Aerospace Defense Forum

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“Ampaire – a Trusted, Practical, and Compelling Provider of Electrified Aircraft”

Virtual Joint Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley Chapters on September 16, 2021

Please join us online on Thursday, September 16, 7:30–9:00am Pacific Time, when Doug Shane, General Manager, Ampaire, Inc., will introduce Ampaire, a relatively new-start company based in Hawthorne, CA. He will take the participants through the origins, mission, vision, and recent accomplishments of Ampaire, including its recent acquisition by Surf Air Mobility. and its plans for the future

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfscvsep21.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

The San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Chubb, Bolton & Company, and Rose, Snyder & Jacobs.

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“The Future of the Wide Body”

Virtual Joint Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley Chapters on July 15, 2021

Some analysts say it will be a very long time (if ever) before the wide body returns to its production volume of the past. The airlines have an increased interest in using single aisle aircraft for even international flights. Yet at least one major airline has said that it still considers wide bodies a major part of its fleet.

Please join us online on Thursday, July 15, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Jens Flottau, Executive Editor, Commercial Aviation, Aviation Week Network, will give us his view on the likely future of the wide body.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfscvjul21.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

The San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Chubb, Bolton & Company, and Rose, Snyder & Jacobs.

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“M&A Trends in the Aerospace Industry and Guidance for Small to Medium Sized companies and How to be Prepared”

Virtual Joint Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley and South Bay Chapters on June 9, 2021

Despite continued uncertainty about the economic recovery and proposed legislation, valuations are at record highs, the stock market is booming and debt is cheap. How do the current economic and market conditions impact business owners and management teams across the A&D landscape today and in the future?

Please join us online on Wednesday, June 9, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Wells Fargo Investment Bankers Paul Croci (Head of A&D Investment Banking, New York) and Scott Dragicevich (Director, Southern California Investment Banking, Los Angeles) as they share perspectives on key topics being discussed in Board rooms across the A&D industry.
We look forward to an interactive discussion on valuation, preparing for a sale or acquisition, financing alternatives and the general A&D landscape.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfscvjun21.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

The South Bay Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Moss Adams, Chubb, and Bolton & Company.

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“How does Apprenticeship Help With Workforce Problems?”

Virtual Joint Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley Chapters on April 15

A common issue across all manufacturing businesses is the ability to find and retain the needed skilled resources. Apprenticeship is a viable and proven solution to finding the needed resources and developing existing resources to support and improve the performance of your business.

Please join us online on Thursday, April 15, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Daniel Wierman (Apprenticeship Coordinator, Goodwill Southern California and The Strong Workforce Apprenticeship Group), Jeffrey Forrest (Vice-President of Economic Development, College of the Canyons) and Tracy DiFilippis (Sector Strategies Implementation Manager, Goodwill of Southern California) will explain the value of apprenticeship, how it works and the commitment to ensure its success.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfscvapr21.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation. The San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Moss Adams, Chubb, and Bolton & Company.

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“Reading Between the Lines: Leveraging the Assumptions Behind CMMC to Save Time, Money, and Your Sanity”

Joint Orange County and Santa Clarita Valley Chapter virtual meeting on March 4

Many small and mid-sized aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturers who attempt to decipher their cybersecurity obligations under Defense Federal Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clauses and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program are left feeling like they are missing something. Unfortunately, that is true in more ways than one. Several critical dependencies, omissions, and assumptions underlie the regulations and the most recent DFARS changes have only compounded the issue.

Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity regulations are not what they seem. A closer look below the waterline reveals the lasting implications of activities like answering customer questionnaires; submitting self-assessments to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS); and self-attesting to DFARS cybersecurity compliance.

Please join us on March 4, 2021, 8:00-9:00am pacific time, for an online webinar when Jacob Horne, Cybersecurity Consultant, DefCERT will address what are the most common assumptions that A&D manufacturers make about their cybersecurity obligations; their cybersecurity posture; and the resulting feasibility of passing a CMMC assessment? What assumptions are buried within DFARS and CMMC about your business and the business of A&D manufacturing in general? Taken together, how do these assumptions contribute to the most common challenges faced by A&D manufactures?

Most importantly, how can A&D manufacturers take advantage of this ambiguity to save time and money during a compliance transformation as well as set themselves up for success in a CMMC assessment?

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfocmar21.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Orange County Chapter is normally hosted by Moss Adams and is sponsored by Chubb, Bolton & Company, and City National Bank. The Santa Clarita Valley Chapter is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“Future of Space Propulsion for U.S. Space Force”

Virtual Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on November 24

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:00am Pacific Time

We are pleased to host Major Joseph Dechert, USAF Chief, In-Space Propulsion Branch from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) that leads the discovery, development and delivery of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces.

Please join us online on Tuesday, November 24, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Major Dechert will discuss how the stand-up of the new U.S. Space Force will change the landscape of how the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) operates in space. This will create the need for innovative and rapid technology development for future space architectures. In support of this technological shift, the AFRL Rocket lab is charged with developing the critical propulsion technology needed to meet US Space Force.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfscvnov20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“Facing COVID-19 and Industry Disruption: An Interactive Discussion with A&D Santa Clarita Businesses”

Virtual Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on September 24

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Thursday, September 24, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:00am Pacific Time

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Clarita Valley Aerospace & Defense businesses are faced with unprecedented challenges to maintain profitable operations and keep its workforce safe and productive. Please join us online on Thursday, September 24, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when the chapter will host an interactive panel with executive leaders from top local aerospace businesses who will discuss lessons learned and areas of focus that each business has adapted to remain viable long term through perseverance, flexibility and focus. Panel members are Brian Williams (CEO, Avantus Aerospace), Michael Alfred (President, Crissair Inc.), and Eric Jensen (Vice President, Fralock Inc.).

The discussion will be moderated by Holly Schroeder, CEO, Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation and Robert Gleason, Chapter Chair, Santa Clarity Valley Chapter, The Aerospace Defense Forum. The Q&A session will include the following major topics:
• COVID-19 Safety Protocols (testing, PPE)
• Business Continuity
• Workforce Flexibility (telecommuting, work hours, etc.)
• Impact of Commercial Downturn.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfscvsep20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“Set Up to Fail? Cybersecurity Compliance in the Last Mile of the DoD Supply Chain”

Virtual Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on July 16

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:00am PST

Many small and mid-size aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturers want to diversify their sales pipelines by participating in the DoD supply chain as a result of diminished demand in the commercial aviation markets.

Please join us online on Thursday, July 16, 8:00–9:00am PST, when Jacob Horne, Sr. Cybersecurity Consultant, California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), will describe how pivoting to the DoD supply chain has its own set of challenges and cybersecurity requirements.

The regulatory landscape of the defense industrial base is experiencing a sea change. Yet, the situation on the ground points to a challenging future for DoD suppliers. Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) compliance obligations are required to be flowed down from the prime contractor to the subcontracting supply chain wherever controlled unclassified information (CUI) goes. This process is unknown to most small and mid-sized aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturers (SMMs) and IT managed services providers (MSPs). Soon Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) modifications to DFARS will prevent A&D SMMs from bidding on contracts as a result of poor IT MSP management.

The combination of reliance on managed service providers and nebulous guidance from regulatory bodies has resulted in a distributed cybersecurity ecosystem with little hope of achieving compliance on its own. The rush to replace compliance self-attestation with third party audits has put both businesses and sensitive information at risk.

Cybersecurity is not a question of technology but rather is a function of robust supply chain risk management.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members and is limited to 100 attendees. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfscvjul20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“Take Risk, Don’t Fail, The Power of Leadership, Innovation and Collaboration”

Virtual Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on June 18

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Thursday, June 18, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:00am PST

Please join us online on Thursday, June 18, 8:00–9:00am PST, when Mr. Brian Muirhead, Mars Sample Return Campaign Chief Architect at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will share some key aspects of how the challenges and risks of space exploration can be applied to leadership and innovation as we navigate this world of uncertainty and disruptive change. Brian is a key leader for the mission to Mars and will discuss how constraints can drive innovation while managing significant risk to achieve success. The following areas will be discussed based on lessons learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission and ongoing development with the Mars Sample Return and beyond:
• Leadership: “Glue and Grease”
• Innovation: Ideas, Constraints and Execution
• Collaboration and Team Building: Talent, Ownership and Trust
• Clear & Effective Communications
• Performance and Risk Management: Robust Solutions Against the Unknown-Unknowns

Brian Muirhead has 42 years of experience in the development and leadership of flight projects at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a JPL Fellow. He is the recipient of two of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medals for his work on Mars Pathfinder and Constellation. Brian is currently leading the study of NASA’s Mars Sample Return campaign as Chief Architect and Chief Engineer.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members and is limited to 100 attendees. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfscvjun20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.