EMS Appoints Executive Director to Maintain Clearance License

U.S. facility clearance license laws have forced EMS Technologies to appoint Board Chairman John Mowell to the additional position of executive director, the company announced.

EMS said the appointment was necessary to maintain its U.S. facility clearance license in response to U.S. National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) requirements. To hold the facility clearance license, EMS is required by NISPOM to have an individual with U.S. security clearance as its most-senior management official. The company said that while President and CEO Neilson Mackay holds a NATO clearance; he is a Canadian citizen and not eligible for U.S. clearance until he becomes a U.S. citizen.

Mowell has agreed to serve as executive director on an interim basis only. For the longer term, EMS said it is reorganizing its defense and space division’s classified work into a separate subsidiary that will be permitted to hold its own facility clearance license. Once that process is completed, Mowell will step down as executive director and Mackay will become the company’s most-senior management executive and principal executive officer.

ViaSat Names President of Wildblue

ViaSat named Tom Moore president of its newly acquired WildBlue subsidiary. His duties will include oversight of the construction and launch of the ViaSat-1 high-capacity satellite.

Moore co-founded WildBlue in 1998 and served as president and CEO until 2005, continuing as a director of the company until 2008. He replaces former CEO David Leonard.

Wavestream Names Magee Executive Vice President

Wavestream appointed Terry Magee executive vice president with responsibilities to manage the company’s business development, sales, marketing and product line.

He previously served as president of Orincon, overseeing sales and market growth until the company’s acquisition by Lockheed Martin in 2003.