Aerospace Hub Announce First Director

Priorities for the first director of the state-created aerospace innovation hub in Dayton, OH include attracting more aerospace companies, among them a coveted General Electric Co. center to develop advanced electrical power systems for aircraft.

Having the GE research center near the University of Dayton, the lead partner in the aerospace hub, would be a natural boost for GE’s effort to develop new generations of electric power systems for military and civilian aircraft, Kerry Taylor said Monday, Aug. 23. GE has said it plans to locate the center in the Dayton area and that it won’t disclose the site until early 2011.

Taylor’s hiring was announced Monday by UD and other partners in the aerospace hub. The partners include the city of Dayton; CityWide Development Corp., a development arm of the city; Montgomery County; and Dayton Development Coalition.

Taylor, 52, retired from the Air Force in 2005 after a 25-year career focused on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. He later served on the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and then for three years with defense contractor SRA International Inc. at its Riverside office near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, UD officials said.

A committee representing the aerospace hub partners chose Taylor from among 50 applicants, the partners said. Taylor began in the job Aug. 2, based at the Tech Town building at 711 E. Monument Ave. He reports to John Leland, director of the University of Dayton Research Institute.

Last September, Gov. Ted Strickland announced creation of the Dayton hub of aerospace innovation and opportunity. It’s intended to capitalize on Dayton’s aviation heritage and expertise in aerospace, advanced materials and sensors technologies driven by demand from Wright-Patterson.

Strickland returned to Dayton in January to award $250,000 to start up the hub. The state funding, spread over three years, included money to help hire a director.

By John Nolan, Dayton Daily News