Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley to Speak at 25th National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Mar. 12, 2009) — Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley will address the 25th National Space Symposium on its closing day, April 2, 2009. In keeping with the symposium’s theme, The Next Space Age, he will discuss the current state and future outlook of the Air Force space program and its implications to the global space environment.

The premier annual gathering of the global space community, the 25th National Space Symposium brings together all sectors of space – civil, commercial, national security, new space entrepreneurship, and finance – to highlight accomplishments and address opportunities and issues facing the space community today. Offered by the Space Foundation, the symposium will take place March 30 – April 2 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“From his earliest days of service as a member of the Army’s elite Airborne Special Forces, to his present assignment as Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley has distinguished himself as few others have,” said Elliot Pulham, Space Foundation chief executive officer. “His service in uniform, in industry, in non-governmental organizations, and for a quarter-century at the highest echelons of national defense make him uniquely qualified as Secretary of the Air Force. We are honored to have him join us for the 25th National Space Symposium.”

Donley has more than 26 years of experience in the national security community, including service in the Senate, White House and the Pentagon. During his career he has been involved in strategy and policymaking at the highest levels and is a recognized expert in national security organization, planning and budgeting. He was sworn in as secretary of the Air Force on Oct. 17, 2008, and is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its more than 300,000 men and women on active Air Force duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. He also oversees the Air Force’s annual budget of approximately $110 billion.

Previously, Donley served as director of administration and management, where as principal staff assistant to Secretary of the Department of Defense Organizational and Management Planning group, he oversaw the DoD Freedom of Information and Privacy programs, the Historical and Information Technology/Chief Information Officer programs for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Washington Headquarters Services.

In his career, Donley has served as senior vice president at Hicks and Associates, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC); Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses; Acting Secretary of the Air Force and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller); and Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of Defense Programs for the National Security Council. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international relations from the University of Southern California and served three years in the United States Army with the XVIIIth Airborne Corps and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

About the 25th National Space Symposium
The symposium offers workshops, forums, panels and presentations covering all aspects of space, a number of special dinners and luncheons, and presentation of several prestigious space-related awards. It also includes extensive programs for selected teachers and students, a Space Career Fair, and the Boeing Exhibit Centers representing more than 140 organizations and companies. More than 7,500 registrants, guests, speakers, exhibitors, and media representatives from around the world are expected to attend.

Co-sponsors of the symposium include Aerojet, The Aerospace Corporation, a.i. solutions, Analytical Graphics, Inc., ATK, ARES Corporation, ASRC Federal, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boeing, Braxton Technologies, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cobham, General Dynamics, Hitachi Consulting, Honeywell, IBM, Infinite Links, Integral Systems, Inc., Intelsat General Corporation, International Space University, ITT, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, The Mitre Corporation, Modem Technology Solutions, Inc., New Mexico Space Grant, Northrop Grumman, Pikes Peak Workforce Center, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Raytheon, Regis University, SAIC, SEAKR Engineering, Inc., SERCO, SpaceX, Stellar Solutions, United Launch Alliance, United Space Alliance, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Webster University. Media partners are Aviation Week, Defense Systems, Space News, and Via Satellite.

Online registration and more information, including an updated program agenda, confirmed speaker list, and exhibitor list, are available at www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org/.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is an international nonprofit organization advancing space-related endeavors to inspire, enable, and propel humanity. A leader in space awareness activities, major industry events, and educational enterprises that bring space into the classroom, the Space Foundation is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo. It conducts research and analysis and government affairs activities from its Washington, D.C., office and has field representatives in Houston, Texas, and Cape Canaveral, Fla. In addition to the 25th National Space Symposium, the Space Foundation, along with partnering organizations, will also conduct Space Business Forum: New York on June 4, 2009, in New York, N.Y., and an event with the United States Strategic Command this fall in Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org/.

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