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AIA News 2009

Sylvester to Lead AIA Procurement & Finance Department

June 29, 2009

Richard K. Sylvester, a 35-year Defense Department acquisition management executive, is joining the Aerospace Industries Association Aug. 3 as vice president of Acquisition Policy, the top position in the association’s Procurement and Finance Department.
 
Sylvester most recently was deputy director of Acquisition Resources and Analysis (Acquisition Management) in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics where he was responsible for the development of acquisition strategies, program baselines and acquisition decision memoranda.
 
AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey said Sylvester’s broad expertise in acquisition management will bring significant leadership to the association at a time when defense acquisition and other aerospace policies and processes are facing a growing number of challenges.
 
“Supplying the systems and services that support America’s men and women in uniform is one of the most important functions of the aerospace and defense industry,” Blakey said. “Ric’s background will be a major asset as AIA moves forward with the many industry issues on our plate, including implementation of recently-passed acquisition reform legislation, as well as tax, industrial security, intellectual property, and environmental safety and health matters.”
 
Sylvester studied political science and economics at the University of Michigan where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1974.
 
He began his career in defense acquisition with the U.S. Army Materiel Command and later served in an array of increasingly responsible positions in the Pentagon, including deputy director for defense procurement and acquisition policy (Acquisition Workforce and Career Management) and deputy director for acquisition resources and analysis (Property and Equipment Policy). Sylvester served a year as a legislative fellow working for Senator Carl Levin (D-MI).
 
While deputy director of acquisition resources and analysis (Acquisition Management) Sylvester led a Joint Analysis Team of nine senior government analysts and three contractor representatives in developing recommendations to improve the efficiency of acquisition program decision forums. Working with the Undersecretary of Defense for the Comptroller and the military departments, Sylvester also created the first financial reporting baseline for DoD’s military equipment.  
 
AIA’s Procurement and Finance division is responsible for directing the development and coordination of the Association’s positions on proposed procurement-related legislation, regulations, and their implementation. It is the focal point for many of the initiatives associated with the federal government's acquisition reform activities, including the provision of information and data to interested parties on association programs and positions related to procurement legislation, regulation, policies and procedures.