Watching the local news or reading the most recent reports on the state of manufacturing, one would wrongly assume heroes of innovation, such as The Wright Brothers, Robert Goddard, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs are just part of manufacturing history.  That somehow leaders and visionaries of manufacturing are things of the past. Yet clearing away the negative veil, there is an underlying beauty growing beneath.  Visionaries of today exist and are sharing their light through [...]

From the title and the timing of this column, you may have thought this column will be about the presidential election, state of the economy, or some other rant about our country’s future. But it’s not – I’ve learned long ago not to discuss politics with colleagues, friends, or even enemies! But in a way I am talking about our country’s future, because if we don’t think long-term within our organizations, we won’t have well-functioning, [...]

Do you manage people? If so, do you give regular performance feedback to your employees?  Performance reviews are fundamental to good leadership and organizational improvement. If your employees receive feedback now, they will have time to make use of it and improve their performance.  If, on the other hand, they find out in December that you think they need to improve upon something, they won’t have the chance for development and improvement. Communicate with your [...]

Over two years ago, I got a phone call one afternoon from Dr. Robert Materna. He asked me if I wanted to be involved in something exciting. Knowing Robert as a serious person, I took him at his word and heard him out. Robert laid out an ambitious vision – of an organization dedicated to enhancing and building the competitive advantage of US aviation and aerospace on a global basis. The instrument would be an [...]

To improve our Secondary Education dismal diploma graduation rates, we have to change the STEM paradigm. Why does science have to be physical science? Why can’t science be Economics, Finance, or Accounting? Why does technology have to be computer based? Why does engineering have to be design, why can’t engineering include Leadership, Purchasing, Managing Teams, Logistics, and Project Management?

Just about every study that has been conducted on aerospace employment over the next twenty years indicates the U.S. will have a shortage of qualified aerospace workers.

There has been much written and discussed about improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education from K-12 in the United States. There is no doubt that by most all indicators, students in the U.S. are lagging in the basic knowledge that is needed for future global competitiveness.