Registration ongoing for New Horizons Symposium

  • Published
  • By By J.C. Corcoran
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Hanscom AFB --  The Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association in participation with the Electronic Systems Center will hold its annual New Horizons Symposium Jan. 24 and 25 at the Bedford Glen Hotel, Bedford, Mass.

The symposium provides a forum for the Electronic Systems Center with industry personnel to exchange information on new business directions and specific business opportunities.

The planned focus for this year's event, "Modernizing the Force for Tomorrow," will be the new and emerging business opportunities in ESC's portfolio of programs and how ESC plans to procure these systems.

"The New Horizons Conference provides ESC a great opportunity to share with industry our expectations for future acquisition work," said Col. Bruce Johnson, ESC's Plans and Programs director,

"It gives industry the insight to adjust their businesses to best meet the needs of ESC and, ultimately, the warfighter," he said.

Highlighting the two-day event will be the chapter-sponsored State of ESC speech to be delivered by the ESC Commander Lt. Gen. Chuck Johnson at a luncheon on Jan. 25.
Plans for this year's symposium include discussions on how the Air Force is modernizing for tomorrow.

Colonel Johnson said that New Horizons is one of the most important events conducted during the year.

"Both the government and industry get more bang for the buck. New Horizons lets industry know where to best invest their time and money, at the same time ESC gets a stronger contractor team to deliver improved capabilities to the warfighter."
Included in this year's symposium will be a panel discussion that will explore and look at the future of Air Force Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Information systems.

Retired Maj. Gen. Robert Behler, MITRE Corporation Command and Control Center senior vice president and the former commander of the Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va., will moderate the panel.

Brig. Gen. Gary Connor, former Multi-National Force-Iraq Communications and Information Systems deputy chief of staff, will deliver the Warfighter Perspective. General Connor was the previous commander of ESC's 350th Electronics Systems Wing, and has been selected for reassignment as Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Program director at the Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Ala.

Additional panel members include Rich Byrne, MITRE Corporation Command and Control Center vice president, and Col. Tom Wozniak, Air Combat Command's Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division chief.
Linda Jean, AFCEA Lexington-Concord Chapter president said, "New Horizons better prepares industry to partner with and take on ESC's work.

"It offers ESC an opportunity to not only get the message out to industry on what is needed, but to get the same consistent message to all of industry at the same time."
Attendance at this year's event is limited, and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Early registration is highly encouraged.

"The members of AFCEA have put together another world-class event," Ms. Jean said. "Without their hard work and dedication, ESC would not have this single, large forum to easily and readily share information with industry."

For active-duty military members and government civilians, the registration fee is $150. For AFCEA members, the registration fee is $450; the fee for nonmembers is $495.
At the conclusion of the New Horizons Symposium on Jan. 25, General Johnson will present the Annual State of ESC speech at 12:30 p.m.

Separate registration and tickets are required to attend.

Cost for this portion of the two-day event is $20 for active-duty military and government civilians and $40 for all others.

Reservations for the annual State of ESC speech must be received by Jan. 12 and can be made by contacting Claire Goulet at (781) 229-9482, extension 20.