Aerospace Industries Association
Aerospace and Defense: The Strength to Lift America

SMC Committees

The Supplier Management Council has established eight action-oriented committees. All members are welcome and encouraged to participate as much as they are comfortable to ensure the committees are successful in addressing all supplier concerns.

Contact Bill Peterson or Peggy Boyd to join a committee today.

International Committee

Chair: Vince Hrenak, Raytheon and Varun Nikore, TriPolus Goals: Examine supplier globalization, marketing and business development, offsets, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and export controls, local customs and laws, and the best location for future AIA trade missions.

Contracting/Subcontracting Initiatives Committee

Chair: Peter Rettaliata, Air Industries Machining Goals: Establish consistent contract types, standardize award debrief processes, establish progress billings and cash flow process, and create flow-down accounting standards.

Continuous Process Improvement Committee

Chair: Tom Plungis, Lockheed Martin Goals: Examine Lean Six Sigma, theory of constraints, and alignment of metrics toward outcome achievement. Attempt to eliminate infrastructure and operations-related constraints to aerospace growth, to maintain an effective industrial base, and to help suppliers move up the value added supply chain. Spotlight member companies that have made extraordinary progress.

Supplier Ratings Systems Committee

Chair: Roger Weiss, Rockwell Collins Goals: Establish best-in-class supplier ratings, identify best-in-class supplier performance requirements, and establish common supplier ratings approach across prime contractors.

Small Business Initiatives Committee

Chair: Vickie Wessel, Spirit Electronics Goals: Influence small business policy and legislation, address issues at Small Business Administration (SBA), establish full member panel of Small Business Liaison Officers (SBLOs), expand scope of socio-economic committee, include TRIAD and other similar organizations, interact with disadvantaged business working groups, establish issues and action items, energize membership for tactical lobbying at state and federal levels.

Requirements and Technology Committee

Chair: Bob Morris, Renaissance Services Goals: Be the SMC window on emerging technology and requirements activity, provide a forum for understanding and formulation of positions, provide a catalyst for specific actions, as necessary, lead the effort to fill voids and generate guidance as needed (white papers, standards, "how to" guides), serve as primary interface to other AIA committees with similar charters (Technical Operations Council and Engineering Management Committee), link to other industry associations with similar interests (NDIA, GEIA), coordinate with government.

Employee Benefits Programs Committee

Chair: Chuck Gray, Frontier Electronic Systems Goals: Reduce members benefit rates, health care benefit pooling/Association health care plan, products liability insurance plan, discounted rates on airfare, hotel rooms, etc.

Legislative Committee

Chair: Vickie Wessel, Spirit Electronics Goals: Influence legislation to benefit aerospace primes and suppliers, establish one SMC rep on each AIA committee, track legislation key to SMC membership, identify new issues, lobbying to support key legislation, synergy with AIA legislative committees, SMC membership legislative profiles.

Electronic Enterprise Integration Committee (EEIC)

Co-Chairs: Ron Schuldt, Lockheed Martin nd Mike O'Shea, Dynabil Goals: EEIC is chartered jointly by AIA e-Business Steering Group (eBSG) and Supplier Management Committee (SMC) and reports to both. Based on the AIA objective, the overall concept of operations of the EEIC is to solicit, identify and rationalize specific business requirements; Identify and assess key standards and initiatives, as framework components within an overall framework for eBusiness; develop AIA position statements on relevant standards/initiatives; undertake projects to ensure that appropriate standards are available to industry in a timely manner, together with suitable guidance material if required; develop guidelines for deployment of such components to meet specific business scenarios; and seek industry endorsement of the resulting standards and solutions.