Two local leaders named as Hanscom honorary commanders

  • Published
  • By Sarah Olaciregui
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Two local business and community leaders were named as honorary commanders here during the Electronic Systems Center commander's call Feb. 3.

Charlie Benway, North Suburban Chamber chairman of the board of directors and Association of Old Crows Northeast-Eastern director, was named honorary commander of ESC.

Pam Brown, a lawyer with Brown and Brown, located in Bedford, Mass., was named honorary commander of the 66th Air Base Group.

Hanscom's Honorary Commanders program allows community and business leaders to meet, interact and socialize with Airmen, learn about the important overall Air Force mission and see first-hand the contribution Hanscom makes to the Air Force mission.

Benway will work with Lt. Gen. CR Davis, ESC commander, while Brown will partner with Col. Stacy L. Yike, 66th Air Base Group commander, on a closer community link to maintain and build on relationships with other local civic and community leaders.

"I appreciate the honorary commanders helping us understand what the community issues are," Davis said. "Hopefully we can relate some of the things we are going through."

In addition to serving on several boards, Benway owns and operates Visum Consulting, providing business consulting services. He started the company in 2010 after spending approximately 25 years managing mainly government programs while working for several firms within the Hanscom-area defense community.

His executive experience included a stint as chief operating officer of Oasis Systems Inc. and as senior vice president of the Systems Engineering Group for ACS Defense where he developed and managed an $80 million annual IT, engineering, acquisition, technical and management services organization with more than 650 people.

Brown concentrates her law practice in the areas of zoning, land use, planning and permitting issues. She was a member of the Massachusetts School of Law, Law Review from 1997 to 1999 and was previously employed as a consultant to many New England towns, assisting with master planning and zoning issues.

She serves as a director of the Massachusetts of Planning Directors and recently concluded her term as the president of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce.

The honorary commander's program first began at Hanscom in 2006.