Ed Wells Ambassadors help spread the word
When Roger Aisaka recently met with a newer member to discuss the benefit of Ed Wells Partnership classes, someone nearby asked how Ed Wells conference grants work.
“He’d been with the company 30 years and never used the conference grant,”
Aisaka said. “Some people don’t know or haven’t taken the time to use it.
That’s where Aisaka and the other ambassadors can step in to help. They
can present a brief overview of the contract benefit at workplace staff
meetings, information tables, and internal career fairs. Or if they’re in
your area, they can come over and answer questions.
Job title: Account Technical
Specialist, 737 Customer
Engineering (configuration
management), Renton
Favorites – “Five Ways
to Listen Better” and
“Engineering a Safer World:
Systems Thinking Applied
to Safety,” a book club.
Quote: “You never know
when it may come in
handy. You may have a
long career ahead. The
earlier in your career you
start taking classes, the better off you will be. Who knows – you may be
the ones teaching a class (for Ed Wells Partnership) someday.”
Job title: Electrical engineer in nuclear effects testing for the Air Force, Utah
Favorites – Conference
grant to attend the
Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) Electromagnetic
Compatibility (EMC)
symposium and a weeklong antenna course
offered by Georgia Tech.
Quote: “It was a good
experience networking
and brushing up on skills.
When you focus on a particular area every day, you forget about other things you’ve learned in the past.”
Job Title: Facilities plant
electrical engineer, Bellevue/
Seattle
Favorites – “Airplane
Design: Past, Present and
Future - An Early 21st
Century Perspective,” “Acing
the Interview: 60 Seconds &
You’re Hired” and “Powerful
Presentations” (specifically
for ambassadors).
Quote: “It’s a negotiated
benefit – it’s best to use it.”
Job Title: Boeing Test and
Evaluation real-time software engineer in the flight
simulator lab, Seattle
Favorites: ‘Vital Conversations’ and a weeklong
class on the intermediate
principals of radar protection.
Quote: “The selling point
is the knowledge and
experience I’m gaining.
It’s helpful for my job –
and for life.”
Job Title: Facilities technical designer in equipment engineering, Everett.
Favorites: ‘Vital Conversations’ and Manufacturing
Engineering Exposure
Program (MEEPS).
Quote: “That’s the true
value – connecting and
networking with people.”
Job Title: Liaison engineer in the Composite
Manufacturing Center,
Frederickson
Favorites: ‘Vital Conversations’ and ‘Rosetta
Stone’.
Quote: “It provides
opportunities you might
not otherwise have –
and access to classes that
might be outside of your
work statement.”
Ambassador Charles Tatel has a 27-year career at
Boeing, but prior to that, taught third graders for
eight years and was an EMT in Maryland, Texas and
Washington. His airline customers are United and
As ambassador outside of Puget Sound, Vernon Hardy
is instrumental in bringing classes and book clubs to
Utah, including courses on software programming and
books such as ‘Set Phasers on Stun: And Other True
Tales of Design, Technology and Human Error.’ He’s
worked at Boeing for 15 years.
Roger Aisaka (standing),pointed out highlights of Ed
Wells’ website to newer SPEEA member Casey Krueger.
Since Aisaka works in facilities, he is focused more on
buildings than airplanes. That’s why he wanted to take
an Ed Wells class on how airplanes work. He’s worked at
Boeing for 28 years.
Theryl Johnson often works in the flight simulation
lab where pilots sit in a cockpit and look out the ‘
window’ at a display that simulates their real-time flying.
During a break from her 24 years at Boeing, Johnson
was a contract engineer and also trained to become a
sheet metal mechanic who worked at Todds Shipyards.
Dan Nowlin worked for about 25 years at a Boeing
supplier before starting at Boeing seven years ago. In
addition to serving as an ambassador, he represents the
Tech Unit on the Ed Wells Partnership Leadership Team.
In addition to classes, Shaunna Winton also appreciates
the Ed Wells conference grants which help cover travel
expenses and registration for her to attend some of the
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conferences. Through
a SWE conference, she learned about a program that she’s
bringing to her work group with the help of her manager
and Ed Wells. She’s been at Boeing about 10 years.
Want to know more? Ask an Ed Wells Ambassador
Bellevue, Developmental Center,
Kent, Plant II and Thompson
•;Roger Aisaka – (206) 662-2727
•;Theryl Johnson – (425) 237-5571
Everett
•;Alexa Kulczyk – (425) 266-1393
•;Shannon Moriarty – (425) 387-2557
•;Dan Nowlin – (425) 583-2344
Frederickson/Auburn
•;Shaunna Winton – (253) 720-0827
Renton
•;Charles Tatel – (425) 736-1933
Utah
•;Vernon Hardy – (801) 315-2396