ATLANTA, June 28, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) announced today that The Honorable Thomas W. O'Connell, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, has become a member of its Board of Directors.
John B. Mowell, EMS's Chairman of the Board, stated, "Tom O'Connell is an especially distinguished and appropriate addition to our Board. His service as Assistant Secretary of Defense, following a 27-year military career, gives him unique insights into the needs of the military and intelligence communities, and into how EMS can effectively market its products for those needs.
"EMS has long made critical contributions to defense programs, and is eager to add Tom's knowledge and experience to gain greater visibility for EMS at higher levels within military customers. As we continue to expand defense applications for our highly sophisticated proprietary technologies, we need to better understand how to identify needs at an early stage, how to work with the ultimate customer to develop solutions, and how to make sure that our products and capabilities are more widely known among defense customers. Tom will add immeasurably to this process. He has already rolled up his sleeves in meetings with our defense development and marketing personnel, and we are all very impressed with the contributions that he is making.
"While Tom's principal interests as a director are expected to be in our defense and intelligence markets, he is a broad-gauge individual with valuable business experience. I am sure he will be very active in the Board's overall guidance of EMS, and among other roles will serve on our Nominating & Governance Committee."
A 1968 Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Mr. O'Connell served in the Army until 1995, culminating in a three-year assignment at the Central Intelligence Agency. His military career included infantry service in Germany, a combat tour as an advisor in Vietnam, numerous assignments in Special Operations Intelligence units and an exchange tour with the British Army in the United Kingdom. He commanded a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and served as the Senior Intelligence Officer for the Joint Special Operations Command. Mr. O'Connell also commanded a Special Operations Intelligence Brigade and served in Grenada, Panama, and the first Gulf War. He received several awards for valor in combat zones as well as the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. He also earned two masters degrees during his military career.
In his civilian career, Mr. O'Connell held senior management positions with ESystems Inc. and later Raytheon Company, working on critical infrastructure protection and advanced special operations and intelligence projects.
He was nominated by President George W. Bush to become Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in May of 2003, and confirmed by the Senate in July, 2003. He departed the Pentagon in April, 2007, and was responsible for civilian oversight of budgets of over 10 billion dollars annually (including Defense counter-narcotics programs), as well as 52,000 Special Operations personnel. He received both the Defense Department's and the Coast Guard's highest awards for civilian service.
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) is a wireless and satellite communication solutions leader, serving aeronautical, defense, maritime, commercial space and supply chain markets. Through its LXE, EMS SATCOM, and Defense & Space Systems divisions, EMS keeps people, systems and data connected, wherever they are -- on the ground, in the warehouse, in the air, or in space. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide and operates major manufacturing facilities in Atlanta and Ottawa, Canada.
For more information, visit EMS on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.