Prior to her retirement earlier this year, Deborah Germak was manager of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Technology Transfer Program at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. The Technical Center is the FAA’s premier research, development, testing and evaluation federal laboratory. Germak was an active FLC participant, most recently serving as chair of the Program Committee, which organizes all of the events at the annual national meeting. The last national meeting under Germak’s tenure, held in Albuquerque in 2010, broke all attendance records for training sessions, first-time attendees, and overall meeting attendance. This was due, in part, to her implementation of innovative ideas and activities that brought in and recognized the area’s local flavor. For instance, knowing that the first day of the meeting coincided with World Intellectual Property Day, she coordinated with local FLC laboratory representatives, and several local entrepreneurs were able to demonstrate their new technologies to the FLC members at that evening’s reception.

In addition to her Program Committee responsibilities, Germak participated in and presented at a number of state and local outreach activities to promote the values and opportunities of technology transfer. These included the FAA’s Worldwide Airport Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, the Air Traffic Controllers Association Technical Symposium, and the FAA’s National Small Business Procurement Opportunities Training Conference and Trade Show. One special event included the “Day with the SBA,” co-hosted with the Small Business Development Center at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and William J. Hughes Technical Center. This was an opportunity to introduce local small businesses to resources and lenders. This also was the first time many of the local businesses heard about the FAA laboratory and technology transfer opportunities.

Germak has numerous years of experience as a government contracting officer and in related positions, and many years of management experience. She has won several prestigious awards, including Vice President Al Gore’s Hammer Award, Special Congressional Recognition, and the DOT’s Distinguished Service Award. Most recently, she received the FLC Northeast Regional Coordinator’s Excellence Award.