Edward W. Ayer, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Air Force Sustainment Center Associate Director of Engineering and Technical Management located at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.  He is responsible for delivering cost effective readiness through development and implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies, processes, and tools while providing executive leadership and technical direction to a workforce of more than 2,000 scientist, engineers, and engineering technicians executing a $2B annual workload.  He oversees $27M in technology insertion programs across two centers and four program offices.  Mr. Ayer also leads subject matter experts in nondestructive inspection technologies and techniques enabling engineering activities across four weapon systems to maintain their platforms in an airworthy condition.  Mr. Ayer is also the approving official for the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Enterprise Software Information Systems, Platform IT, IT Services, and IT Products.

Mr. Ayer began his United States Air Force career in 1985 as a cooperative education engineering technician in the Damage Tolerance Analysis labs at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.  He was hired in-place as an aerospace engineer upon graduation.  Since then, he has served in a broad range of senior engineering, acquisition logistics management, and industrial production management positions in sustainment, industrial production, science and technology management, and center-level engineering organizations.  Mr. Ayer was the Technical Director, Engineering and Technical Management Directorate, Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB, OK.  There he provided aerospace systems engineering, life cycle logistics, aircraft, electrical, and avionics production expertise, and airworthiness assurance expertise in support of the Director of Engineering.  He served as the Air Force Research Laboratory Director of Engineering and Technical Management.  He was the AFRL engineering authority and center senior career field representative for the science and technology management, engineering, and program management functional areas.

In his most recent assignment, Mr. Ayer served as the Vice Director of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee. The Complex employs more than 3,000 people and is comprised of more than 55 aerospace test facilities across six states executing the ground developmental test mission of the Air Force Test Center.  AEDC offers a suite of test capabilities to simulate speed, temperature, pressure, altitude, and other test parameters over a wide range of conditions to meet the needs of aerospace system developers.

EDUCATION
June 1988, Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

June 2002, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL, by correspondence

June 2004, Master of Logistics, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA

August 2017, Leadership in a Democratic Society, Federal Executives Institute, Charlottesville, VA

 

CAREER CHRONOLOGY

1. June 1985 – June 1988, Co-operative Education Engineering Technician, Damage Tolerance Analysis Lab, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

2. June 1988 – April 1989 Aeronautical Engineer, Damage Tolerance Analysis Lab, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

3. April 1989 – August 1989, Aerospace Engineer, Advanced Tactical Fighter Engine Damage Tolerance and Materials Development, Pratt and Whitney, West Palm Beach, FL

4. August 1989 – June 1995, Lead Aeronautical Engineer, HH/MH-60G/MV-22, Rotary Wing Branch, Special Operations Forces Program Office, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

5. June 1995 – September 1998, Electrical Engineer, Special Mission Sensors, SOF Avionics Branch, Special Operations Forces Program Office, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

6. September 1998 – December 2002, Engineering and Program Management Advisor, Acquisition Center of Excellence, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

7.  December 2002 – August 2008, Chief, C-130J/C-27J Sustainment Flight, 330^th Aircraft Sustainment Group, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

8.  August 2008 – September 2010, Chief, C-17 Depot Enterprise Business Office, 402^nd Maintenance Wing, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

9.  September 2010 – March 2011, Deputy Director, 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 402^nd Maintenance Group, 402^nd Maintenance Wing, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, GA

10. March 2011 – April 2013, Director, 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 402^nd Maintenance Group, 402^nd Maintenance Wing, Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Robins AFB, GA

11. April 2013 – January 2014, Acting Associate Director of Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins AFB, GA

12. January 2014 – June 2016, Technical Director, Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, OK

13. June 2016 – October 2018, Director, Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

14. October 2018 – October 2019, Vice Director, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Air Force Test Center, Arnold AFB, TN

15. October 2019 – Present, Associate Director of Engineering and Technical Management Operating Location - Robins, Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins AFB, GA

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS

Aviation Week Magazine – MRO Organization of the Year

The Boeing Company - Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Partnership

Meritorious Civilian Service Awards

AFSC Chief Engineer of the Year

 

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III, Engineering

Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III, Acquisition Logistics

Certified Acquisition Professional, Level I, Program Management

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS

Membership in International Society of Air Safety Investigators

Membership in American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

(Current as of October 2019)