Washington, DC — Women in Aerospace (WIA), a leading professional organization dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and increasing their visibility in the aerospace community, will host its annual Aerospace conference on Tuesday, May 5th 2015, at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC.

The opening speaker of the conference is Congresswoman Barbara Comstock. 

“I look forward to addressing the Women in Aerospace Association this week on the significant aerospace issues facing critical sectors of our industry and economy.  The federal government and key businesses within the aerospace industry are intertwined and play an integral role in today and in our future.”  – Congresswoman Barbara Comstock

This year’s theme is Soar to New Heights and will feature discussions with a range of leaders from the aerospace and defense arenas. Event registration begins at 7:00AM with a full day of events that will run until 6:00PM. 

Featured speakers include Congresswoman Barbara Comstock; ADM John M. Richardson, US Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; Lt. Gen Ellen Pawlikowski, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and the Deputy, Under Secretary for Space; the Honorable Manson K. Brown, P.E, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, NOAA Deputy Administrator; Major General Charles Bolden (ret), NASA Administrator; and Susan Gordon, Deputy Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Other distinguished speakers and moderators include: Rear Admiral Paul Becker, U.S. Navy, Director for Intelligence, DJ-2, Joint Staff; Major General Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall, U.S. Air Force, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; Brig Gen Sarah E. Zabel, Director, Cyberspace Strategy and Policy, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer; Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon; Major General Lawrence A. Stutzriem USAF (ret), Director, Plans, Policy and Strategy, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force; Rebecca Spyke Keiser, Director of the Office of International Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation; Douglas L. Loverro, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, U.S. Department of Defense; Natesh Manikoth, Chief Scientist, NAS Sys. Software, ANG-4 Federal Aviation Administration; Jim Martin, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, U.S. Department of Defense; Pamela Melroy, Deputy Director, Tactical Technology Office, DARPA; Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director, NASA Johnson Space Center; Marilyn Thomas, Deputy Chief Management Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Air Force; Dr. Stephen Volz, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, NOAA NESDIS;and Rosemary Wenchel, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy, Office of Policy, Department of Homeland Security.   

Individuals should visit www.womeninaerospace.org for the full conference.  Though registration has closed, a few openings still exist for those who still wish to register.  Register by calling 202-547-0229.  Walk on registration available.    Press invited to attend as complimentary guests of WIA. 

Women in Aerospace (WIA) is dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and increasing their visibility in the aerospace community. Our membership – women and men – shares an interest in a broad range of aerospace issues, including human space flight, aviation, remote sensing, satellite communications, robotic space exploration, unmanned aerial vehicles, aerospace cyber security, and the policy issues surrounding these fields. WIA organizes high quality programs and professional development through web portals and through networks in local communities.

For more information, visit the WIA website at www.womeninaerospace.org or call our Headquarters at (202) 547-0229.