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives. It is the recognized authority on Maryland’s Aerospace industry and supports the growth and enhancement of this vital industry. The MAP is an industry-run, state-chartered organization endorsed and supported by private and public stakeholders.

Membership
1.Membership is open to aerospace industry stakeholders—corporate, educational, associations, government, individuals
2.Financial support for the organization will come from:
a.Dues
i.Flat fee tier structure based on relative organizational size (Attachment A)
ii.Reduced fees for educational and/or government agencies where appropriate
b.Other funding
i.Government agency support
ii.Company grants/donations
iii.Grants
iv.Events revenue

Organizational Structure (Attachment B)

Board of Directors
1.The Board of Directors will be appointed at the discretion of the Board Chairperson
2.The Board of Directors will include industry representatives and non-industry representatives, with the balance favoring industry representation
3.The Board Chairperson will be elected by the MAP membership

Executive Committee
1.The Executive Committee is appointed by the Board Chair with input from the Executive Director
2.The Executive Committee is composed of the Executive Director, Executive Champion, Working Committee Chairpersons, and selected Ad Hoc members

Executive Champion
1.This is an unpaid position—volunteer, executive-on-loan
2.The Executive Champion works with stakeholders to insure sustainability and success of MAP and its initiatives
3.This position’s role is one of cheerleader, convener, catalyst, respected industry voice
Staff & Budget

Executive Director
1.Paid position--$75K+
2.Organizational vision and viability
3.Operational leadership, implementation and accountability
4.Equal status with the Executive Champion

Operations Manager
1.Paid position--$60K+
2.Day-to-day operations management and accountability
3.Oversight/coordination of Working Committees

Administrative Assistant
1.Paid position--$40K+
2.General administrative support for the Executive Director and Operations Manager

Operating Expenses
1.$75,000 annually for Years 1-2

Working Committees

1.Working Committees will recommend, review and/or implement initiatives in their respective areas. Typical responsibilities for each committee include:

a.Education & Workforce Development
i.Promote aerospace careers to students, educators, parents, counselors and workers
ii.Assist the aerospace industry to attract and retain a qualified workforce
iii.Improve aerospace educational programs at the high school, community college and 4-year degree level
iv.Provide professional development opportunities for the currently employed scientists, engineers, technicians and managers

b.Economic Development
i.Support efforts to attract new aerospace industries to Maryland
ii.Identify and support efforts to retain and promote the growth of current Maryland aerospace companies
iii. Work collaboratively with local, regional and state economic development agencies and initiatives to grow the aerospace industry presence in Maryland
c.Public Policy & Advocacy
i.Educate government and legislative leaders on key issues impacting Maryland’s aerospace industry
ii.Assist government, legislative, business and education leaders to develop public policies supportive of the aerospace industry in Maryland
iii.Serve as the recognized voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland

d.Membership/ Marketing/ Events
i.Promote the MAP, its initiatives and its services to interested stakeholders and the public
ii.Maintain adequate corporate, government, professional association, educational and individual membership levels
iii.Promote and coordinate MAP events and member services

e.Science & Technology
i.Increase awareness and sharing of science and technology innovations among aerospace stakeholders
ii.Support innovative research and technology transfer initiatives among key aerospace stakeholders
iii.Support the integration of emerging aerospace science and technology in secondary and post-secondary educational programs

2.Chairpersons are unpaid positions appointed by the Executive Director and serve on the Executive Committee

Meetings
1.The MAP and its Board of Directors will meet quarterly
2.Executive and Working Committees will meet as needed during the interim periods

Aerospace Initiative Charter

The Maryland Aerospace
Partnership/Authority
Charter

General Purpose of Association: The Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority will serve as the eyes, ears and voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland, and serve as a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Generally, the association will look for opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to grow through service to the state, the nation and the world. The association will also be on the lookout for problems so that they may be addressed, preferably earlier than later. The association will also listen to both members and outsiders in order gain needed information about opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry as well as problems that may affect Maryland's aerospace industry. Finally, the association will speak to the public, other industries, other associations and government at all levels about things the industry can do both now and in the future to better help others' in their work and life. The association will also speak about problems that are affecting the aerospace industry and request help from others when appropriate.

Membership of Association: Membership in the association will be open to companies, nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Activities of Association: The association will engage in a number of activities. Most important include:
Seeking opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to make substantial contributions toward meeting needs in the state, nation and world. Informing people outside of aerospace about such potential contributions and how they can help them and their organizations.
Listening to outsiders to discover their needs and problems. Assist them in finding aerospace solutions where possible. Forming collaborative efforts at addressing common problems.
Communication and advocacy development. Foster the Maryland Aerospace Association as the voice of, and advocate for, Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding of meetings and conferences to assist Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding public events to better inform the citizens of Maryland and elsewhere about the current activities and potential future benefits of Maryland's aerospace industry.
Attending other groups' meetings and conferences to further the goals of the industry.
Working with private sector (e.g., professional associations, civic organizations, political groups) entities outside of aerospace in furtherance of industry goals.
Working with government at the Federal, state and local levels in furtherance of goals.
Working in collaboration with other aerospace groups, both within and outside Maryland, toward mutual ends.

Structure of organization:
There will be an elected board of directors.
Voting will be determined by level of participation.
Parallel organizations may be set up to comply with both relevant laws and member wishes. For example, a political action committee may be formed that will be entirely separate from the Maryland Aerospace Association.

Aerospace Initiative Vision Statement

The Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority
Vision

By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to make the Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.

Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!

An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).

Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.

Aerospace Initiative January 2007 Minutes

Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of the 01/04/07 Meeting

The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Thursday January 4, 20076 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.

Next Meeting:
Thursday 2/1/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD


Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)
Connie Finney / APL
Don McErlean / Patuxent Partnership
Jesse Martin / Northrop Grumman Corp

1. Minutes Review
Bob Noble led the meeting which began with a brief review of the previous minutes. The action item list was used as the agenda and a detailed discussion of the action items followed.

2. Discussion Topic: The Vision – Path forward for creating the Association
Bob Noble will update the charter per last month’s discussion (AI#1)
The vision statement should be updated annually. (Rosage)
The group needs to develop a “Strawman” package that summarizes all the work performed to date. This document will be used as a basis for meeting with Mr. Pitts and brief him on the activities and request his support to reach out to the aerospace community.
The strawman package will be distributed to the industry stakeholders.
A workshop would then be held with the aerospace community to discuss the creation of the new association and seek their participation.
The approach is to have Mr. Pitts send out a letter to the stakeholders asking them to come to a meeting (the workshop) to review the goals of the new association. (Noble)
The strawman package should include the names of the CEOs to target as members.
This list is available from the summit.
Two letters should be sent out: a personalized letter inviting the CEOs to the meeting, and another general letter sent to all the aerospace companies inviting them to the same meeting. (McErlean)
It’s not necessary to have everyone in the industry at the first meeting to review the Strawman (Faber)
We don’t need to have every single company in the aerospace industry at the first meeting. If the major companies participate, the others will buy in (Finney)
McErlean disagrees
A discussion followed regarding whether it is best to invite the whole industry to the workshop or target the major companies only. The outcome of the discussion is to have one meeting and invite as many industry participants as possible so that the majority of aerospace stakeholders are part of the creation process for the association.

On the workshop
If we don’t have a strong champion, the organization will fizzle out in the first year. We must identify potential candidates for this role. (Noble)
The successful organizations have paid staff. (McErlean)
There is a concern that having a large workshop with all the aerospace organizations participating will be perceived as a repeat of the Summit. (Cazeau)
Disagrees. The workshop will have a focused agenda of vetting the need for an aerospace association. The goal will be to discuss all the associated issued. If it works right, it will create an new entity. (Noble)
The workshop has a singular focus. To provide a go/no-go on the association. An actual decision. (McErlean)
The letter for the workshop should be issued by Mr. Pitts and the DLLR secretary. If no one (in the industry) responds, that will be a litmus test. (Noble)
It would be good if the new governor signed the letter. (Polk)


3. Discussion Topic: The Name of the Association
A discussion followed on what the name of the association conveys and how that should be used to properly position the entity.
The current name is not powerful. A suggestion was made to call it the “Maryland Aerospace Authority”. (Rosage)
That would help to differentiate us from the other groups. (McErlean)
Does changing from “Association” to “Authority” imply some government support? (Faber)
A general discussion followed on what the term “Authority” might imply. Some felt that it would help to align the organization as a state chartered entity. It was felt very strongly that the association should be run by Industry, but that the link to the GWIB needs to be maintained and the support from the state at the highest level should be apparent. The structure of the GWIB was discussed (strong Industry membership with small amount of government participation). Other entities that use the word “Authority” were discussed, such as the NJ Turnpike Authority.
The term “Partnership” was discussed as an alternative name. Rafael will research the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name.
The current working name for the organization is: The “Maryland Aerospace Partnership” (MAP)


4. Discussion Topic: Membership Fee Structure

The group reviewed the fee structure document provided by Jim Polk (AI#4)
Not sure how realistic the estimate is for the number of participants (used to evaluate association membership) compared to the actual aerospace business base. (Polk)
It would be good to get DBED to put in some seed money, at least during the first year or two. (Noble)
It is easier for government employees to participate if the organization has no fee for government members. Need to add a rule to the fee document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.


5. Discussion Topic: Review of Organizational Structure

The group reviewed and discussed the organizational structure documens provided by Dennis (AI#5). A discussion followed on the potential activities that the subcommittees will perform.

On the topic of how information is shared among the association participants:
We should share best practices related to educational issues, but not on some other topics. (Finney)
We should eliminate all competition related issues. (Noble)

On the topic of Committee Structures:
The association could hold quarterly meetings.
The Patuxent Partnership – The executive committee meets frequently and works through the working items. The board meets less frequently. (McErlean)
An active company would get a seat on the board, not necessarily on the executive committee. The chairs of the working committees would make up the executive committee. (McErlean).
The Boy Scouts have a structure we could model. The board consists of a long list of people (all the interested stakeholders). There is an executive committee (a smaller subset). The Operational committee does the actual work. (Polk)
The consensus is : we will have an Executive
Committee. Its chair will be the paid executive director, and the membership will be the (volunteer) heads of the subcommittees. It will also include ad hoc appointees.

On the topic of size of the Board: General Discussion
No limit on size is preferable.
We may want to name highly visible individuals to the board.
The board is appointed.
The executive committee runs the organization and is elected by the members.
The board chair is elected by the membership.
It is preferable to leave the ratio of industry/government membership vague for now

We will need some bylaws, but not yet (Noble)
We don’t need the next level of detail at this point (Finney)
The bylaws will have to be set up by whoever runs the “MAP”. (Noble)
We need to complete Phase I to get the letters drafted for the workshop (Noble)
We should set a target date for the workshop. (Cazeau)
April-May, maybe June as a target date for the workshop. (Noble)
The report that Chuck is preparing will have to go to Mr. Pitts. (Noble)


6. Other Miscellaneous Topics
We must separate ourselves from the other associations, which are a group of people with an intent, whereas we are a state chartered group, designed to present option to the legislature. (McErlean)
The AIAA is very strong on education. (Finney)
The AIAA is not focused on Maryland. (McErlean)
Engineer week is coming up in February. Outreach is part of our chart. Connie will compile the relevant info in her meetings with various groups. (Finney)
We should be an industry-run organization that is chartered by the state. (Rosage)
Virginia has a website that discusses the state’s aerospace activities. There are various links for different industry clusters. We need to explore how it is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. Rafael will follow up with that. The URL is: www.yesvirginia.org. (Polk)
If there is a MD/VA partnership, how does that impact what we’re doing? (Faber)
That partnership refers to a specific facility – Wallops. We should stay out of being facility specific. Our charter has to be defined clearly to remove the ambiguities and potential overlap (with other organizations). (McErlean)
(The charter) should come from DBED. (Burner)
We are first addressing workforce issues (DLLR) not setting policy. (Cuebas)
(The current text of ) the charter does cross the line into policy. (Burner)
We should explore how the California Aerospace Authority is set up. Their building was provided by the government. Should explore what other states have done.
Bob invited someone who had set up an Aerospace organization in Illinois to come speak to our group. Scheduling conflicts prevented her from attending this meeting. Bob will try to have her attend our next meeting. (Noble)

Table of Questions / Action Items - Updates to the Action Item List

The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.

MAA Development – Action Item List


#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
Status / Resolution
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07

2
b. Update the Vision per the 1/4/07 discussions.
a. Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting.
Dave Rosage
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and discussed at 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
Closed. Document distributed to team by email.
4
b. Update per 1/4/07 discussions. Add a rule to the fee structure document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.
a. Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed.
5
b. Update organizational structure per the discussions at the 1/4/07 mtg. Add in some key responsibilities under each committee.
a. Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD

7
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity. Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD

8
Compile a “Strawman” package that includes: the vision, the charter, the org chart, fee structure info, what the association plans to accomplish. This package will be used for the meeting to brief with Mr. Pitts.
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

9
Provide the list of CEOs and list of Aerospace companies compiled during the Summit preparation
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

10
Explore how the Virginia industry cluster website is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. URL is: www.yesvirginia.org
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

11
Explore if there are other state level Aerospace associations
Jim Polk
2/1/07

12
Draft the 2 letters for the workshop. One letter addressed personally to CEOs. One letter to send to the broad aerospace community – all the companies from the Summit
Don McErlean
2./1/07

13
Start a conversation with the new state secretaries – DLLR- to get their support for our work
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

14
Complete the report of activities performed to date
Chuck Divine
2/1/07

15
Invite the people who attended the previous presentation to Mr. Pitts to come to the next meeting on 2/1/07, so we can start briefing them on our approach
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

16
Explore the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name for the new organization
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07

Aerospace Initiative December 2006 Minutes

Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of the 12/5/06 Meeting

The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Tuesday December 5, 2006 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.

Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD


Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Charles Divine / Divine Software Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Joe Bish / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)

1. Documents Reviewed and Discussed
Bob Noble provided an updated charter (Attachment 1) that he developed with his team. Bob Noble will email this document to the team.
Dave Rosage provided an updated Vision statement (Attachment 2).
These two documents were reviewed and referenced throughout the meeting. Specific comments were provided to the text of the documents. The action items for updating these documents are reflected in the table at the end of these minutes.

2. Discussion Topic: What Type of Organization is the new Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)
Chuck Divine indicated that Lockheed Martin has raised a question, regarding whether the new association would be a lobbying organization
Some general discussion ensued on what constitutes lobbying. The discussion also addressed the following points:
There are two potential focus for the group
As a lobbying group, which would restrict participation to industry only – no government participation
As a 501c6 structured entity, which would allow the group to perform general activities to increase the stature of the aerospace industry in Maryland as well as perform any needed lobbying
This group’s purpose is to collect information that will be provided to all the industry stakeholders.
There are other organization’s that already provide lobbying at the state level. The Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM) is one of those organizations. Some of the companies that are likely members of the new association, are also members of MAM. (Gene Burnet)
MAM could potentially support the Aerospace Association as needed when lobbying is required for specific aerospace related issues. (Gene Burnet)

Decision: At the end of this discussion all the members present reached the consensus that the new association is not a lobbying organization


3. Discussion Topic: Where Should the new Association Reside
Bob Noble raised the issue of whether any existing organizations could provide a home for the new Maryland Aerospace Association. The following discussion ensued:
While the AIAA has a large reach in MD, it may not be the right home. The AIAA works as a resource for professionals. It is a professional association with a goal of serving its members develop professionally. (Chuck Divine)
While we have some common interests with the professional organizations, this group is an “advocacy” group for aerospace in MD, encompassing all the MD aerospace stakeholders. (Jim Polk)
The view for this Association is as a free standing organization. (Chuck Divine)
It’s easier to incorporate a new organization within existing ones that it is to create a stand alone organization. Businesses wrestle with the issue of which organizations to support, as the membership fees continue to increase. (Bob Noble)
We need to connect the Association back to the GWIB to get the state’s support behind it
How will the new administration impact GWIB? It is not clear at this point. Though we are progressing for now, as though there are no changes.
The DOL provided a report that they are very happy with the implementation of the GWIB (in MD) and that it can be used as a model for implementation by other states. (Rafael Cuebas)

4. Discussion Topic: What is the envisioned Organizational Structure for the MAA
The MAA should act as the spokesperson for all the committees that were formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Dennis Faber logged the names of potential operating committees for the MAA. These include the four subcommittees created from the Aerospace Summit and a few additional ones.
We need to determine what makes this group different from the other existing organizations. What Return on Investment (ROI) will it provide to its members? This question generated an action to evaluate fee structures used by other industry associations.
The charter should include a reference to the GWIB and to the other subcommittees formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Is there a process to follow to create a formal charter? Yes, it can be done through the DLLR if we decide to incorporate
Do we want to incorporate? It would probably be premature to incorporate at this point. The issue can be re-evaluated at a later date.

5. Discussion Topic: Operating Structure
Should there be a sliding fee structure?
Fee structure could be based on company size and revenue
The MAM, for example, operates on a flat fee based on tiers (Gene Burner)
Perhaps government and educational institutions should become members at no cost
The most important issue is to find a Champion, someone who is recognized and respected in the industry. Would need a minimum of $75K to attract someone of that stature. (Bob Noble)
Suggested criteria for selecting the champion. The Champion should be someone who is:
Established in the field
Retired
Wants to give something back to the community
Ideas regarding potential Champions:
We could potentially have an unpaid Champion, who is highly recognizable, and staff the organization with a paid executive director to implement the activities
Norm Augustine, was suggested as a potential Champion – or someone else with similar status
Explore an executive-on-loan approach, from one of the member companies, to initially fill the champion role
The association will require a staff to implement its goals. It will also require funding.
Association staffing needs:
An unpaid Champion – a high caliber person
A paid full-time executive director
Support Staff / Administrative
A discussion followed of potential structure for the board
The board could be structured with an Executive level board and a working board, similar to the structure used by the Boy Scouts Council.
As we invite companies to become members of the association, we should also encourage them to engage their employees to participate
The monograph provides good data, but we need to do more research to determine why people are not pursuing the science and engineering fields. (Chuck Divine)
The pipeline education group is planning to discuss these issues at an upcoming meeting at APL on 12/12/06 1-3PM. Those interested in the topic are encouraged to attend. (Rafael Cuebas)


6. Discussion Topic: Meetings
Meetings will be held as needed until the organization is established. Thereafter, quarterly meetings should be sufficient.







7. Table of Questions / Action Items
The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.

MAA Development – Action Item List
#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07
2
Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting
Dave Rosage
1/4/07
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
4
Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
1/4/07
5
Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
1/4/07
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD
6
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD


Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attachment 2 – Vision Statement
November 29, 2006
The Maryland Aerospace Association
Vision

By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to achieve:

An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).
Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!
Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.

Aerospace Initiative November 2006 Minutes

Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee

Minutes of November 21, 2006 Meeting

By Charles J. Divine

Attendees:

Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Kirsti Dunn
Dennis Faber
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
Robert Noble
James Polk
David Rosage

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM at the Northrup Grumman facility West Quest A at 1580 West Nursery Road in Linthicum, Maryland. R. Noble was the first to speak. He reiterated the a major goal of the proposed organization was to get young people into the aerospace industry. He indicated that he and people he knew would like to get Secretary Fielder to remain under the new O'Malley-Brown administration. Noble informed the group that he was a registered lobbyist for Northrup Grumman. He also brought up other organizations such as the Maryland Manufacturing Alliance and Manufacturing Council. He also noted that the industry was having difficulty in getting employees, especially ones with security clearances.

D. Rosage noted the need for a vision that includes what the industry looks like today and where it is going. Noble said we should take a look at a vision statement that incorporates things like the state of the schools, especially higher education, and overall goals and objectives. The statement should include what we are going to do, how it is going to be done and how to measure success. Rosage said we will need a vision statement that will get people interested.

J. Polk noted that a clear cut goal appeals to the engineer mentality. D. Faber

Aerospace Initiative October 2006 Minutes

Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee

Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting

By Charles J. Divine

Attendees:

Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage

The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.

R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.

Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.

A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities

Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.

The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.

Action Items:

All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine

Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee

Minutes of October 23, 2006 Meeting

By Charles J. Divine

Attendees:

Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Dennis Faber
Jesse Martin
Donald McErlean
James Polk
David Rosage

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM in the conference room of the Patuxent River Partnership. C. Divine opened the discussion with a brief description of what he had learned about the California Space Authority while attending the AIAA Conference Space 2006 held in San Jose, California in September. While there is much that we may learn from CSA, everyone recognizes that we will be an independent organization. Divine reported that CSA looks forward to working cooperatively with other state organizations. One hallmark of the Space 2006 conference was the growing interest in collaboration among various organizations, business, professional and educational.

Divine's report sparked a discussion of where we should go next. All agreed that the aerospace industry in Maryland required a more unified approach to raise the industry's profile. The new association needs authorization and credibility. Next steps to be taken include devising a strawman plan for the new association. Eventually a charter must be developed. We will sponsor a workshop in January to develop the charter and set of goals. The new organization will be made public in March. The event announcing the new organization will be held after the American Astronautical Society's Goddard Memorial Symposium.

A schedule was developed for future work:

Next meeting of the committee will be November 21st. Divine will approach Robert Noble of Northrup Grumman about hosting the meeting at their Maryland headquarters.
A workshop will be scheduled tentatively for January 23rd. Interested parties will be invited.
Roll out of the new Maryland Aerospace Association will occur in March.

Aerospace Initiative September 2006 Minutes

Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee

Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting

By Charles J. Divine

Attendees:

Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage

The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.

R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.

Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.

A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities

Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.

The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.

Action Items:

All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine

Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.

GWIB Aerospace Initiative Statement of Purpose

Creating a Maryland Aerospace Organization
by Charles J. Divine and Dr. Donald P. McErlean
for the Industry Collaboration Committee

An organization to represent Maryland's vital aerospace industry is essential for the continued health and future expansion of this important field. Not only are there well known institutions such as Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory and Space Telescope Science Institute, Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River and NOAA, there are numerous employers that provide challenging, highly rewarded employment for thousands of Marylanders. A key challenge will be to create an organization that has the potential to become a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry.

At the present time there is no statewide organization to represent the industry to either elected officials of Maryland State Government or the people of Maryland, especially youth and the educators who will prepare them for employment in this industry. One major consequence is that young people are not prepared for work in this dynamic, growing industry. Another major consequence is that the political sphere is neither ready to assist where needed nor to benefit from developments in aerospace. Other states, especially California, Texas, Ohio and Florida are already working to strengthen their existing aerospace industry. Some states, for example New Mexico with its plans to develop space tourism, are seeking to become key future players.

We already have the beginnings of such an organization in our state. Two sections of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Baltimore Section and the National Capital Section, are active in multiple ways. Politically both sections support Congressional Visits Day, an effort where members come to Washington, DC and present topics of interest to members of Congress and their staffs. They are also active in various educational activities ranging from National Engineers Week to helping with student projects to public lectures. A nationwide volunteer organization, the National Space Society, supports public education activities with two chapters in Maryland. Other organizations that support the aerospace industry include the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, the Maryland Aviation Museum and the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. Major corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman support various educational efforts. The objective of Aerospace Industry Initiative of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board is to bring these various groups together into a unified organization with the directed purpose of strengthening the workforce and educational programs that support aerospace.

By bringing these various groups together we will strengthen the field and address workforce problems. For example, many have observed that young people lose interest in science and technology generally during their high school years. Some have also noted that the preparation students receive in academia does not well meet the needs of industry. Our sector of the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board has noted these lacks and is developing a plan to address them through educational efforts aimed at the young. Still another factor confronting the industry is the problem of housing and, related to that, the cost of living faced by younger, entry level workers. A single, strong voice to advance common positions will provide unified support to these issues.

We have taken the first steps towards bringing the various parts of Maryland's aerospace efforts together. The next step we must take is to organize the representatives from the various sectors to work together to solve our problems and advocate further actions that must be taken by responsible political officials. We will begin by inviting people from the sectors already identified to attend meetings organized by this committee. This will be our initial focus and statement of purpose for the next year.