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Monday, August 25, 2008
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
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Keynote Speaker
Mr. Chester A. DeCesaris, Jr.
Principal Deputy for the Test, Fielding and Integration, MDA
Mr. Chester A. “Chet” DeCesaris, Jr. is the Principal Deputy for the Test, Fielding and Integration of the Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. He is responsible for planning, programming, budgeting, managing, and executing a comprehensive test, assessment, and fielding program that characterizes the Ballistic Missile Defense capability and supports credible fielding decisions with respect to the Ballistic Missile Defense System. He is also responsible for planning, executing, analyzing, and reporting all ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) tests. BMDS testing includes flight testing, integrated ground tests, distributed ground tests, characterization tests, critical measurements tests and lethality tests. Mr. DeCesaris entered the Senior Executive Service in December 2002.
A Department of Defense Acquisition Corps member, Mr. DeCesaris holds a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and is Level III certified in Program Management and Test and Evaluation. He entered federal civil service in 1980 as a Cooperative Education Student from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, he worked as a mechanical engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel Number 9 Facility where he researched, developed, and tested hypersonic facilities and test articles such as interceptors and reentry vehicles. He has been characterized as a leading export in hypersonic facilities and testing.
In 1993, Mr. DeCesaris accepted a rotational assignment to the Test and Evaluation Directorate of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. In 1996, he officially joined the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (now the Missile Defense Agency) in Washington, DC, successfully taking on a variety of challenging assignments of increasing scope and complexity. Among his various assignments, he has served as the Deputy Program Director for Test Resources; Program Manager for Targets; Program Manger for System Integration Test-II Targets; Director for Test Support; and Program Director for Targets and Countermeasures. In 2006 he was appointed as the Deputy Program Director for the Ground-Based Midcourse Missile Defense Joint Program Office, Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama, managing a multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar acquisition program.
Mr. DeCesaris is an active participant in several professional forums, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics where he has authored and presented numerous papers. He received the Exceptional Civilian Service Award in January 2001.
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