Skibbie Scholarship to Be Established. (Ndia news).

The National Defense Industrial Association's board will establish the Lawrence F. Skibbie Scholarship Award, in honor of the association's former president, who retired Sept. 21.

The purpose of the scholarship will be to support one or more advanced graduate students in the fields of engineering, science or management in disciplines relevant to defense and national security.

According to Gayle C. White, chairman of NDIA's space committee, the defense workforce lacks highly trained personnel, who are too often drawn to the non-defense private sector because of more competitive pay. "Personnel skilled in math, sciences and engineering are in short supply in all technology-based industries," he said. "Today's 'new' economy is dependent on highly skilled and well-educated individuals. Increasingly, this dependence has focused on information systems, both space-based and terrestrial. Mathematics, science and engineering are crucial skills in the development, sustainment and operation of [our defense] systems."

The Skibbie Scholarship will be awarded for one year, but can be extended to a second year based on satisfactory student progress. Up to $10,000 could be awarded each year. The candidates will be chosen on the basis of individual merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status or any other class protected by any federal, state, local law or regulation.

The scholarship will be administered by the NDIA executive committee. A solicitation to potential candidates will be issued in fiscal year 2002.

As president of NDIA and one of NDIA's predecessor organizations, the American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA), Skibbie was a proponent of a strong industrial base and often testified before both houses of Congress on matters pertaining to the defense industry.

During his 33 years of Army service, he held a variety of command and staff positions, culminating in his final assignment as deputy commander for research, development and acquisition of the Army Materiel Command. He retired from the Army with the rank of lieutenant general. He served as an associate professor of ordnance engineering at the West Point Military Academy. Skibbie has received a number of awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster) and the Bronze Star Medal.

AFEI Founding President to Head Marine Corps Heritage Center

Retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Jerry McKay, the founding president and executive director of the Association For Enterprise Integration, an NDIA affiliate association, has accepted the position as chief operating officer at the Marine Corps Heritage Center.

The center is a joint project of the Heritage Foundation and the Marine Corps. It will be located in Quantico, Va., and is scheduled to open on Nov. 10, 2005. One of McKay's major roles as chief operating officer will be to raise funds and monitor construction of the center.

McKay was commissioned in the Marine Corps in June 1962. He served on active duty for 29 years, including a stint in Vietnam as an infantry company commander with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. His assignments also included various artillery and communications organizations. He was the assistant division commander, 1st Marine Division in 1988-1989, and later served as deputy assistant chief of staff at headquarters, Marine Corps.

Upon leaving active duty, McKay became executive vice president of the National Security Industrial Association (NSIA). He remained at NSIA until it merged with the American Defense Preparedness Association in March 1997 to become NDIA, then assumed his present position. AFEI was established in April 1998.

Originally from Kansas City, Kan., McKay received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas, and a master of arts degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife, the former LaVonne Ritter, have two children and reside in Oakton, Va.

David Chesebrough has been named AFEI's new president.