Tireless Campaigner For Sooner State's Aerospace Industry

Victor Bird, director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, was named the 2009 recipient of the prestigious General Thomas P. Stafford Award during the eighth annual Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo June 15-18 in Tulsa.

The award, named after Oklahoma native and retired astronaut Gen. Tom Stafford, is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Oklahoma aerospace industry and who honors the pioneering spirit shown by Gen. Stafford.

"I am very honored and humbled. Just being mentioned in the same breath as the other nominees, that in itself is an honor to me," Bird said during his acceptance speech before an audience of approximately 1,000 key industry leaders. "I know all those gentlemen, and they are giants in this industry."

"Vic's leadership, personal involvement and commitment have influenced the growth of Oklahoma's aerospace industry," said Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who presented Bird with the Stafford Award. "His efforts have helped Oklahoma gain recognition as a nationwide aerospace leader."

Bird has guided the Aeronautics Commission since becoming its director in December 2002 and has tirelessly campaigned for the state's aviation and aerospace industry. He continually promotes Oklahoma's aerospace industry and has drafted numerous bills aimed at improving the competitive advantage of Oklahoma aerospace.

Recognizing the aerospace sector is facing a critical shortage of engineering and technical talent, Bird championed House Bill 3239 which was passed and signed into law following the 2008 state legislative session. Often referred to as the Aerospace Industry Engineer Workforce Bill, HB 3239 provides state tax credits to new engineers hired by Oklahoma aerospace companies as well as state tax credits to the companies that hire those engineers.

When HB 3239 ran into some opposition late in the session, Bird said that he contacted Gen. Stafford who later met him at the state Capitol where they visited with legislators about the bill's importance.

"That's just how he is. He still gives back to this state even after all he has already done and accomplished," Bird said.

Bird was a driving force behind the formation of Governor Brad Henry's Aerospace Task Force in 2004, which resulted in several recommendations to foster the growth of the industry. He is a key member of Economic Development Generating Excellence aerospace team where he provides advocacy for aerospace businesses with state and federal agencies. He wholeheartedly supports aviation education by providing funding to several key aviation programs and academies across the state, including CareerTech's Aerospace Internship Recruitment program.

Bird is vice chairman of the executive committee for the National Association of State Aviation Officials and will be the first Oklahoman to become chairman of the prestigious aviation organization on Oct. 1. He is an active member of the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development and the University of Oklahoma's Aviation Advisory Board. He was recently appointed to the Finance Working Group that has been given the task of creating a development strategy for Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport.

This marks just the second year for the Stafford Award. Bob Conner, former director of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center who now serves as executive director for the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute, a program that Bird helped to create, was the first recipient of the award in 2008.

FMI: http://www.okaero.com/