Arlington, Va. (Dec. 4, 2023) – The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has elected Theodore “Ted” Colbert III, Executive Vice President at The Boeing Company and President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors for 2024. Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of L3Harris Technologies, will serve as Vice Chair. Eric Fanning has been reelected as AIA President and Chief Executive Officer.
“The Aerospace Industries Association has served as an essential voice in the aerospace and defense industry since its foundation,” said Colbert. “I am excited to step into this new role as Chair and look forward to seizing all opportunities to position our industry for continued leadership, innovation, and growth.”
“The U.S. aerospace and defense industry remains a beacon of American ingenuity and leadership,” said Eric Fanning, AIA’s President and CEO. “With Ted at the forefront, AIA will continue advocating for policy and robust investments needed to ensure continued success that drives progress, security, and prosperity for our nation. Ted follows in the footsteps of Tom Gentile, who has been an incredible asset to our mission.”
AIA represents more than 320 manufacturers and suppliers across every sector and tier of the aerospace and defense industry. Together, these world-class and high-technology companies support more than 2.2 million jobs across the United States. In 2022, the American A&D industry generated over $952 billion in total sales — up 6.7 percent over 2021 levels.
Direct involvement of CEO-level officers from the country’s major aerospace and defense companies helps guide and shape the policy goals for AIA and the entire industry. The association is led by a Board of Governors that meets twice a year and an Executive Committee that meets more frequently. AIA’s Chairman, Vice Chairman, as well as the President and Chief Executive Officer, all serve on the Executive Committee.
The members of the AIA Executive Committee for 2024 are:
Tom Arseneault, BAE Systems
Thomas Bell, Leidos Corporation
Kathleen Boyle, Verify, Inc.
Theodore “Ted” Colbert III, The Boeing Company
Jim Currier, Honeywell Aerospace
Scott C. Donnelly, Textron Inc.
Eric Fanning, Aerospace Industries Association
Amy Gowder, GE Aerospace
Gregory Hayes, RTX
Vern Heyer, LAI International (Associate Member Representative)
John Holmes, AAR CORP
Mike Kahn, CAES
Christopher D. Kastner, HII
Christopher E. Kubasik, L3Harris Technologies
Mark Lee, Aero-Mark, LLC
Ronald Lopez, Astroscale U.S.
Eric Mendelson, HEICO Corporation (Ex Officio)
Rick Nagel, Acorn Growth Companies
Phebe Novakovic, General Dynamics Corporation
Fatih Ozmen, Sierra Nevada Corporation
Patrick M. Shanahan, Spirit AeroSystems
Anne Shybunko-Moore, GSE Dynamics
Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman Corporation
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