FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2009

Bird Receives Stafford Award at Aerospace Summit

OKLAHOMA CITY—Victor Bird, Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, was named the 2009 recipient of the prestigious General Thomas P. Stafford Award during the eighth annual Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo June 15-18 in Tulsa.

The award, named after Oklahoma native and retired astronaut Gen. Tom Stafford, is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Oklahoma aerospace industry and who honors the pioneering spirit shown by Gen. Stafford.

"I am very honored and humbled. Just being mentioned in the same breath as the other nominees, that in itself is an honor to me," Bird said during his acceptance speech before an audience of approximately 1,000 key industry leaders. "I know all those gentlemen, and they are giants in this industry."

Other individuals nominated for this year's Stafford Award included Major Gen. (retired) William P. Bowden, former commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center; Brigadier Gen. (retired) Ben Robinson, director of education and training for the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute and former head of Boeing - Oklahoma; Carmine Romano, senior vice president for maintenance and engineering at American Airlines; Dr. Nidal Sammur, senior staff scientist at FlightSafety International; and ARINC's Michael Young, vice president for aerospace engineering systems and support.

"Vic's leadership, personal involvement and commitment have influenced the growth of Oklahoma's aerospace industry," said Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who presented Bird with the Stafford Award. "His efforts have helped Oklahoma gain recognition as a nationwide aerospace leader."

Bird has guided the Aeronautics Commission since becoming its director in December 2002 and has tirelessly campaigned for the state's aviation and aerospace industry. He continually promotes Oklahoma's aerospace industry and has drafted numerous bills aimed at improving the competitive advantage of Oklahoma aerospace.

Recognizing the aerospace sector is facing a critical shortage of engineering and technical talent, Bird championed House Bill 3239 which was passed and signed into law following the 2008 legislative session. Often referred to as the Aerospace Industry Engineer Workforce Bill, HB 3239 provides state tax credits to new engineers hired by Oklahoma aerospace companies as well as state tax credits to the companies that hire those engineers.

When HB 3239 ran into some opposition late in the session, Bird said that he contacted Gen. Stafford who later met him at the state Capitol where they visited with legislators about the bill's importance.

"That's just how he is. He still gives back to this state even after all he has already done and accomplished," Bird said.

Bird cited some of Stafford's past accomplishments, specifically noting Stafford's involvement with NASA's Gemini and Apollo missions.

"As commander of Apollo 10 in May 1969, General Stafford essentially helped pave the way for Apollo 11's mission to the moon just two months later when Neil Armstrong took that infamous small step for man and giant leap for mankind," Bird said. "General Stafford is truly a living legend and is part of that rich legacy of Oklahoma aviation that has given rise to this tremendous industry."

Bird was a driving force behind the formation of Governor Brad Henry's Aerospace Task Force in 2004, which resulted in several recommendations to foster the growth of the industry. He is a key member of Economic Development Generating Excellence aerospace team where he provides advocacy for aerospace businesses with state and federal agencies. He wholeheartedly supports aviation education by providing funding to several key aviation programs and academies across the state, including CareerTech's Aerospace Internship Recruitment program.

Before joining the Aeronautics Commission, Bird was an attorney and veteran of state government. He served five years as an attorney with the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents and spent 12 years in the Attorney General's office, ending his tenure as chief deputy attorney general of the Civil Division.

Bird is vice chairman of the executive committee for the National Association of State Aviation Officials and will be the first Oklahoman to become chairman of the prestigious aviation organization on Oct. 1. He is an active member of the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development and the University of Oklahoma's Aviation Advisory Board. He was recently appointed to the Finance Working Group that has been given the task of creating a development strategy for Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport.

This marks just the second year for the Stafford Award. Bob Conner, former director of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center who now serves as executive director for the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute, a program that Bird helped to create, was the first recipient of the award in 2008.

A program of the Aeronautics Commission, the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute brings together industry, research universities, education and training institutions, and government to create jobs and wealth for Oklahomans.

Bob Conner—2008 Stafford Award Winner

Bob Conner was the OAA's first recipient of the Thomas P. Stafford Award, presented at the 2008 Oklahoma Aerospace Summit & Expo held in Oklahoma City.

Bob Conner

Bob Conner is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute. The Institute was created by the Oklahoma legislature to promote policies, programs, and practices that supports our vision. Oklahoma-The global aerospace destination!

He retired from the federal Senior Executive Service in May 2007 after serving for 33 years with the United States Air Force. His final assignment from 2005 to 2007 was Director, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

He was awarded the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2001 and the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2005. In 2007, he was the first recipient of the General Thomas P. Stafford Award for his contributions to aerospace in Oklahoma.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University with a double major in mathematics and psychology and a master's degree in logistics management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

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