ABERDEEN, MD (November 20, 2007) – Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Harford County Executive David R. Craig, and executives from the MITRE Corporation marked the opening of MITRE’s Aberdeen, Md. site with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house today. The new location was established to better serve MITRE’s sponsors, some of which are relocating from Fort Monmouth, N.J. The company’s Aberdeen-based staff supports the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, the Program Executive Office for Tactical Command, Control, and Communications, and the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors.
“Maryland has a rich military history that dates back to our nation’s infancy. We remain committed to the mission we’ve been given and are excited to welcome the dedicated employees at MITRE to that tradition,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “This meeting – and the opening of MITRE’s new facility –was a way for Maryland to express our long-standing commitment to assist the MITRE community in implementing transition decisions while upholding the Federal mission.”
Mr. Alfred Grasso, MITRE president and chief executive officer, and Mr. Bernard DeMarinis, MITRE’s Aberdeen site director and director of strategic initiatives for MITRE’s Army Programs Directorate, were joined at the event by elected officials, senior Army representatives, community leaders, and other MITRE executives.
“The opening of the Aberdeen site positions MITRE to meet our sponsors’ needs as they make the transition,” said Mr. Grasso. “With a presence here, our technical staff is accessible and readily available to support ongoing work – making the relocation as seamless as possible.”
Mr. DeMarinis, who led an advance team of 12 to set up the initial site in July, said, “MITRE welcomes the technical challenges not only of providing world class support to our sponsors transitioning from New Jersey, but also of partnering with those that currently reside in the Aberdeen community.”
Lt. Governor Brown, County Executive Craig, Mr. Grasso, and Mr. DeMarinis cut the ribbon, signaling the official opening of the Aberdeen site, located five miles from Aberdeen Proving Ground. It is MITRE’s sixth location in Maryland. In the next four years, more than 100 systems engineers and technology experts are expected to transition to the new site. MITRE’s work in Aberdeen is conducted as part of the federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) the company operates for the Department of Defense.
MITRE, which has its origins in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Lab, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2008. The Aberdeen site’s open house featured technical demonstrations and pictorials showcasing the company’s unique contributions to the federal government.
MITRE (www.mitre.org) is a not-for-profit company that provides systems engineering, research and development, and information technology support to the government. It operates federally funded research and development centers for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service, with principal locations in Bedford, Mass., and McLean, Va. For the last six years, MITRE has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the country’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
Photos from the open house can be seen on the Governor’s Web Site at http://www.govpics.maryland.gov/