Meeting Minutes: Sept 30, 2023

SAWE Los Angeles Chapter Meeting Minutes

Meeting Time:  Saturday September 30, 2023 at 11:00 AM

Meeting Location:  New Peking Restaurant in Cerritos     

Meeting Agenda: LA Chapter Luncheon Meeting   

Attendance: (12)

Lawrence Cruz (LA Chapter President & Webmaster)

Dan Rowley (SAWE Fellow, SAWE Vice President-Training & LA Chapter Vice President) & Lisa Rowley (guest)

John Nakai (SAWE Honorary Fellow) & Terri Nakai (guest)

John Hargrave (SAWE Honorary Fellow & LA Chapter Director)

Yi Ling Tam (LA Chapter member) & Henry Tam (guest)

Richard Manning (SAWE Lifetime & LA Chapter Member)

Michael Notarangelo (SAWE Fellow & LA Chapter Secretary)  

Ian MacNeil (LA Chapter member)

Scott Snelson (LA Chapter member)

LA Chapter Business Meeting:

Lawrence Cruz called the meeting to order at 11:09 AM

  1. SAWE International Conference Planning Committee updates:
  2. Conference Committee Co-Chairman are Dan Rowley & Lawrence Cruz
  3. Conference Committee Advisory Members: Richard Manning, John Hargrave, John Nakai, Michael Notarangelo, Ian MacNeil, Scott Snelson and Kevin Tharp (Mohave Chapter liaison)
  4. Preliminary Hotel site suggestions provided by DJ Feldman include: 

                        LAX area: Sonesta & Sheraton Gateway

                  OC/John Wayne area: Crown Plaza, Doubletree Santa Ana & Sonesta Irvine  

                  Valencia area: Hyatt Regency Valencia

  • DJ Feldman is available October 13th for site visits (fly in 10/12, visit sites 10/13, fly out 10/14)
  • Goal is to narrow down site selection to 2-3 hotels for LA Chapter “bid”
  • John Nakai questioned if we need/want to host a regional conference in Fall 2025 (option)
  • LA Chapter Projects:
  • LA Chapter Scholarship: Yi-Ling Tam withdrew the LA Chapter Scholarship proposal.  
  • Membership Drive: Dan Rowley encouraged everyone to engage new employees to join SAWE and seek out local corporate partners to become corporate members and sponsors. Besides recruiting our own co-workers, we need to reach out to employees in other local aerospace companies such as Raytheon, SpaceX, Rocket Lab and Terran Orbital. 
  • Submit bid to host SAWE 2026 International Conference by year end. 
  • Mike Notarangelo suggested adding a guest speaker/technical program to future LA Chapter meetings. Potential meeting space include Northrop Grumman S-Café, Torrance Sizzler and Aerospace Corporation.

LA Chapter members will be asked for guest speaker referrals for the January 2025 chapter meeting. 

  • Dan Rowley, John Nakai and Yi-Ling Tam plan to move forward with LA chapter bank account update.
  • John Nakai announced that Aerospace has an open requisition for an MPE with software skills.
  • Next LA Chapter meeting = TBD

Lawrence Cruz adjourned the business meeting at 12:15 PM and a family style banquet was served.