Lieutenant General Tom Stafford to Keynote ARES PUG 2006
ARES First International PRISM Users Group Conference (PUG) to be held September 6-8, 2006.
Burlingame, CA, July 18, 2006 – ARES Corporation, a leading global provider of Project and Risk Management software products and services, announced today that former Astronaut and member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame Lieutenant General Tom Stafford, USAF (Ret.), will be the featured keynote speaker for PUG1, the international PRISM Users Group conference to be held September 6-8, 2006 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
As a visionary with more than 30 years of experience managing some of the world’s most important aerospace and defense projects, General Stafford will share his thoughts on the challenges of maintaining high quality and safety while meeting cost and schedule objectives on complex programs in the 21st century.
General Stafford is a legend in the Department of Defense and Space Exploration communities. He has been the commander of four space missions, including Apollo 10, which claims the first flight of the lunar module during a Moon orbit and the first rendezvous while in the Moon environment. Stafford is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest speed ever attained by man—during Apollo 10’s return from the moon, the spacecraft reached 28,547 statute miles per hour.
General Stafford was the first member of his Naval Academy Class of 1952 to pin on the first, second and third stars of a General Officer. He made six rendezvous in space; logged 507 hours in space flight; and wore the Air Force command Pilot Astronaut Wings. He has flown over 120 different types of aircraft and helicopters and four different types of spacecraft.
Following his career as an Astronaut, General Stafford served as the, U.S. Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development, and Acquisition, where he personally wrote the initial specifications and started the Advanced Technology Bomber, later renamed the B2 Stealth Bomber.
In the 1990’s General Stafford was selected by President George H.W. Bush to be the principal architect for defining how to execute the president’s vision of returning to the Moon, this time to stay, and then go on to explore Mars. General Stafford assembled teams of 40 full-time and 150 part-time members from the DOD, DOE and NASA, and completed the study called “America at the Threshold”, a road map for the next 30 years of the U.S. Manned Space Flight Program.
Richard Stuart, President and CEO of ARES, said “General Stafford is globally recognized for his distinguished military career and service to NASA and the international space community. His experience and leadership skills provide him with an unparalleled insight into project management and risk management trends that impact ARES markets and clients around the world.”
In 1962, General Stafford was selected among the second group of astronauts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to participate in Projects Gemini and Apollo. During his career he piloted Gemini VI the first rendezvous in space, commanded Gemini IX, headed the mission planning analysis and software development responsibilities for the astronaut group for Project Apollo, was the lead member of the group which helped formulate the sequence of missions leading to the first lunar landing mission and was commander of Apollo 10 the first flight of the lunar module to the moon. In June 1969 he was assigned as head of the astronaut group, responsible for the selection of flight crews for projects Apollo and Skylab.
Born in Oklahoma, General Stafford graduated with honors from the United States Naval Academy in 1952. In addition, General Stafford is the recipient of several honorary degrees. After his military career he co-founded the Technical Consulting Firm of Stafford, Burke, and Hecker, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. He has served on the Board of Directors of eight corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He was a defense advisor to Ronald Reagan during the presidential campaign and a member of the Reagan transition team. He served on the National Research Council’s Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board; the Committee on NASA Scientific and Technological Program Reviews and Vice President Quayle’s Space Policy Advisory Council. He was Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council Task Force on Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking Missions, is currently Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council Task Force on ISS Operational Readiness, and was Co-Chairman of the Stafford-Covey Space Shuttle Return to Flight Task Group.
SELECT SPECIAL HONORS: NASA Distinguished Service Medals (2), NASA Exceptional Service Medals (2), Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. NASA Medal for outstanding leadership, one of the Agency’s highest awards. He was the eighth recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame and received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA). General Stafford was also inducted into the Oklahoma Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor in October 1994, and to the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Aerospace Walk of Honor in 1997.
For more information on PUG 2006, or to register for the event please visit www.thepug.arescorporaiton.com.
About ARES Corporation
ARES Corporation (Applied Research and Engineering Sciences) is one of the foremost Engineering, Risk Management, Software/IT and Project Management companies in the United States. We differentiate ourselves from our competition, because we truly live up to our Mission, which is to provide superior-quality products and services, on time and within budget. We do this routinely! With a top-notch team of scientists, engineers, and other professionals, ARES focuses on solving industry’s most complex technical challenges in the key areas of energy, defense, aerospace and infrastructure. ARES has numerous offices across the United States and in Canada. For more information visit www.arescorporation.com.
