Vancouver, BC, June 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY) (OTCQB: DFLYF) (FSE: 3U8) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (“RPAS”), and Unmanned Vehicle Systems (“UVS”) sectors, is pleased to announce that John M. Mitnick, former General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and Raytheon senior executive, was elected to the Board of Directors of Draganfly at the Company’s annual general meeting on June 18, 2020. All of the matters submitted to shareholders for approval, as set out in the Company’s management information circular, were approved by the requisite majority of votes cast at the annual general meeting of shareholders.
Since November 2019, Mr. Mitnick has served as a consultant to the Company advising on government and commercial business opportunities.
In his previous capacity as the General Counsel of DHS, Mr. Mitnick was the chief legal officer of a federal security and law enforcement agency with over 240,000 employees, was responsible for providing legal advice and counsel to DHS and all of its components, and supervised over 2,500 attorneys. His recent position at DHS was a continuation of his homeland security public service. Beginning in November 2002, he assisted in establishing DHS and then served as Associate General Counsel for Science and Technology until August 2004, when he moved to the White House. He served in the White House Counsel’s Office as Deputy Counsel of the Homeland Security Council from August 2004 until April 2005, and then as Associate Counsel to the President, with responsibility for the entire homeland security portfolio, until October 2007.
Mr. Mitnick has also had a distinguished career in the private sector. He served from 2007 to 2013 as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of a $3 billion division of Raytheon Company with over 9,000 employees and business operations in over 40 countries and on all continents, which provided training, logistics, engineering solutions, manufacturing, and product and operational support services to defense, government, and commercial customers. He began his legal career at the law firm now known as Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, where he was a partner specializing in mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, commercial contracts, and business start-ups.
Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly, said: “We are excited and truly honoured to have John Mitnick agree to join Draganfly’s outstanding Board of Directors. Having worked with John since last November in his capacity as an advisor to the company, I know that his previous experience at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as a senior executive of a major U.S. defense contractor, as well as his legal and business acumen, will be of great value as Draganfly continues its rapid growth.”
“I am honoured to have been elected to Draganfly’s Board of Directors,” said Mr. Mitnick. “Having worked with the talented Draganfly team since last November, it is clear that the company is a technology and innovation leader in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry with a sophisticated vision for growth. I am looking forward to contributing to the achievement of that vision in this new role.”
Mr. Mitnick received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science (summa cum laude) from Emory University.
Draganfly has recently augmented its team with other key leaders, including the following:
Andrew H. Card, former White House Chief of Staff and U.S. Secretary of Transportation, joined the Company’s Board of Directors on November 7, 2019;
Julie Myers Wood, CEO of Guidepost Solutions and former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, joined the Company’s Board of Advisors on March 3, 2020;
Molly Wilkinson, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at American Airlines and former Republican General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, joined the Company’s Board of Advisors on March 12, 2020;
Dr. Jack Chow, former U.S. Ambassador and Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria joined the Company’s Board of Advisors on April 8, 2020; and
Captain Lawrence Vincent (USN, Ret.), current Executive Officer, Defence Counter Intelligence Agency, and former Operations Center Director for Naval and Marine Corps Forces in Europe and Africa, joined the Company’s Board of Advisors on April 16, 2020.
About Draganfly
Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY; OTCQB: DFLYF; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of quality, cutting-edge UVS and software that revolutionize the way people do business. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 22 years, Draganfly is an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial UAV, RPAS, and UVS space, serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, and mapping and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity, and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money, and lives.
For more information on Draganfly, please visit us at www.draganfly.com.
For additional investor information, visit https://www.thecse.com/en/listings/technology/draganfly-inc, https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/DFLYF/overview or https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/aktie/draganfly-inc.
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