After recently attending the Oklahoma City’s Chamber of Commerce "State of the City" event at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, the Honorable Mayor David Holt left us with several inspirational points. He talked about how Oklahoma City is America’s 20th largest city, and we are the sixth fastest growing top twenty city in the nation. Our city’s population has already surpassed the 700,000 mark! He reinforced that our unemployment is low and our economy is strong. He voiced that "our aviation sector continues to be strong, as the work on the Tinker expansion project continues and the over 5,000 employees at the FAA continues to be a source of pride."

When the Mayor gives credit to the work being accomplished here at the Center, we know we’re doing something right. Just this month, we’ve held two award ceremonies and both events were overflowing with Center employees that continue to perform at monumental levels, going above and beyond what is expected of them. We are truly grateful to work among people and in a culture that remains committed to the mission.

We’ve partnered with Tinker Air Force Base in offering the "Art of the Possible" training and examining ways of creating a data-driven, constraints-based, continuous processes improvement leadership model. We’re eager to explore this methodology further by enhancing an even more successful work environment driven by continuous improvement.

This month, we look at employee services that are available to everyone located at the Center, ranging from food services, a fitness center, daycare facility, a credit union, to even a bookstore. It is these creature comforts that ingeniously make our work environment more fulfilling.

STEM Outreach events have been increasing over the summer months with ACE Camp and scheduling multiple onsite tours. Groups from the University of Oklahoma, Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals and Eastern Oklahoma State College experienced first-hand the missions of several Aeronautical Center organizations.

We recently presented our quarterly virtual MMAC Tech Talk where the topic was about unlocking the potential of having drones in our everyday airspace. Additionally, the Aeronautical Center provided a virtual booth in the 3rd Annual Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Symposium sponsored by the FAA’s Office of Civil Rights. Another popular event that concluded this month was the 9th Annual Small and Disadvantaged Industry Day, a virtual occasion that drives our value proposition in supporting the FAA mission. The event included a business matchmaking event where direct access is given to federal agencies, prime contractors and providers through one-on-one meetings.

There’s also a series of STEM outreach events planned, as well as employee engagement activities with volunteer opportunities at the Regional Foodbank of Oklahoma and a drone festival. Recently, there was also a successful fundraising golf tournament hosted by the True Sky Foundation to benefit Children’s Miracle Network. There’s a myriad of ways to get to know your co-workers better. Watch for broadcast messages to see what involvement activities appeal to you.

Like you, our calendars remain full as we stay involved with a wide range of activities. Much like Mayor Holt relayed in his State of the City speech, "our citizens know how to develop a vision, rally our people around it, and then execute it." We know this is true of our Aeronautical Center workforce as well. Thank you for your dedication and innovation in making the Aeronautical Center what it is today.

Kindly,

Michelle Coppedge
Director, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center