Posts Tagged ‘Spaceport Community Council’

One of the foundational principles for having a spaceport in New Mexico is to provide tangible evidence of what can come from a good education, and enough excitement and incentive to encourage our students to learn and go make a difference. Spaceport America can be that catalyst for many of our youth to go beyond circumstance to a great future!

The April Dona Ana County Spaceport Community Council will feature a panel of leading educators from the Southern New Mexico who will discuss how Spaceport America is impacting our local schools from those that are involved in creating the change we’ve desired.

The event’s facilitator will be Margie Huerta, CEO of Dona Ana Community College.  Panelists include:

• Tom Burton, Department Head and Professor of New Mexico State University’s Aerospace Engineering Program;
• Patricia Hynes, Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium;
• Jerry Welch, Division Dean of Dona Ana Community College’s Technical and Industrial Studies;
• Stan Rounds, Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Steven Sanchez, Associate Superintendent for Learning, Teaching and Research of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Bill Coker, Superintendent of Hatch Valley Public Schools;
• Cynthia Nava, Superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District; and
• Tom Burris, Superintendent of Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Gerald Thomas Auditorium on the campus of New Mexico State University.  The meeting is open to the public and there is no admission charge.

For more information contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, 575-524-1968.

The first Spaceport Community Council Meeting was held on July 21, 2009 at the Dona Ana County Government Center.  The public meeting was sponsored by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce‘s Commercial Space Committee. The event was moderated by Garrey Carruthers, former governor and Dean of the New Mexico State University College of Business.

Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America, provided the audience an update on the progress of Spaceport America. His presentation included videos (click the links to view) of the May 2^nd New Mexico Education Launch and the June 19^th Spaceport America ground breaking event.  Videos are also available on YouTube.

Wayne Savage, Chair of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee provided an overview of the committee’s activities in the community to help develop and publicize business opportunities related to the Spaceport. He announced that the next public forum would be held on October 20, 2009 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. The event, The Leonard R. Sugerman Public Forum, is part of the 2009 International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS).

Following the presentations, questions from the audience were answered by representatives from Spaceport America, the Las Cruces Public Schools, MVEDA, and elected officials, including State Representative Andy Nunez, County Commissioner Scott Krahling, and City Councilor Dolores Connor. The event was taped and is being aired on the City of Las Cruces’ CLC-TV cable channel 20 for those that are unable to attend.

Doña Ana County will hold its first Spaceport Community Council Meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, in the commission chambers at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 Motel. Blvd. The event is sponsored by Cimmaron Software Services and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee.

The two-hour event will include a 45-minute presentation from Steve Landeene, director of Spaceport America, and Wayne Savage, chair of the GLCCC’s Commercial Space Committee. Both speakers will give an up-to-date look at the development and construction of Spaceport America and ways the Doña Ana County community is becoming involved with the regional project. Other distinguished guests serving on the evening’s panel include State Representative Andy Nunez, State Senator Mary Kay Papen, Las Cruces City Councilor Dolores Connor, Dona Ana County Commissioner Scott Krahling, MVEDA President Davin Lopez, and Jim Hayhoe. The event will be moderated by Garrey Carruthers, former governor and dean of the New Mexico State University College of Business.

The remainder of the evening will be question-and-answer time for those in attendance to learn more about the project. Questions will be gathered from attendees as they enter and will be presented to the panel by Carruthers.

The event will be taped and will air at a later time on CLC-TV cable channel 20 for those that are unable to attend.

During the meeting, David Montoya Construction and F&F New Mexico, the first two contractors for Spaceport America, will be introduced. They will be available to answer questions from attendees about opportunities with the spaceport.

The Spaceport Community Council Meetings will be a regular quarterly event allowing the community to stay current with the status of Spaceport America and have a forum to ask questions for experts. According to Savage, the future meetings will have particular themes, including building the spaceport community, education, tourism and economic development.

For more information, contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce at 524-1968.