10 March 2011

Emcore adds defense expert Tegnelia to board

Emcore Corp of Albuquerque, NM, USA, which makes components and subsystems for the broadband, fiber-optic, and solar power markets, says that its board of directors has elected Dr James A. Tegnelia (who currently lectures at the University of New Mexico and Georgetown University and is a member of the Defense Science Board) to join its board as a Class C director.

Tegnelia was elected to fill a board vacancy and began service immediately upon his election on 2 March. As a Class C director, he will stand for re-election at the 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.

From 2005 to 2009, Tegnelia was director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in Fort Belvoir, VA, which safeguards the USA’s interests from weapons of mass destruction. Prior to that, he was vice president, Department of Defense Programs, Sandia National Laboratories.

Tegnelia has also served as the assistant undersecretary of defense and acting deputy undersecretary of defense in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, where he oversaw program manager activity on the JSTARS radar and ATACMS missile, and as the deputy director and later acting director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Tegnelia has also held executive leadership positions in the defense industry, including VP of business development of the Electronics Group at Martin Marietta Corp, executive VP & deputy director of Sandia National Laboratories, VP business development for the Energy and Environment Sector of Lockheed Martin Corp, and president of Lockheed Martin Advanced Environmental Systems Inc.

Tegnelia has a bachelor’s degree in physics from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in engineering from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in physics from The Catholic University of America. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Civilian Meritorious Service Medal, and the Senior Executive Service Meritorious Service Award.

“We expect Dr Tegnelia to play a significant role in Emcore’s expansion of its product portfolio in the Defense, Aerospace and Homeland Security markets,” says Emcore’s chairman Reuben F. Richards Jr.

Tags: Emcore

Visit: www.emcore.com

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