NPC educator receives state aerospace award
National Park College Innovative Technologies Center Director Robin Pelton was awarded the Bob East Accelerator Award at the 2019 Mid-America Aerospace and Defense Summit in Fort Smith last month.
The event is hosted by the Arkansas Aerospace Defense Alliance and includes public and private aerospace companies, government agencies and educational institutions dedicated to growing the aerospace, aviation and defense infrastructure in Arkansas and training a qualified workforce, a news release said.
The 10th annual Arkansas Aerospace and Defense Summit was held in Hot Springs in 2018. AADA is working to expand the event to include a national audience. This year, it hosted the Inaugural Mid-America Aerospace and Defense Summit in an effort to broaden its reach, the release said.
The annual award is presented to an individual who has provided a significant contribution to the growth of the aerospace and defense industries in Arkansas. Bob East was the first recipient in 2018.
Pelton holds a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the University of Central Arkansas and spent 17 years at the
Arkansas Economic Development Commission where she worked closely with aerospace and manufacturing companies before joining
NPC in 2017.
Pelton’s insights helped companies sustain profitability and growth in Arkansas and resulted in the creation of the Arkansas Aero
space Alliance and coordination of six annual Arkansas Aerospace Summits and Business-to-Business Expos, the release said. She also participated in the Arkansas Aerospace Training Consortium, the NASA Space Grant Consortium, and was a senior examiner for the Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award Program.
“Without Robin Pelton, there would be no Aerospace and Defense Alliance in Arkansas,” Executive Director Chad Causey said in the release. “She has played an integral role helping Arkansas’ aerospace and defense industry grow toward its full potential.”
According to Gina Radke, CEO of Galley Innovation Solutions and chair of the AADA, Pelton “was instrumental in starting the Arkansas Aerospace and Defense Alliance. She not only assisted in its development but did a great job serving the industry in Arkansas.”
“Robin was like having another salesperson on staff for Arkansas businesses,” Radke said. “She was exceptional at making connections and finding solutions to industry problems.”
Pelton said receiving the award is validation for her as all the work she put in over the years was the right thing to do.
“It also gave me an opportunity to recognize the people at AEDC that gave me the opportunity and the flexibility to bring this group of folks together in the first place. I am especially grateful to Maria Haley, Randy Zook and Steve Sparks. It also gave me an opportunity to thank my boss at NPC, Kelli Embry, for encouraging me to remain active in the group in my role here at NPC. It gives me great pride to know that I have had some small part in the growth of many of the companies in the aerospace and defense industry,” Pelton said in the release.