Monica McManus, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Lockheed Martin's Information Systems and Global Solutions (IS&GS) business, will be the keynote speaker when The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) celebrates its 33rd year promoting equity in education and workforce development at its annual Professional Development Institute.
To be held April 16-19 at the Doubletree Crystal City in Arlington, VA, NAPE's Professional Development Institute is the premier professional development event for professionals and advocates who are dedicated to removing barriers to equal opportunity in education and the workforce.
"We are thrilled to have Monica McManus deliver the keynote address at this year's Professional Development Institute," says NAPE Chief Executive Officer, Mimi Lufkin. "Her work at Lockheed Martin is not only impressive in its own right, but ties in directly with NAPE's work in increasing the recruitment, academic performance, and program completion of women and underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses to ensure a strong and competitive national workforce."
McManus, who began her career at TRW, joined Lockheed in 1997. She has held various positions with increasing responsibility there, including serving as Vice President of Engineering. In her current post, she is responsible for establishing and executing an IT strategy that promotes business growth, fosters agility, and delivers results across Lockheed Martin's IS&GS business area.
In addition to the keynote address by McManus, NAPE's Professional Development Institute will feature workshop sessions focused on a wide range of equity topics – from increasing the participation of women in STEM careers to implementing best practices for ensuring the success of high need students – led by top researchers and practitioners in the field.
The Institute allows attendees to network with other equity professionals from around the country and discuss the impact public policy has on state and local education and workforce development programs with federal policymakers.
Lockheed Martin recently agreed to be the $25,000 Platinum Sponsor of the Institute. Lufkin explains that Lockheed Martin's sponsorship and other funds raised by NAPE will provide scholarships to teachers and faculty from communities that have experienced significant education budget cuts to ensure they can attend the Institute.
"NAPE's sponsorship of the Professional Development Institute represents part of our ongoing focus on STEM education outreach and demonstrates our shared support of professional development as a key element in educating and inspiring today's youth to become the scientists, technologists, and engineers of tomorrow," she explains.
"I hope other companies follow Lockheed Martin's lead and show their support for equity in education and workforce development by serving as sponsors, advertising in our program, and participating at the event," adds Lufkin. "The Institute provides an exciting opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to both educators and to making their companies diverse, inclusive, and flexible – and ready to win in the marketplace."
For more information about the NAPE Professional Development Institute, contact NAPE at 610-593-8038 or visit www.napequity.org.
About NAPE
The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) is a consortium of state and local agencies, corporations, and national organizations committed to the advancement of equity and diversity in classrooms and workplaces.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 123,000 employees worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacturing, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.
Contacts:
for The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
Ray Weiss
443-451-7144
rweiss@weissprassociates.com
