ATA honored for focus on continuing education

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA), AEDC's operating partner, is being honored for encouraging continuing education among its program managers.

The Nashville chapter of the Program Management Institute (PMI) has named ATA its Corporate Sponsor of the Year for 2009.

The Project Management Institute is widely recognized as one of the foremost organizations in the area of project management, providing monthly educational programs and allowing project managers from various disciplines to interface with each other.

"There are several components of the annual Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award, but member development is a big factor, and, over the course of 2009, ATA demonstrated they were committed to the professional development of its project managers," Chapter President Charles Lebo said.

In addition, the international PMI organization provides instruction and testing that result in certification as project management professionals.

"As an organization, we highly encourage our project managers to become certified project management professionals, and certification is through PMI," Louis Vanacore, ATA director of Projects and Design Engineering, said.

"You have to take a 35-hour course," according to Sharon Carter, deputy director of Projects and Design Engineering. "You have to prove to PMI that you have 4,500 hours of project manager experience, and you have to sit for a 200 question test."

"And we realize that those achieving PMP certification are probably going to be the core that will continue to advance within the Projects and Design Engineering organization," Vanacore said.

According to Lebo, ATA has made a commitment to project management development and PMI by frequently having representatives at the chapter's monthly luncheons and other chapter events.

"Taking a different tack from previous years where sponsor dollars were a big measure, and, given the drive to attend any Nashville events, the PMI Nashville board felt it was important to recognize the contribution of ATA and the dedication of the ATA colleagues," Lebo said.