The Aerospace Corporation Announces Election of Vincent Vitto to Board of Trustees

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Dec.6, 2007) -- Vincent Vitto, retired president and CEO of The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, has been elected to The Aerospace Corporation's board of trustees. Vitto was elected to a three-year term Dec. 5 during the board's annual meeting held at the corporate headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.

Vitto retired from Draper Laboratory last year after serving as president and CEO for nine years. Before joining Draper in 1997 he spent 32 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, rising to assistant director of Surface Surveillance and Communications.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Vince to the board of trustees, said Dr. William F. Ballhaus Jr., president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation. "His extensive experience in defense and aerospace research and applications will prove invaluable as we confront the challenges of the future."

Vitto serves as vice chair of the Defense Science Board. He is a member of the National Reconnaissance Office Technical Advisory Group and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Advisory Group. In addition, he is a member of the National Associates of The National Academies and is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Formerly he served on the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council, chairing the board from 1999 to 2004. He also served as member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and the Science and Technology Advisory Committee of the Department of Homeland Security. He has received public service awards from the Air Force (1998), the Navy (1992 and 2004), and the National Reconnaissance Office (2004).

Meanwhile, Ballhaus announced that Peter B. Teets was elected to replace Gen. Howell M. Estes III (USAF, Ret.) as vice chair of the board. Estes, Gen. Thomas S. Moorman Jr. (USAF, Ret.), and K. Anne Street will be stepping down from the board after serving three consecutive three-year terms.

"We thank them for their many years of dedicated service, which has been invaluable to the corporation," Ballhaus said.

This was the last board meeting for Ballhaus as president and CEO. He is retiring on Dec. 31 after seven years of corporate leadership and will be replaced by Dr. Wanda M. Austin (see June 20, 2007, announcement at http://www.aero.org/news/newsitems/austin6-20-07.html). Dr. Mal De Ponte will be replacing Austin as senior vice president of National Systems Group.

Contact Dave Jonta, 310-336-5041, david.l.jonta@aero.org